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taz_39**DISCLAIMER** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer.
DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION. Thank you.**
This post covers Wednesday and Thursday.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
WEDNESDAY
Up early for rehearsal. Breakfast, walking to the theater, and warming up.
Today I received my first paycheck from the tour.
Good enough for me: I officially work here now!! :) :) :)
Rehearsal was much the same as yesterday, we played through a number and then stopped so that keycomp personnel could adjust their levels. The Assistant Music Directors (our keyboardists) also took turns conducting us for one number each, and this also allowed our rehearsal keyboardist to move around and play the parts he's covering. Knowing multiple parts and/or being able to conduct the show is a LOT of extra work...but rest assured, these guys are getting paid extra for it (as well they should be!) And they did a fantastic job. Our MD sat in the audience and said we sounded "incredible." In the pit it's very hard to tell how we sound as a group, so it's good to get audience perspective.
Before we knew it rehearsal was over. I packed up all of my things since we'll be off for a whole day, and brought my bass trombone and music to the hotel with me. Tomorrow I'm driving to Dillon Music to try bass trombones, and I'll want to compare them with the one I've currently got.
After lunch I took care of some business like ticket requests from friends, booking a hotel with my sister for a family visit in PA, and making arrangements with a coworker at Epic for her to drive my car while I'm on tour (a great solution for both of us because I don't want to sell it yet but also don't want it sitting around becoming a mouse nest like it did last time.)
Then I walked to Hertz to rent a car. It was a 2-mile walk, that's my exercise for the day.
Once I had the car I treated myself to Whole Paycheck where I got my usual favorite things.
Back at the hotel, dinner and relaxation time because although tomorrow is a day off, it'll be a long day for me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THURSDAY
Awake at 5am, eew. Some "day off!"
Breakfast, packed up some snacks and a phone charger and my bass trombone, and off I went for a 3-hour drive to Dillon Music.
Traffic was "New Jersey normal" and having lived in NJ for two years, I did a good job with timing and got there right at 10am. They were a bit late opening up, and there was a small queue of nervous high schoolers wanting to try out college level instruments.
A word on instrument testing.
For one thing, it's REALLY hard to do in this day and age. Most musical instrument stores like Music & Arts or now-bankrupt Sam Ash only carry a limited selection on-site. You may try those out and get lucky. Another option is to find a store like Dillons, which specializes in professional-level instruments, but these stores are EXCEEDINGLY rare. Unless you live in a large city like Chicago, New York, LA, etc, there is probably only one such shop in your entire state. The most common option unfortunately is to buy an instrument without testing it out. Typically sellers will allow you to return it for a full refund if you don't like it, but A) it's not guaranteed, B) shipping instruments involves a very high risk of damage to the instrument, and C) who wants to spend $$$$, wait to have it refunded, then spend it again each time you want to try an instrument??
This was why I ended up with my current bass trombone, a King Duo Gravis with custom rotor work sold by a tuba/trombone doubler out in LA. It's a GREAT trombone, but when I bought it I had not played bass for over a decade, and I only needed something decent to re-learn the instrument. I bought it sight unseen, hoping that the seller was honest and that it was a good horn...and lucky me, it was. The rotors and slide are excellent, and it sounds great.
BUT.
Now that I have played it almost every day for 6-ish months, I am aware that it may not be a good match for me.
For one thing, the previous owner was a TUBIST. He modified the horn to suit his needs, and that meant making the leadpipe (the part where the mouthpiece goes in) wider to accommodate a tuba-sized mouthpiece! It is a difference of millimeters, but in the brass instrument world that is a BIG difference. It means I have to work harder and put more air through the horn to get a clean, sharp sound. The previous owner wanted a more conical, tuba-esque sound, and I need a more crisp, cylindrical sound. (Click HERE to read more about the difference between conical and cylindrical instruments.)
