Miraphone Academy Wrap-up

[ASTuba]

I just wanted to give a big thanks to Doc AsKew and Demondrae Thurman for the weekend we just finished up a fun and intensive weekend of tuba and euphonium studies here at UNC-Greensboro. There was a very diverse crowd of students from undergraduates to adult amateurs from all over the Eastern US. It was a fantastic experience.

There was a wide range of activities, including daily warm-ups with the two instructors, masterclasses on the different instruments with each instructor working with both tubas and euphoniums. There were classes on developing practice routines, audition preparation, jazz improvisation and on "the complete package" of musician. Along with this were recitals by the instructors, individual lessons with both instructors and a reading session of tuba-euph ensemble music.

I think that this is only the beginning of what is going to become a great summer camp and opportunity for students to learn from two of the best players, musicians and teachers we have in our community. I hope everyone else who attended feels similarly and I hope that more will join us who were here next year.

Thanks again to Doc and Demondrae, and I want to thank all the wonderful people who I met this weekend!! Safe travels!

Andy

[sungfw]

Great summary, Andy, although you left out the open rehearsal. Having the opportunity to observe the given-and-take between Demondrae and Kostanza, Doc and Kostanza, and Doc, Demondrae, and Kostanza, and their commentary on giving and reading cues to one another, was eye-opening. I hope the open rehearsal will be part of the program in the future.

Thanks, Doc, Demondrae, Andy, and everyone else involved with the Miraphone Academy. I learned a ton, and am looking forward to next year's Academy.