Sam Pilafian

[MaryAnn]

Start listening at about 20 minutes:
http://www.andrewhitz.com/blog/tbj100" target="_blank

[Matt Good]

Thanks for posting this.
-Matt

[bisontuba]

Wow.......

[Jerryleejr]

Im really surprised most on here have not discovered this podcast already. They have two I listen to regularly and Sam has done a couple episodes...

JJ

[GC]

That was seriously intense plus funny as all get out. Now I've got 12 more of their podcasts to listen to . . .

[Leland]

The episode was recorded/posted last December, yes? It sounded very hopeful; what's his status now? Social media has been a little vague, probably out of respect.

[Leland]

Pat Sheridan started posting well wishes a couple days ago. Being one of Sam's best friends and seeing those posts come out of seemingly nowhere, that leads me to believe that there was a not-so-good development in Sam's condition. I hope I'm wrong

Yeah, that's what makes me nervous. I've been thinking that it's either that or his immunotherapy -- which isn't easy to withstand, I hear -- was getting into top gear.

[Leland]

Not the news I wanted to see today.

I'm going to assume this is allowed since it was posted on FB by Sam's sister, Nerisa.

[michaelrmurrin]

Wow. I had no idea about any of this. So this is a huge surprise to me. Sam was one of the biggest figures from both a playing standpoint and a pedagogy standpoint. About 4 years ago I saw him play a recital with the Boston Brass and met him. He brought so much to the tuba world from both a playing standpoint and teaching standpoint. One of my favorite tuba pieces "Silhouette" was written for him. The list could go on and on about how much he has given to the tuba world. He will be missed greatly. But his impact is deep and continues to live on.

[bort]

Oh, this is dreadful news, how sad.

I had one interaction with Sam, about 20 years ago I met him in passing. I called him Mr. P. He was nice and didn't say anything, but a friend told me shortly afterwards that Mr. P was someone else. :facepalm:

[Leland]

Thanks for posting that. Incredibly sad. I was a freshman in college when John Fletcher died, so I never was that aware of him while he was alive. Sam on the other hand, partially made up my personal Mt Rushmore of tuba players.
Godspeed Sam. We all love you

Same here, in the sense that Sam was one of the very few well-known players that I had a chance to speak with.

He was one of the instructors at the OU tuba-euph camp I went to in '99 (Brian Bowman, Deanna Swoboda, and Ted Cox were there, too). I got some good tools from him, including how to get into improv bass lines and changing notes smoother. He even put me on the spot in front of the class, asking me to play "the craziest lip slur exercise you know of from drum corps."

Most importantly, though, he made us all feel like we could conquer the world, and that World Famous Professional Tuba Players can be as approachable as anyone else. It was just as valuable for him to walk us through range extension exercises and the kernels of what was to become Breathing Gym as it was to have drinks together at the bowling alley.

[WoodSheddin]

RIP, Sam

[FarahShazam]

I've been following this as well as Sean. I'm so sorry for this world, Sam. RIP.

[groth]

Can't forget wearing out my Travelin' Light CD as a youngster grinding on his style. Not too mention all the Empire Brass stuff. RIP..

[Rick F]

So sorry to hear this. Mr. Pialfian was always my favorite tubist to listen to. Extraordinary style and tone. Empire Brass CDs are still among my favorites.

RIP Sam Pilafian.

[toobagrowl]

Sad to hear about Sam Never personally met him, but did hear him live a couple times back in his Meinl-Weston days; once on TV with the Boston Pops, and another time at a tuba conference.
Back when he was with Empire Brass, no other brass quintet had their sound or refinement.

He has contributed so much to the tuba community in many ways, and he also helped with the development/improvement of several models of Meinl-Weston tubas during the 1980s - 90s, along with Warren Deck

Glad that I have several recordings of Sam. My favorite is still the Meinl Sextet CD

[bort]

The clips of him with Mr. Rogers are great, too!

[MaryAnn]

I met Sam at a small horn workshop in northern AZ while he was still at ASU. I had taken my F tuba with me and saw him do a double take seeing it on my back. He did his breathing workshop, worked with all of us in groups, let me play both his CC and F tubas, and was incredibly encouraging and helpful, beyond anything I've ever experienced. For me, it's not the loss of a tuba player but the loss of the person that is hitting me hard, even though I only had that one weekend encounter.

[Lamminator]

Very sad news. RIP.

[tofu]

.