For another, this instrument is OLD. I own two vintage tenor trombones, and this is not a criticism. It's to say that the thing leaks at various points, and the tubes need to be emptied manually which is difficult to do mid-show, and in general it was designed for a different era where a different sound was wanted. As I say, it's an excellent horn and will be absolutely fantastic for a true bass trombonist, a collector, or a tubist doubling on bass. But for me, a tenor trombonist who has mostly played smaller instruments in a theme park setting, it is simply not a good match. I became aware that something didn't feel quite right over time with the instrument, but it became especially clear when I tried Ilan's bass trombone and it was instantly, INSTANTLY, much easier to play.
Knowing that Dillon Music was nearby while we were in tech rehearsal, I thought (rightly) that this would be my best chance to try MANY bass trombones in one shot, and find one that is a better fit.
It doesn't have to be perfect. Just BETTER.
Anyway. The entryway at Dillon Music is full of photographs, programs, and memorabilia of the many many MANY brass musicians who have patronized the shop.
The store was incorporated in 1992, but the Steve Dillon has been selling instruments since the 80s. He and his wife Lynn have come out to see my shows, and always come by the pit to say hello! Lynn was actually right at the door, but I only gave her an enthusiastic "hello" and then let her handle the people in line ahead of me (I've worked retail before!)
Behind the counter, these supercool and rare brass instruments from bygone days.
And then we get to the good stuff.
This is the tuba/trumpet room. Pretty cool, huh? So few stores have a selection like this.
And here is the trombone wall (drool!) They have many more instruments in storage in the basement as well.
One of the kids ahead of me was a clarinetist (The Dillon family men served as fifers during the Revolutionary and Civil wars, and as such they keep a collection of reed instruments too.) The other was a trombonist who'd just been accepted to the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony! A sales associate led them to practice rooms and got them started with a few instruments to try based on what they were looking for. He then brought me to a third room and hooked me up with a YBL-835GD, which was the model I'd asked to try ahead of time. He also brought me a Shires Q, saying that a lot of bass trombonists preferred it.
I had brought my Duo Gravis for comparison. One important thing to watch out for when trying new instruments is that you're not lying to yourself just because you want something new and shiny :p It's very important to be as sure as you can that the new horn will be an improvement, and/or give you something that your horn currently doesn't have.
On the left, my Duo Gravis. On the right, the Yamaha 835.
For the next two hours, I played and played, and played some more.
I carefully, painstakingly compared all three instruments by playing the same passages on them over and over, to hear the differences and pay attention to whether something was caused by me as a player, or the horn.
The first time I came to Dillon Music as a high school student, I spent FOUR HOURS testing horns. That's because I'd never done it before; I had very little clue what to look for, and I was scared because I didn't have a lot of money to spend and didn't want to make the wrong choice. Now I'm a lot more experienced and know what to listen for, and also know that if I find out I've made a terrible mistake, I can just return it and get my old horn back!
It was immediately clear that both new horns were an improvement over the Duo Gravis sound-wise, at least for what I need. I wanted a horn that was easier to play and had a more centered, responsive sound, and both fit the bill. But the Shires did not respond as quickly as the Yamaha, and although I could get more volume on it and it sounded wonderful, I still felt like it was fighting me more than the Yamaha. It was also significantly harder to hold comfortably. A lot of trombones are apparently designed for big MAN-BEAR MANLY MEN or something because the grips are ridiculously big, even for men. Yamahas in general tend to be designed with ASIAN men in mind, which means they are more comfortable to hold for ME. But that aside, the Yamaha won; overall it gave me what I wanted. It was direct and clean, and easier to play. It has a few quirks and as such may not be a "lifer" horn for me, but it is a great improvement and I believe it is worth the investment.
Even with a trade-in it was $$$$ expensive! But I have my dream gig now, and I need to bring my absolute best, and right now that means upgrading my equipment.
