The 2009 Southwest Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference finished last night and it was 3 days of terrific artists, clinics, master classes, and concerts. Those who came were duly treated to an amazing series of concerts and clinics. Several instrument, equipment and music vendors displayed their stuff too.

Young LA Pros Beth Mitchell and Dave Holben took on the difficult task of organizing SWRTEC. Last year ITEA Conference Coordinator Tim Northcutt asked me if there was any way to have a regional conference in the Los Angeles area. There had never been one because of the busy schedules of the local pros and the lack of professors in the area with facilities and desire to tackle all the hard work. I hosted the 3^rd International Conference at USC in 1978 and that was 31 years ago...

I was working on a picture over at Sony tonight and we finished early. So I decided to drop in at the Jazz Bakery and see who was playing. Well it was Billy Childs, a string quartet and a great group of players. WOW it was one of the most incredible evenings I have ever had. It was new and fresh and beautiful stuff.  And I just stumbled into it.

It was all Billy Childs’ music and was interesting harmonically. And the rhythmic fluidity of the group was very intense—listening and creative. I come away feeling like I heard a new level of music a real synthesis of jazz, rock, R and B, and especially classical. I have watched this talented man Billy Childs since he was a student at USC. He has developed into one of the leading innovators in all of music   an amazing life altering artist...

Last  week  I  played  a  week  of  Stravinsky’s  Petrushka  with  the  Pacific  Symphony.  Ever  since  I  got  my  FLUBA  in  2000  I  knew  it  could  be  a  great  classical  instrument.  My main use of it  since then has been as a jazz instrument. But playing certain  high tuba solos was a piece of cake on it so I always wanted to  try it on the Bear Solo or other orchestral parts. Convincing a  conductor might be a problem however. My chance came last  week. We had a last minute substitute conductor, Christian  Knapp, who is young and adventuresome. It’s been a few years  since I played Petrushka but after many performances and  teaching it forever I thought I knew it cold. During the first two  rehearsals I had my Yamaha 822 F and stumbled through the solo...