DAYDRINK & ABEL Bangers

 It's official: I have a new favorite coffee shop near Voxman. DAYDRINK is a short walk away and reminds me so much of the shops I used to love in Chicago. They even carry Spirit Tea (which is a Chicago-based company) for if you aren't in the mood for coffee! 

Before coming here, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed a good pour over. While my fiancé originally ordered this Ethiopian, I took more than a few sips. It was slightly under extracted (the notes were very heavy on the fruit end, I think with a slightly finer grind it would have led to a more balanced sip with some brown sugar notes) but it was still incredibly smooth. I'm a sucker for a syrup made in house, so we also split a vanilla latte. All of their espresso drinks are automatically made with oat milk which was a nice touch! 

Instead of the usual review of one piece, today I'll be providing some notes on the playlist (linked here) I'll be sharing in class on Wednesday. Most of the repertoire still features the horn (which is no surprise given my background as a horn player) but I did strive to include a mix of original compositions & arrangements alongside a variety of different ensembles. Overall I think of this playlist as a reflection of my journey as a brass player, a lot of these are works I've performed or have some other connection with. 

Canzon Septimi Toni No. 2
I had to start with a classic. This piece was originally written by Giovanni Gabrieli, a prominent composer of the Italian Renaissance. This recording was performed by the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble and Chicago Brass Ensemble. I'm lucky enough to have a vinyl of this iconic album in my personal collection, and it is definitely on my short list of things to grab if my apartment ever catches on fire.

Crossing Barriers: I. For the Afro-Equadorians of Quito

This piece was composed by a fellow horn player, Jeff Scott. In addition to being an incredible performer, Scott is also an accomplished composer and educator. He is formerly of the Imani Winds and currently is on faculty of the Oberlin Conservatory. From his website, this piece is “based on rhythms/themes from three African influenced cultures, near the equator.” I chose this specific recording because it is performed by the Lantana Trio. This ensemble was formed in 2018 and is comprised of all UNT faculty - Dr. Raquel Samayoa (trumpet), Dr. Natalie Mannix (trombone), and Dr. Stacie Mickens (horn). As an aspiring collegiate educator, it is incredible to see so many women represented in the faculty of just one university.

Trombone Quartet No. 1 II.

Here is our first piece without a horn (shocking I know!) I was first introduced to this piece by my fiancé Martin who plays the trombone. He performed this work during his undergraduate studies and I immediately loved the way the composer took advantage of the multiple voices. This piece was composed by Saskia Apon, who is a Dutch composer and arranger, and recorded by Trombone Unit Hannover, comprised of members of top European orchestras.

Trio for Brass: II. Berceuse

This recording was also created by the Lantana Trio (I guess this blog is now a stan account). I first came across American composer Lauren Bernofsky when researching solo repertoire for the trombone by North American female composers as part of another course. I wanted to take the opportunity to expose everyone in this class to her works because she has written for all of our instruments, including works that are suitable for student performance!

Sonata for Four Horns: II. Lebhaft

If you'd like more information on this piece, check out my blog post titled "Cortado & Hindemith" I promise it's worth the read!

Morning Music

Time to be sappy for a moment, this was the first piece I ever performed with Martin so I had to include this. This piece was written by American composer David Sampson. This piece was the second work written in relation to the murder of the composer's brother by the KKK & American Nazis. The first was a woodwind quintet titled In Memoriam: W.E.S. which dealt with more the feelings of immediate grief, whereas this "sequel" is a reflection of the composer's emotions years later. This recording was made by the group for whom the piece was composed: the American Brass Quintet. An interesting element of the ensemble is that the lowest voice is a bass trombone, rather than the typical tuba.

Lincolnshire Posy: VI. The Lost Lady Found

Lincolnshire Posy was originally written by Percy Grainger. The Australian born composer is best known to us today for his work related to folk songs. The work was arranged for brass ensemble by Timothy Higgins, the Principal Trombone of the San Francisco Symphony. This recording is by the members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra brass section. As someone who lived in Chicago for many years, it would come as no surprise that I would include at least one piece from this album. I particularly wanted to include a recording by the CSO Brass because in 2019 I was lucky enough to attend both the rehearsals and performance of their yearly brass concert. The experience of listening to such incredible musicianship up close will always have a lasting impression upon my personal development.

Moldavien

Mnozil Brass had to make at least one appearance on this playlist. The Austrian septet was one of the first brass ensembles I discovered on YouTube in high school. Myself and other band geeks would share which videos were our favorites and laugh at the skits. I was fortunate enough during my undergraduate studies to see Mnozil live in Ann Arbor and their sheer technical mastery of their instruments still blows my mind.

When the Clouds Break

This piece was written by Japanese-Canadian composer Cait Nishimura. I first became familiar with her works when I joined the commissioning consortium for her piece Golden Hour for horn and piano. I love exposing brass players to Nishimura's works because they're a great addition to our repertoire and many are accessible to students (providing an easy way for us to diversify our curriculum). This recording is by eGALitarian Brass, comprised of all female brass players with an emphasis of playing works by gender diverse composers. As a young brass player, I was not exposed to many women in the profession and I think it is important as future educators that we are able to find recordings in which our students can see elements of their identity represented.

Seasons, A Symphony for Brass Quintet: III. Autumn

This piece was written by John D. Stevens and performed by Sonus Brass. I chose this piece because it was something I performed in Marktet, which is to this day the most impactful chamber music experience of my career. Marktet was a rotating student ensemble at my alma mater in which graduate students took turns playing in a brass quintet with Mark Ridenour, Assistant Principal Trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Ridenour is one of the most incredible musicians I have ever met, and his playing inspires me to this day.

Russlan and Ludmilla Overture

I wanted to end my playlist with something fun. I first came across this arrangement when my high school youth orchestra was playing the original work by Mikhail Glinka and I was perusing YouTube for recordings. As you can imagine, this was a completely life changing recording for an adolescent horn player. Not only was the technique virtuosic, it introduced me to prominent British horn soloists like David Pyatt, Richard Bissell, and Michael Thompson.

I hope you all enjoyed this playlist as much as I enjoyed putting it together!