While waiting for my salesperson I chatted with the other trombonist's mom, which is how I found out he's doing the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony. She's not a musician at all, and the salespeople were too busy to stop by and give advice, so when her son came out I introduced myself and offered to listen and give feedback on the different horns that he was trying. He agreed and then told me what he was looking for in a horn. I listened carefully while he played the same passage across five different trombones, being careful not to look so I could judge blindly. There were two that sounded especially strong and projected well (that's what he was looking for), one was a Bach and the other a Getzen. I have played both brands before and love them both for different reasons. I gave the best advice that I could and told him what I'd heard from each horn. Ultimately it'll be up to him and his preferences. Instruments are a very personal choice, and what works for me may not work for him. I really hope he found a wonderful trombone today!
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Kind of a sidenote + perspective for readers:
The first time I came to Dillon Music to buy a college-level trombone, I was alone. I had driven all the way from Bloomsburg, PA, where I'd just had a fight with my dad. He had tried to stop me from buying a new trombone. He couldn't understand what was wrong with the one I already had, and lectured me for over an hour about how I was wasting my money, and on something that wasn't realistic as a career. I hate conflict and was afraid of him, and did not say a word to argue back. I sat trembling while he got in my face and paced angrily in front of me, arguing his case for why I shouldn't be buying a trombone. When he finally yelled at me to "Speak up!" and say something, I said, "I'm driving to New Jersey to get a trombone. I should be back before midnight."
Luckily he didn't physically try to stop me, just stormed out of the room instead. And then didn't talk to me for the next 48 hours.
Under that level of stress, I drove to New Jersey. Being from a small town, driving in NJ was absolutely terrifying at the time. When I arrived there were lots of adult musicians, all men, trying horns. I was a little girl just barely getting started in music, having just endured a lot of stresses before coming there, and I was deeply intimidated and ashamed of how I sounded compared to them on top of everything else. But I HAD to get a trombone for school. So I played all the way up until closing time, to the great annoyance of the sales staff. And I traded my student Getzen for a Bach 42A.
That Bach 42A is here with me for Beauty and the Beast.
And now, with that perspective, you can imagine how nice it was for me today, to go back to Dillon Music and not only confidently choose a trombone for myself, but also encourage a young musician in finding a horn that was right for him.
And seeing his mom there with him, watching proudly and supporting him, was absolutely worth 6 hours in New Jersey traffic :)
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Once the sale was complete I had to drive back right away because the day had taken much longer than I'd planned and the rental car place closed at 5pm. Ate a hasty lunch in the car while driving and got back just in time. At the hotel I gently washed the new trombone slide (it was already squeaky clean but you never know), lubed it with my preferred goop, and checked it over to make sure it's ready for tomorrow's rehearsal.
I'm so very excited to play it for this tour! My new li'l buddy!
I will take more pictures of it once it's in the pit.
Ate dinner, had a much-needed glass of wine, typed up this post, and crashed for the rest of the evening.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday: A rather short rehearsal from 10am to noon, and then we are hoping to watch a full run-through of the show with costumes and everything!!
Saturday and Sunday: Both are long rehearsal days, and Sunday is a dress rehearsal. Wow, we're almost at previews!! How exciting!
DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION. Thank you.**
This post covers Wednesday and Thursday.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
WEDNESDAY
Up early for rehearsal. Breakfast, walking to the theater, and warming up.
Today I received my first paycheck from the tour.
Good enough for me: I officially work here now!! :) :) :)
Rehearsal was much the same as yesterday, we played through a number and then stopped so that keycomp personnel could adjust their levels. The Assistant Music Directors (our keyboardists) also took turns conducting us for one number each, and this also allowed our rehearsal keyboardist to move around and play the parts he's covering. Knowing multiple parts and/or being able to conduct the show is a LOT of extra work...but rest assured, these guys are getting paid extra for it (as well they should be!) And they did a fantastic job. Our MD sat in the audience and said we sounded "incredible." In the pit it's very hard to tell how we sound as a group, so it's good to get audience perspective.
Before we knew it rehearsal was over. I packed up all of my things since we'll be off for a whole day, and brought my bass trombone and music to the hotel with me. Tomorrow I'm driving to Dillon Music to try bass trombones, and I'll want to compare them with the one I've currently got.
