Finding High Quality Recordings

Listening is an important part of our musical development, but we're not always fortunate enough to hear each piece we work on live.  Especially when it comes to solo literature for low brass instruments, there is a lot of great music that is under performed, but recordings allow us to continually access a performance so that we can learn from it. 

High quality recordings have the following characteristics:

1. They are either recorded at live concert events, or recorded professionally for distribution.
2. They are recorded by sound engineers or quality recording equipment, not a personal cell phone.
3. The performers are seasoned musicians with detailed preparation.  A sight-reading or impromptu performance may not give us the specific nuance and insight that we're looking for when listening for our own development.   

When looking for a recording, ask yourself if it fits these three characteristics.  The resources below are by no means a complete list of places to find great recordings, but should have accessible recordings that are suitable:

• YouTube - YouTube completely revolutionized the way in which we access audio and video recording.  With this one source, you have an overwhelming amount of literature at your fingertips, ranging from ensemble and solo performances of young students through the most renowned professionals.    

              The pros - so many recordings to choose from, multiple copies of the same piece, backing tracks to play with, and                 it's free!
              The cons - only streaming, and not every recording is a good one!  Listening to other students can be helpful, but                   try to stick to professionals to use as your model.  If you don't know who the performer is, search for them online to               try to find their bio, or look them up on the Trombone Page of the World or on David Werden's website (euphonium). 

• iTunes Store - Similarly to Youtube, iTunes puts a great deal of music quickly at our disposal.  A quick search can turn up quality recordings, however you're more likely to find the traditional repertoire.  Is it possible to find that euphonium etude you're looking for?  Unlikely, but it could happen.  

             The pros - lots of selection, quick downloading, and you can keep it! 
             The cons - you have to pay for it (which is good for the music business anyway!), and similarly to YouTube, not every              recording will be worth the cost.  Check out the performers BEFORE you buy.

• Naxos - The Naxos Music Library is an enormous database of music, with classical, jazz, world music and more.  The interface requires just a simple search and often produces multiple results for one piece.  Like everything else, common pieces produce more hits than you can listen to in a day, while the standard low brass solo literature is still lacking.

             The pros - Naxos has a great deal of music, is easily streamed, and you can listen to as much as you want (once you              have access) with no additional charge 
             The cons -  Naxos is a subscription service, so it is expensive to buy as an individual.  Generally, institutions like                    schools and libraries pay for subscriptions for their students/patrons.  See if your school has it, or convince them to                subscribe!

• David Werden's Website (generally for euphonium/tuba) - This is not actually an independent source of music, but rather links to YouTube videos.  You can trust that these are high quality recordings to use for your own benefit!  Access the list of trombone videos here, and tuba videos here.  

             The pros - someone has done the work for you!  These are all great recordings, and a wonderfully organized source.              The cons - it is by no means of complete list of all the great videos on YouTube, but you can trust these.                                Unfortunately, it's only streaming though.

• Your local library - Check out your local public library to see what they have on their shelves.  I've often found that public libraries will have limited selection, but you may get lucky.  You may be able to propose some new purchases as well!

             The pros - if you're a local resident, this service will be free!  Just return your CDs on time!
             The cons - probably a limited selection, making our low brass specific music unlikely.  

• A local college library - This is likely a more comprehensive resource than the local library, but may not be open to the greater community.  Look for higher education institutions with respected music programs, and find out their policies on borrowing.  Or befriend a local college student!

             The pros - wider selection than a public library, could be more tailored to music students.
             The cons - may not be as accessible to someone not affiliated with the school.

• tromboneexcerpts.org (for orchestral trombone music) - This website has a great deal of public domain excerpts from the standard orchestral literature for trombonists to access, but contains ONLY that.  

             The pros - you can look at the short excerpts of music while you listen, and the creator has taken the short clips                    from many, many great recordings for you to listen to and compare.
             The cons - this is a very specific resource, and contains only short clips.  For the bigger picture, you'll need to find                  full parts and full length recordings.


Check back soon for information about the Region Band/All-State audition material and more!  Happy listening!