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Bruce Hembd

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123’s, just like ABC’s

On just about every valved brass instrument, the combination fingerings of first and third valves or all three valves together are horrifically out-of-tune. Trumpet players...

Tips for a Successful Recital Poster

UPDATE: 10/19/2010 - a revised graphic and final word. This is the time of year when academic music performance majors are planning recitals. A big factor...

Count Roland’s Oliphant of Woe

Recently I was reminded of a historic medieval French poem, The Song of Roland. Key in this poem - which is one of the...

Thoughts on a Patterson/Yamaha Horn: Day 28

It has been four weeks since my Patterson-converted Yamaha 667 arrived in a little brown truck at my doorstep. I had sent it away...

Gaze into the Dark Opera Pit

Many times when I am in the orchestra pit audience members will stop by and look inside. Sometimes - from the musician perspective - it...

Anatomy of a Practice Space

The room where I practice at home is also where do design and development work. This is the music wing of my desk....

The Musician’s Highway to Hell: The Hidden Costs of Freelancing

As a young professional I eagerly accepted playing jobs anywhere they could be found - no matter how far they were or how little...

Rehearsing for an Opera

For a player new to the world of opera, opera rehearsals can feel a little foreign. The music can go on for long periods...

The Americanization of a Yamaha

When I sold my high-end custom horn I made a conscious decision. I wanted to have two different horns that suited the different gigs...

More Options for Customizing Your Horn

Not everybody has the cash - or the need - for an expensive custom horn. While in my dreams an Engelbert Schmid quintuple horn floats...