notes: Alan Baer masterclass in Boston tonight
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 12:25 am
I attended a masterclass given by Alan Baer tonight in Boston.
He was coaching 3-4 tuba students in turn - basically given them mini-lessons, in front of a crowd of maybe 3 dozen folks, including Mike Roylance and Ken Amis.
I've not met Alan previously, but was really impressed with his energy, repoire w both student/audience, and tendency to play for and along w each student.
I'm sure it was very meaningful for them - when I studied w Sam Pilafian he did the same thing, and it was really great.
He also did a great job of inventing mini-exercises in the moment to help each student work through challenges.
Pretty cool.
Alan was playing both F and his new small CC.
The first student I heard (I was a few mins late) played Prok 5.
Alan demonstrated the intro on his CC, and sounded spectacular.
Great sound - very homogenous sound, top to bottom - very musical.
He explained how he achieved this seamless sound, even over his breakpoints - basically by setting his chops for the destination, not the starting point.
For example, he plays the low F at the top of Prok w a set that is appropriate to later in the line.
He showed something similar later when working w another student on Berlioz.
Plenty of Baer-style fire, particularly in the basement - which I appreciated.
fun evening-
Jim
He was coaching 3-4 tuba students in turn - basically given them mini-lessons, in front of a crowd of maybe 3 dozen folks, including Mike Roylance and Ken Amis.
I've not met Alan previously, but was really impressed with his energy, repoire w both student/audience, and tendency to play for and along w each student.
I'm sure it was very meaningful for them - when I studied w Sam Pilafian he did the same thing, and it was really great.
He also did a great job of inventing mini-exercises in the moment to help each student work through challenges.
Pretty cool.
Alan was playing both F and his new small CC.
The first student I heard (I was a few mins late) played Prok 5.
Alan demonstrated the intro on his CC, and sounded spectacular.
Great sound - very homogenous sound, top to bottom - very musical.
He explained how he achieved this seamless sound, even over his breakpoints - basically by setting his chops for the destination, not the starting point.
For example, he plays the low F at the top of Prok w a set that is appropriate to later in the line.
He showed something similar later when working w another student on Berlioz.
Plenty of Baer-style fire, particularly in the basement - which I appreciated.
fun evening-
Jim