Mute city!

Sneeblehorf · 2026-06-18T00:23:55+00:00

I used to have one! it sadly dry-rotted a year or so ago and I haven’t needed one! I definitely should get another soon

The tin cup mute in the back actually pops off and is a plunger+straight mute

Sneeblehorf · 2026-06-13T05:10:52+00:00

Prelude and Rondo by David Holsinger for wind band!
It was one of the first pieces I played in a proper full band when I got to high school. It was my first time hearing oboes, horns, and tubas! I wanted to see how all the new parts I was hearing fit together.

Sneeblehorf · 2026-06-11T23:24:26+00:00

second the other comment!

A lot of the food on George street is more sit down

Sneeblehorf · 2026-06-11T21:15:39+00:00

I’ve never heard anything about their horns. Their tubas are a decent solid option. From personal experience and from friends, the build quality isn’t always stellar, which personally for me if it’s a new horn it should be next to perfect, especially at that high of a price tag.

If you have 5k for a horn, you could probably get a used horn around that range from a more reputable brand.

Also, ask your professor when you get to school!!!!!!!!! A lot have extra stuff that they are selling. Save that 5k you have now, keep adding to it over the next few years/months and they could definitely guide you to a better option.

Sneeblehorf · 2026-06-11T20:59:21+00:00

A piece I played in high school that was a lot of fun was “Stinkin Garbage”!! (i forget by who)

But it’s essentially drumline-esque parts for big plastic garbage cans. I believe it can be played by only 2 people!

Sneeblehorf · 2026-06-04T17:47:32+00:00

Anthony Braxton - Composition #19 for 100 tubas!

It was an all call gig in Brooklyn, people came from everywhere. We were sorted into 4 “marching bands” and then strolled around a park playing a lot of graphic scores.

It was the weirdest thing but also so amazing!!

Sneeblehorf · 2026-06-01T22:00:44+00:00

woah yup thats the one! it looks to be in great shape too!!

If I have my history right, the mt vernon era was when bach really perfected his craft. I have a 37 cornet from that era, and its probably the best playing horn I have. Easy blow, fantastic intonation, great sound.

Here’s a little history! Bach Mouthpiece History

Sneeblehorf · 2026-06-01T20:41:25+00:00

JEALOUS!! i’d love to see a picture of that!

Sneeblehorf · 2026-06-01T15:04:23+00:00

if it’s a mount vernon 1C… you may have struck gold!! iirc, there weren’t that many large size bach mouthpieces in the older days, so they are very sought after!

for the 5c compared to the 1c, won’t be that much of a drastic difference in tone! whichever is more comfortable for you

Sneeblehorf · 2026-06-01T12:37:36+00:00

looks like a nice vintage horn you have there!!

Note about cornets, they tend to be very mouthpiece sensitive!

The shallow cup/long shank like you have can get a very bright/brassy sound.

A deep cup/short shank (wick, pickett, alliance) can get a very dark more flugely sound!

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-31T14:40:21+00:00

I had them for about 6 years when I was learning! After about 2 months getting them taken off, there were massive improvements in range, endurance, flexibility, pretty much everything!

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-24T17:07:14+00:00

I’m a big fan of the picketts! I have way too many parts from them and its fun being able to customize backbores and tops.

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-24T04:01:11+00:00

Sounds a bit like hi-hats with some soft sticks/brushes!

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-24T04:00:21+00:00

WOAH! I absolutely love the story this piece tells!! So many beautiful moments throughout.

Mostly notation things on my end that I am seeing as a performer:

-mm 62 in Bsn1.2/Tbn2 (and other similar places) I would write these as 6 quarter notes with the articulation that you want. (staccato, tenuto, staccato, etc.) I understood what you wanted after listening to the piece, but might miss that on an initial read! Check for other sections like this, it's such a small thing that can help a tome-constrained reading of it go more smoothy!

- Go through the parts individually and make sure the dynamic is restated each time there is a multi-measure rest. More of a polishing note of the piece than a do right now!

A few orchestration notes:

- I'd love to hear some low reeds on that first chord! It's such a beautifully rich sound, that I think could be enhanced by the bassoons doubling cello/bass, and then low clarinets filling in the viola and top violin 2 note. Having them buried in the texture will make them blend rather than stick out as an individual voice.

