Some thoughts on lead in trumpets, door keys and Prop 65... CEH In 2019 several emails from clients referenced an article posted online by the Center for Environmental Health. The concern was about dangerous lead levels in brass musical instruments, an important topic for all of us. Since then we see more warning labels that read “CA Prop 65 Warning”. This sounds dangerous. What’s going on?The Center for Environmental Health...
No, this will not be a debate on how much of each lip should be "in" the mouthpiece or what direction you should blow the air. We will merely explore the action by which tightening certain muscles and breathing air out creates a vibration that is then enhanced by your instrument. What We Hear What is sound, man...? No but like, what IS sound? One thing for sure, is that...
I traveled the world a lot in 2006, partly with Paul Anka and orchestra, and also for several trade shows. The highlight of this was the beginning of the European leg of the Paul Anka tour in Amsterdam, where we had several days off. This is a magnificent city, for two reasons at least. The first, and one that many of you pick up on at the mere mention of...
The age-old question! Why does my horn go sharp when it gets hot and flat when it's cold? Contrary to many band room conversations, it has very little to do with the expansion or contraction of the metal of the instrument. In fact, the expansion of the instrument would (very slightly) counteract the effect. Short answer Because physics. Long answer Because sound is a pressure wave, it requires molecules to...