After lunch I took care of some business like ticket requests from friends, booking a hotel with my sister for a family visit in PA, and making arrangements with a coworker at Epic for her to drive my car while I'm on tour (a great solution for both of us because I don't want to sell it yet but also don't want it sitting around becoming a mouse nest like it did last time.)
Then I walked to Hertz to rent a car. It was a 2-mile walk, that's my exercise for the day.
Once I had the car I treated myself to Whole Paycheck where I got my usual favorite things.
Back at the hotel, dinner and relaxation time because although tomorrow is a day off, it'll be a long day for me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
THURSDAY
Awake at 5am, eew. Some "day off!"
Breakfast, packed up some snacks and a phone charger and my bass trombone, and off I went for a 3-hour drive to Dillon Music.
Traffic was "New Jersey normal" and having lived in NJ for two years, I did a good job with timing and got there right at 10am. They were a bit late opening up, and there was a small queue of nervous high schoolers wanting to try out college level instruments.
A word on instrument testing.
For one thing, it's REALLY hard to do in this day and age. Most musical instrument stores like Music & Arts or now-bankrupt Sam Ash only carry a limited selection on-site. You may try those out and get lucky. Another option is to find a store like Dillons, which specializes in professional-level instruments, but these stores are EXCEEDINGLY rare. Unless you live in a large city like Chicago, New York, LA, etc, there is probably only one such shop in your entire state. The most common option unfortunately is to buy an instrument without testing it out. Typically sellers will allow you to return it for a full refund if you don't like it, but A) it's not guaranteed, B) shipping instruments involves a very high risk of damage to the instrument, and C) who wants to spend $$$$, wait to have it refunded, then spend it again each time you want to try an instrument??
This was why I ended up with my current bass trombone, a King Duo Gravis with custom rotor work sold by a tuba/trombone doubler out in LA. It's a GREAT trombone, but when I bought it I had not played bass for over a decade, and I only needed something decent to re-learn the instrument. I bought it sight unseen, hoping that the seller was honest and that it was a good horn...and lucky me, it was. The rotors and slide are excellent, and it sounds great.
BUT.
Now that I have played it almost every day for 6-ish months, I am aware that it may not be a good match for me.
For one thing, the previous owner was a TUBIST. He modified the horn to suit his needs, and that meant making the leadpipe (the part where the mouthpiece goes in) wider to accommodate a tuba-sized mouthpiece! It is a difference of millimeters, but in the brass instrument world that is a BIG difference. It means I have to work harder and put more air through the horn to get a clean, sharp sound. The previous owner wanted a more conical, tuba-esque sound, and I need a more crisp, cylindrical sound. (Click HERE to read more about the difference between conical and cylindrical instruments.)
For another, this instrument is OLD. I own two vintage tenor trombones, and this is not a criticism. It's to say that the thing leaks at various points, and the tubes need to be emptied manually which is difficult to do mid-show, and in general it was designed for a different era where a different sound was wanted. As I say, it's an excellent horn and will be absolutely fantastic for a true bass trombonist, a collector, or a tubist doubling on bass. But for me, a tenor trombonist who has mostly played smaller instruments in a theme park setting, it is simply not a good match. I became aware that something didn't feel quite right over time with the instrument, but it became especially clear when I tried Ilan's bass trombone and it was instantly, INSTANTLY, much easier to play.
Knowing that Dillon Music was nearby while we were in tech rehearsal, I thought (rightly) that this would be my best chance to try MANY bass trombones in one shot, and find one that is a better fit.
It doesn't have to be perfect. Just BETTER.
Anyway. The entryway at Dillon Music is full of photographs, programs, and memorabilia of the many many MANY brass musicians who have patronized the shop.