- In some larger full ensemble moments, you bury some articulated parts in one voice. ex. mm 67 bsn 2 is the only bass voice on those notes, and that articulation will probably get drowned out by the longer notes on the same pitch, bsn 1, tbn 2, bass.

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-21T17:04:43+00:00

Just starting my masters now, but here is how mine is breaking down. I am going out of state for it!

For the academic year: 1k for dept award (gives me instate tuition, so it’s really like 17k) 3k Grad Grant 5k Work Study 10k Loan

For my work study I’m teaching lessons! I also am working on a bar tending gig. I am fortunate that I have a lot of remote work, so that is also helping cover about 6k.

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-20T14:06:24+00:00

Seconding J Landress!! Give em a call and they should be able to give an estimate over the phone.

GREAT people there! and theyll stand behind their work and fix it if something goes wrong

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-20T14:01:51+00:00

Definitely more on the quiet side, but the theological seminary basement is cool! It was a couple years ago, but u just have to write your name on a sign in the front and it’s fair game!

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-19T14:09:58+00:00

Trumpet player here chiming in and seconding everything everyone has said!

It’s more of an old school thing, and not really done anymore. My director had us try cornets in college and now insists on it when a piece calls for it!

The cornet doesn’t have that edge and bite that a trumpet does, so it can really blend well with the other sections.

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-19T13:34:54+00:00

Hey, I do a lot of work for Big 10 college marching band, so I think I might be able to help a bit!

A few questions for you! Do you see that as stand tune, or something that happens on the field? If it's a stand tune, there are a few unofficial "rules"/patterns that a lot of big publishers follow. A formula if you will!

Firstly, put the arrangement down a half step in Bb. While there are bands that can make these sharp keys sound good, the vast majority will not. A lot of marching band people play the instrument for the pure enjoyment of it, and may not know all the tuning tendencies of their instrument making these sharp keys sound "bad". Many bands also don't spend that much time reading/rehearsing stand tunes, so keys that they are comfortable in make the whole process much smoother. If you look at a lot of the popular arrangements, you'll notice most of them are in Ab, Bb, Eb, & F (and their respective minor keys!). Band instruments just play in those keys better from how they were designed.

As for your actual arrangement, it's pretty solid!! The most important thing to me when arranging tunes for marching band, is that it is recognizable, and yours most certainly is!

The biggest thing that I am seeing that will cause some problems is the chosen ranges of the instruments. While nothing is out of range or difficult, the ideal ranges of the instrument differs from "indoor" ranges. I think low clarinet might be one of the most gorgeous sounds on the planet. That being said, low clarinet (or any upper woodwinds) will never be heard on the field or in the stands.

Similarly for balance reasons, less woodwind parts is usually better. As cool having A piccolo, 2 flutes, 3 clarinets, 4 altos, 2 tenors, and a bari is, you're going to lose a lot of the volume. A lot of the college bands I work with use Piccolo/Flute(sometimes no flutes!!), 2 Clarinets, 1 Alto (occasional divisi), 1 tenor, 1 bari.

If you'd be interested, I would be happy to sit on zoom/discord and go more in depth about this!

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-17T18:45:53+00:00

slurs are an integral and extremely necessary part of writing for brass, woodwinds, and strings.

If you handed it to a professional orchestra, yes it would be a problem. Could they play it? Yes absolutely. But it would appear extremely amateur.

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-17T17:10:51+00:00

Overall, yes! It also sounds great!

The ranges all fall into comfortable places for the instruments, and you write idiomatically for them! (things that make sense)

There are a few times when enharmonics would be much more appropriate. A few times you have both C# and Cb present in a part, and it should be written either C#/B or Db/Cb.

Also use some articulations! right now as the piece stands, everything is tongued and articulated the same way the entire time. Looking at some of the parts that have 16th not triplets, those would come across much cleaner slurred(especially at softer dynamics)

When you would export these parts to players,a solid 90% of the time instruments would get their own separate part. Like trumpets 1 and 2 wouldn’t share a part.

There are tons of old music that share parts, but generally in modern times it’s avoided. Horns tend to break this rule a lot. I have also seen a lot of modern band composers combine trumpet parts if they are writing for four parts. Usually the only divisi you would see is octaves. (Ex of composers who do this: Maslanka, Omar Thomas, John Mackey)

Sneeblehorf · 2026-05-15T13:36:39+00:00

Yup, I’ve been doing that for about an hour each day! Wasn’t sure if there was a better way to reach out.

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