Photos from low brass camp in Poland! It was great experience! Photos by Mateusz Lupinski.


Mateusz and me!


Huge low brass ensemble!



Tuba ensemble!


Playing in church!



Mateusz with great guys/organizators Maciej Pietraszko and Anna Klimala-Pietraszko!

I am in Zywiec where was quite a huge low brass festival. I had masterclasses with famous musicians like Jason Koi, Paul Krzywicki, Kenneth Hanlon,... More next time!

Everyone invited to "Marezijazz" big band festival to Marezige (near Koper)!

Festival repertoire, 4.7.08:

20.00 - 20.45: nastop skupine Kar češ Brass Band
21.00 - 21.45: nastop Big Banda Hrošči
22.00 - 22.45: nastop Big Banda DOM
23.00 - 23.45: Big Banda Cerknica - BBC
24.00 - 01.00: nastop skupine Dej še'n litro
01.00 - 02.00: nastop skupine Amarcord

Entrance free!

Our repertoire (in different order):
You Move Ya Lose (Rebirth BB)
Shake them tities & Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Rebirth BB)
Round One (YBBB)
Brooklyn (YBBB)
Get out of da way (YBBB)
Yimutha (YBBB)
Shake your body down to the ground (Rebirth BB)

I just found a photo from a concert in Slovenian philharmonic building. We played with our quintet of SGBS, Carmen Fantasy (G. Bizet). Sound was recorded too, but I don't know if it is published "already".

GREGOR TURK, trumpet, MATIC BOVHAN, trumpet, MIHA KOZJEK, horn, ERIK PAVUSA, trombone, ROK SINKOVEC, tuba

The Royal Swedish Navy Band is in danger of being discontinued because of financial cutbacks in the Swedish Armed Forces. This outstanding ensemble, formed in 1685, is the last professional military band in Sweden. The band would like to ask for help from WASBE members. You can go to their web site where you will find a simple form with which you can add your name to their support list.

source: Wasbe.com

By now, I am the only one from Slovenia, who signed into support list. I hope for better support from us now (and others of course too). I had signed in about 3 weeks ago. For those who think that it does not exist anymore, I must correct them, that they still exist (they are just in danger!). They were officialy formed in 1685, just 20 years after our Wind band Idrija (1665). So, they are almost the oldest wind band in Europe.

Check out the "JAG theme" preformed by them:

1. Daniel Perantoni (Trbovlje - cca. 230€ for 3 days)
2. Martin Rex (Koper - cca. 170€ for 4 days)
3. József Bazsinka (Hmm.. I can't find info for him)

If I will be able I will participate at Martin Rex seminar. If you are interested in any of these 3 events, contact me for further info.

(One of) My favourite specialist for wind bands! He will be one of three conductors at Canford Summer School of Music, which I am going to attend.

More at his web-site

Photos by Iztok Zupan

More photos here!

Last year we played a Queen Symphony, writen by Tolga Kashif. Finally, the recordings are published. Check them!









Yesterday we had also a nice concert with UPOL. Many students came to listen us. I hope we will get few new members.

Tommorow (at 19:30) we will have a concert with UPOL for students in Ljubljana (FDV hall).
I special like the arrangment of Nessun dorma (by Ellerby) and first symphony ever written (Military Symphony).

Repertoire:

Military Symphony in F: Francois Joseph Gossec
Waltz: Aram Khachaturian
Nessun dorma: G. Puccini: arr. Martin Ellerby
Queen simfonija: T. Kashif (1st mvt.)
Stars and Stripes Forever: John P. Sousa arr. R. William
Strike up the Band: George Gershwin arr. Peter Kleine Schaars
Slovenec sem: Gustav Ipavec; arr. T. Tomšič
Stani: O. Naber, S. Zvezdić; arr. M. Simić
Rap 4 You: Nejc Bečan

This summer I'm probably going to visit two "courses". One will be in UK and the other one in Poland.