The store was incorporated in 1992, but the Steve Dillon has been selling instruments since the 80s. He and his wife Lynn have come out to see my shows, and always come by the pit to say hello! Lynn was actually right at the door, but I only gave her an enthusiastic "hello" and then let her handle the people in line ahead of me (I've worked retail before!)
Behind the counter, these supercool and rare brass instruments from bygone days.
And then we get to the good stuff.
This is the tuba/trumpet room. Pretty cool, huh? So few stores have a selection like this.
And here is the trombone wall (drool!) They have many more instruments in storage in the basement as well.
One of the kids ahead of me was a clarinetist (The Dillon family men served as fifers during the Revolutionary and Civil wars, and as such they keep a collection of reed instruments too.) The other was a trombonist who'd just been accepted to the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony! A sales associate led them to practice rooms and got them started with a few instruments to try based on what they were looking for. He then brought me to a third room and hooked me up with a YBL-835GD, which was the model I'd asked to try ahead of time. He also brought me a Shires Q, saying that a lot of bass trombonists preferred it.
I had brought my Duo Gravis for comparison. One important thing to watch out for when trying new instruments is that you're not lying to yourself just because you want something new and shiny :p It's very important to be as sure as you can that the new horn will be an improvement, and/or give you something that your horn currently doesn't have.
On the left, my Duo Gravis. On the right, the Yamaha 835.
For the next two hours, I played and played, and played some more.
I carefully, painstakingly compared all three instruments by playing the same passages on them over and over, to hear the differences and pay attention to whether something was caused by me as a player, or the horn.
The first time I came to Dillon Music as a high school student, I spent FOUR HOURS testing horns. That's because I'd never done it before; I had very little clue what to look for, and I was scared because I didn't have a lot of money to spend and didn't want to make the wrong choice. Now I'm a lot more experienced and know what to listen for, and also know that if I find out I've made a terrible mistake, I can just return it and get my old horn back!
It was immediately clear that both new horns were an improvement over the Duo Gravis sound-wise, at least for what I need. I wanted a horn that was easier to play and had a more centered, responsive sound, and both fit the bill. But the Shires did not respond as quickly as the Yamaha, and although I could get more volume on it and it sounded wonderful, I still felt like it was fighting me more than the Yamaha. It was also significantly harder to hold comfortably. A lot of trombones are apparently designed for big MAN-BEAR MANLY MEN or something because the grips are ridiculously big, even for men. Yamahas in general tend to be designed with ASIAN men in mind, which means they are more comfortable to hold for ME. But that aside, the Yamaha won; overall it gave me what I wanted. It was direct and clean, and easier to play. It has a few quirks and as such may not be a "lifer" horn for me, but it is a great improvement and I believe it is worth the investment.
Even with a trade-in it was $$$$ expensive! But I have my dream gig now, and I need to bring my absolute best, and right now that means upgrading my equipment.
While waiting for my salesperson I chatted with the other trombonist's mom, which is how I found out he's doing the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony. She's not a musician at all, and the salespeople were too busy to stop by and give advice, so when her son came out I introduced myself and offered to listen and give feedback on the different horns that he was trying. He agreed and then told me what he was looking for in a horn. I listened carefully while he played the same passage across five different trombones, being careful not to look so I could judge blindly. There were two that sounded especially strong and projected well (that's what he was looking for), one was a Bach and the other a Getzen. I have played both brands before and love them both for different reasons. I gave the best advice that I could and told him what I'd heard from each horn. Ultimately it'll be up to him and his preferences. Instruments are a very personal choice, and what works for me may not work for him. I really hope he found a wonderful trombone today!
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Kind of a sidenote + perspective for readers:
The first time I came to Dillon Music to buy a college-level trombone, I was alone. I had driven all the way from Bloomsburg, PA, where I'd just had a fight with my dad. He had tried to stop me from buying a new trombone. He couldn't understand what was wrong with the one I already had, and lectured me for over an hour about how I was wasting my money, and on something that wasn't realistic as a career. I hate conflict and was afraid of him, and did not say a word to argue back. I sat trembling while he got in my face and paced angrily in front of me, arguing his case for why I shouldn't be buying a trombone. When he finally yelled at me to "Speak up!" and say something, I said, "I'm driving to New Jersey to get a trombone. I should be back before midnight."
