March 2015 archive

My Musical Career | Part Fifteen

Albany Palace Theater

My Musical Career | Part Fifteen The Albany Years – Part One I lived and worked in the Albany, New York area for three seasons, from October, 1977 until September 1, 1980. During this period I served as timpanist of the Albany Symphony Orchestra and additionally with the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Both …

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My Instruments | A Timpanist’s Toolbox

Timpani Tool Box

    My Instruments | A Timpanist’s Toolbox NB: This post is mainly for those of you (and there are many) who wonder what a timpanist is and what is in that case (or cases) that he carries with him to rehearsals and concerts. To those of you who are already expert, consider this a …

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My Instruments – Timpani Sticks| Part Two

My Instruments -Timpani Sticks Ron Carlisle Mallets It wasn’t until relatively late in my career with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra that I heard of Ron Carlisle and his hand-crafted timpani mallets. The year was 1994, and it was during a tour of the USA by the orchestra that this came about. It happened in Pittsburgh, …

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My Instruments – Timpani Sticks| Part One

Feldman Mallets

  My Instruments -Timpani Sticks|Part One   You might think it a little strange for me to talk about timpani sticks (or mallets –call them whatever you will) in a blog post with the heading “My Instruments.” However, when you think about it, timpani sticks are the tools one uses in the hands to make …

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