The Band Room

[Kerik]

Cool Kerik, ever hear of Ishkabibble?

Nope! Tell me more...

 

[MattCarey]

Speaking of hearing impairments...

All those years of playing clarinet in Army concert bands, plus bari sax in stage bands, has left me with a pretty substantial hearing loss and a nasty case of tinnitus. My right ear is much worse than my left. The damned ringing of the tinnitus used to really drive me crazy, but I'm getting used to it now...

I remember playing with a big band in a retirement community. The entire reed section had hearing aids.

For those who don't know, the reeds sit in front. Behind them are the trombones. Behind them are the trumpets.

If you keep playing, there are some suggestions. You can get some really good earplugs from etymotic (they also make really good small headphones). You can get them already made, but you tend to get "occlusion". You know how it sounds when you put your finger in your ear when you sing and you hear yourself much louder? A better plan is to get the earplugs fitted by a good audiologist. Really good, not your average hearing aid dispenser. Get them to make the mold so it goes as deep into your ear canal as possible. Email the good folks at etymotic and they will send you instructions (or they did for me) about this.

Oh, yeah--as to the OP's question. Trumpet. Total gear-head. Last count, I have something like 9 trumpets (I need to count...or ask my wife). Used to play with local musical theater groups, a local community orchestra and a quintet...then I had kids.

Matt

 

[Dave Wooten]

Ishkabibble (sp) had a big band back in the day-before my time-I saw his picture in a book somewhere....might have been Leonard Feather's book...

he played a bass or a contra bass sax.....incredible instrument....very rare

 

[Dave Wooten]

Merwyn Bogue, I think that was his name....when checked out Kerik's post on the nuclear whales the sax depicted...the large one...looks like it is larger than a bari...which would make it a fairly rare bass or contra etc...

It looks like we instrumentation for a small big band-theoretically speaking- or a brass quintet-

 

[Leon]

yup - I played the trumpet and piano. Went on to music college, dropped out at 19! Dont play much now, t and p that is, I play lots of guitar & mandolin instead

 

[Peter Rockstroh]

Piano, for many years. During my long-haired years also guitar, bass, charango, and kalimba. Still play the piano for much less time than I would like to. It´s a tough choice: piano or darkroom ... when I´m not in the kitchen.

 

[Dave Wooten]

Leon,

BTW, one of my favorite sounds is that of a fine British Brass Band, these organizations have produced some phenominal virtuoso players...

 

[kwmullet]

What -- y'all have something against string players?

My high school fork in the road was whether to go into photography or music (violin), being at least good enough in each to warrant traveling on the path. I picked photography, but then got distracted by the Internet & computers for fifteen years and have just the past 2-3 years returned to the fold.

I got the inkling to return to the violin as well recently, but opened up my case to find that "bow mites" had severed about half the hair in my bow, so I gotta take the fiddle in for some professional TLC before I dive in again.

-KwM-

 

[Dave Wooten]

Hey KW good to hear from the string section! Unfortunately many students are put into having to choose one over the other in school.....

I played in the high school band and in college and some orchestras, and also taught high school orchestra and band for many years...

 

[bobfowler]

Ishkabibble (sp) had a big band back in the day-before my time-I saw his picture in a book somewhere....might have been Leonard Feather's book...

he played a bass or a contra bass sax.....incredible instrument....very rare

Merwyn Bogue aka Ishkabibble - He was a featured performer with Kay Kyser's band (Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge). Harry Babbitt, Ginny Simms, Sully Mason, Jane Russell (yup, THAT Jane Russell) and Mike Douglas were also vocalists with the Kyser band.

 

[bobfowler]

What -- y'all have something against string players?
-KwM-

Not at all... If it weren't for violinists, the drummers wouldn't have anyone to pick on...

You know the difference between a bass player and a pizza?

A pizza can feed a family of four!

hehehe

 

[Dave Wooten]

thanks Bob!

Thats the guy, actually Merv G was a pretty decent vocalist and pianist etc....some of those bands were quite entertaining....I used to have a photo of that Sax I ll try and find one on line somewhere....

 

[jovo]

The Unforgettable Nonharmonic Symphony Orchestra was about to go on tour when the personel manager announced that their conductor was too ill to lead them. He then asked if anyone would be able to conduct in his place. The next to last chair violist (sorry...they're ALWAYS violists in these stories) volunteered and was quite successful for the first several concerts of the tour. Finally, the personel manager announced that their regular conductor would be returning for that evening's performance, and, thank you very much sir violist, you may return to your section. Upon sitting down, his stand partner looked at him in bewilderment and asked: "Bob...where the hell have you been???"

 

[MattCarey]

Not at all... If it weren't for violinists, the drummers wouldn't have anyone to pick on...

You know the difference between a bass player and a pizza?

A pizza can feed a family of four!

hehehe

Prarie Home Companion used this on their Joke Show about 5 years back. I then repeated it to my trumpet teacher...who, as a struggling musician having just added a second kid to his family (now of 4) was not amused.

Matt

 

[craigclu]

Definition of an optimist?

A professional accordian player with a beeper......

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Definition of an optimist?

A professional accordian player with a beeper......

Accordian player coming home from a wedding gig, gets into his house and realizes, "Damn! I left my accordian in the cab!" Calls the cab company, they track it down, the cab driver comes back to the accordian player's house, and he opens the door to find TWO accordians in the back of the cab.

 

[David Brown]

... Upon sitting down, his stand partner looked at him in bewilderment and asked: "Bob...where the hell have you been???"

John, viola jokes????

OK: Why are violas larger than violins? They burn longer. (ba dum bum)

Did you hear about the drummer that lost one stick. He held up the remaining one and yelled: "It's a miracle, I'm a conductor!"

True anecdote: In college I was asked by a music professor if I could play like Buddy Rich. I said: "No, but then Buddy Rich can't play like me, either."

Cheers y'all.

David

 

[bobfowler]

Do you know how to improve the aerodynamics of a trombonist's car?

Take the "Domino's Pizza" sign off the roof...



How can you tell if a drummer is at your door?

The knock keeps speeding up...


I used to date a french horn player. She was a great kisser, but I wasn't crazy about what she kept doing with her right hand...

 

[lee]

how do we know when the stage is level? when the drool is coming out of both sides of the drummers mouth.

what do you call a guy that hangs out with musicians? the drummer

lee\c

 

[David Brown]

how do we know when the stage is level? when the drool is coming out of both sides of the drummers mouth.

what do you call a guy that hangs out with musicians? the drummer

lee\c

Thanks, Lee, you resurrected a suppressed memory.

My college stage band was known as "15 musicians and a drummer".

Guess who I was. :rolleyes:

How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb?
"Wow. Is it like, dark, man?"

 

[bob01721]

Q - How do you get the guitar player to turn down his amp?
A - Put a sheet of music in front of him.

 

[MattCarey]

John, viola jokes????

OK: Why are violas larger than violins? They burn longer. (ba dum bum)

No, Violas and Vioilins are the same size. It's just that Violinist's have bigger heads!

Matt