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Boston Brass Interview Series, Part III

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Trombonist Lance LaDuke of the Boston Brass shares his advice for growing musicians and professionals in this brief interview with Spectacle Brass.

More about Lance:

LANCE LADUKE is internationally known as a soloist, writer, adjudicator and clinician. In addition to his duties on trombone and euphonium in Boston Brass, Lance teaches at Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon Universities. Prior to joining, he served as principal solo euphonium with the River City Brass Band, the nations’ only full time professional brass band. Lance has written for countless organizations, including sketches for radio, stage and themed attractions. He also regularly steps in front of audiences around the country in a number of character and comic roles.

A graduate of Michigan State University, Lance received a bachelor’s degree in Music Education, with a cognate in English. After graduate study at the University of Akron (euphonium performance) and George Mason University (instrumental conducting), Lance joined the United States Air Force Band in Washington D.C. While there, he performed for two presidents, countless dignitaries and heads of state and in hundreds of protocol functions, ceremonies, and public relations tours. He maintained a Top Secret security clearance, played for well over a million people from the White House to Red Square, and can be seen (with a magnifying glass) in the movie A Clear and Present Danger.

Lance has also performed with many of the top professional brass groups in the country, including the Brass Band of Battle Creek and the Nothing But Valves brass quartet. He has appeared on over thirty recordings, has produced nine others and has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. His performances have been seen and heard on numerous television and radio programs and Lance has appeared onstage with such artists as Henry Mancini, Doc Severinsen, Morton Gould, E.G. Marshall, Morgan Freeman, and Frederick Fennell.

Boston Brass Interview Series, Part I

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Spectacle Brass was honored to participate in the 2013 Boston Brass Music Camp on the campus of Western State Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado.  So many insights were gained from the Boston Brass, a group that has truly made a long-lasting career performing as a brass quintet around the world for the past 26 years.  Each member of the Boston Brass was very generous to share advice about becoming professional musicians in today’s world.  To begin, let’s check out Jeff Conner.

More about Jeff:

Jeff Conner is the only original member of Boston Brass. He founded the group with some fellow Boston musicians while a student at Boston University and has engineered the meteoric rise of this ensemble’s fame in the world of popular chamber music. Jeff received his master’s degree in Music from Boston University and his bachelor’s degree in music from Boston Conservatory. He has presented his Entreprenurial Clinics at Yale School of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, University of South Carolina, University of Las Vegas, Kansas State University and the Indiana Music Educators Conference.