Luckily he didn't physically try to stop me, just stormed out of the room instead. And then didn't talk to me for the next 48 hours.
Under that level of stress, I drove to New Jersey. Being from a small town, driving in NJ was absolutely terrifying at the time. When I arrived there were lots of adult musicians, all men, trying horns. I was a little girl just barely getting started in music, having just endured a lot of stresses before coming there, and I was deeply intimidated and ashamed of how I sounded compared to them on top of everything else. But I HAD to get a trombone for school. So I played all the way up until closing time, to the great annoyance of the sales staff. And I traded my student Getzen for a Bach 42A.
That Bach 42A is here with me for Beauty and the Beast.
And now, with that perspective, you can imagine how nice it was for me today, to go back to Dillon Music and not only confidently choose a trombone for myself, but also encourage a young musician in finding a horn that was right for him.
And seeing his mom there with him, watching proudly and supporting him, was absolutely worth 6 hours in New Jersey traffic :)
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Once the sale was complete I had to drive back right away because the day had taken much longer than I'd planned and the rental car place closed at 5pm. Ate a hasty lunch in the car while driving and got back just in time. At the hotel I gently washed the new trombone slide (it was already squeaky clean but you never know), lubed it with my preferred goop, and checked it over to make sure it's ready for tomorrow's rehearsal.
I'm so very excited to play it for this tour! My new li'l buddy!
I will take more pictures of it once it's in the pit.
Ate dinner, had a much-needed glass of wine, typed up this post, and crashed for the rest of the evening.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday: A rather short rehearsal from 10am to noon, and then we are hoping to watch a full run-through of the show with costumes and everything!!
Saturday and Sunday: Both are long rehearsal days, and Sunday is a dress rehearsal. Wow, we're almost at previews!! How exciting!
no subject
Date: 2025-06-20 01:13 am (UTC)Reading about all the different trombones reminds me of when my friend bought a guitar she found on Craigslist (we went to the person's house for her to try out) only to then sell it because "the sound wasn't warm enough." I had no idea what she was talking about. However, the extent of my musicianship is 3 years of flute in elementary school. I like all this detail you gave.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-20 02:07 am (UTC)They will know that someone else is driving my car (I'll tell 'em.) She'll either be on my insurance, or be covered under her parents.
Haha thanks, glad someone appreciated my tirade! It can be hard to describe, and also something that you develop over time playing an instrument. I had no idea what to listen for when I first started out, or what qualities might make a better trombone. I figured if it was new or "the latest" model, it was probably "the best." Not true at all! Some of the best musicians of all time performed on what to anyone else would be absolute garbage instruments. Especially true of jazz and folk musicians.
But when you've played for a long time and know how you want to sound, or how you want to feel when playing, it's easier to look for and find those qualities in an instrument :)
no subject
Date: 2025-06-20 04:07 am (UTC)I just read Bruce Springsteen's memoir. He talks about some of the garbage guitars he started out with since it was all he could afford.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-20 11:03 am (UTC)I can’t do it right now because I’m kind of at work, but when I am back in Florida on the layoff, I have already arranged to do all of this. I promise. I don’t know what else I can say to convince you but I’m going to take care of it. I did the research on the app, but we plan to actually add her to my insurance in person. I can’t do that until we are both in Florida, which is not where I am right now. I have almost 3 weeks in Florida coming up.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-20 10:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-06-21 12:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-06-20 04:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-06-20 05:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-06-21 03:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-06-21 12:46 pm (UTC)It was nice to go into Dillon's a LOT more confident :)
Of course, yesterday I had my first rehearsal with the new horn and was absolutely insecure and terrified lol! I was afraid that the MD wouldn't like it or that the change would be too drastic. Still not sure how the others feel about it, but it'll be all right.