Playing in Symphonic Wind Orchestra with many young talents from all over the Europe/world. Very famous conductors like Tim Reynish, Philip Scott and Mark Heron. I received funds from Hidria to cover the expenses for it!! This is the repertoire:

Sallinen - Palace Rhapsody
Roxburgh - Elegy for Ur
Sparke - Dance Movements
Binney - Master Humphrey's Clock (Complete)
Wilby - Laudibus in Sanctis
Bailey - Chasses Musicales
Roxburgh - Aeolian Carillons
Schuller - Nature's Way
Kanchelli - Magnum Ignotum
http://www.canfordsummerschool.co.uk

Żywieckie Suwakowanie
More like masterclass for trombones and tubas. Also playing in huge low brass group. There will be big names like Zoltan Kiss from Mnozil Brass, Paul Krzywicki from Philadelphia Orchestra and many others. I found out for it through my friend from Poland Mateusz Lupinski! He will be there too and maybe even Humberto P. from Spain!!!






http://www.zywieckiesuwakowanie.com/

I've added the new photo of me today. I think it is better than previous. The photographer was Robert Zabukovec. His camera is really, really nice... Photo below is commpresed by blogspot, but it is still in very good quality (click). :)

About week and a half ago we (KCBB) played at Metelkova - Club Chanell Zero (ch0). I really enjoy playing at clubs with our band. Everything was very good, except there was too little of tuba in the speakers and monitors. I tried to tell that to the "tone master", but nothing helped. I agree, in most cases tuba is just a background instrument, but not at music like for ex. Youngblood Brass Band. I know we would need our own "t. master", but anyway, it happens to many times that t.m. is much smarter than performers. In next video my playing is mostly only background, but imagine the same volume for hit "Brooklyn". Crap.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpA-Ufa0vh0

Today is exactly one year since my first post. I will spend this post for some of the statistics, achievements and for plans for future!

Why did I start?
Just for fun and joke, but then many people asked me to continue writing this diary...

Basic statistics:
-58 posts
-2000+ visitors




One of the biggest achievements of my blog is certainly the appearance at the home page of one and the only one Timothy Reynish! http://www.timreynish.com/hpdec07.htm

Comments:
-Wey Rok!!
Congratulations for your tuba blog!! It´s amazing to know people who writes very interesting things about what they do.
Thank you very much for your work!!!
Very good.

by Humberto Pailos

-I like very much, too, your tuba blog.
Please keep reminding me of the tuba blog, for there is always something
very interesting on it.

by John Alden Stanley

-Sem pa danes slučajno brskala po internetu in našla tudi tvoj blog! Super je in...

by Helena Tusar

-I was led to remember our negotiations when browsing through a website of Rok Sinkovec, a tuba player who was a member of the International Youth Wind Orchestra in Killarney. His site is full of information on the Slovenian scene, and a reminder of what WASBE achieves in bringing us all together.

by Tim Reynish

-Well, well. Just checked your blog - why didn't you tell me about it earlier? =) Very good. I'll be keeping an eye on it.

by Sonja Bencina

-Oh by the way, I checked out your blog. The videos are amazing! You did a very great job on the Curnow and the band sounds very good too! Inspires me to keep practising my tuba...

by Aaron Yong

Goals:
My intention is to inform the world about the Slovenian music/band scene and to meet even more young (brass) players from all over the world! Help me with that! :)

This was my preformance of James Curnow's Tuba Concertino in December 07 with Wind band Idrija. The recording unfortunatelly isn't very good (weird resonance sound, poor low brass sound, sound is delaying comparing to picture). There was about 1000 people at the concert. Thanks to Alen Bogataj for publishing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQYMM9WpyEE

Our band a few months ago in MIKK Murska sobota, Slovenia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAXQJSpSq88

Last year we played with vocal group Lira. It is finally now at youtube. This song is more known as Đurđevdan. Here I play an old helicon tuba. We will play on 2/2/2008 (Slovenian halloween) through the pubs of Cerkno.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4XnWahSCd4

Pust - Slovenian Halloween's day

Check these videos of our UPOL orchestra. We played this concert a few weeks ago. You can find even more clips at youtube.com (search UPOL)! Expect tuba solo video soon too!


http://youtube.com/watch?v=Z9t71qHbrjs


http://youtube.com/watch?v=2UmZxIcXAB4

1.1.2008 I went to a private party, to a Slovenian Philharmony, where played a couple of my friends in a "special" Big Band (I didn't play). Rok Kovačič - Fish played percussion, Sebastjan Jermol - Moli played trumpet, Julijan Vidmar - Jule was conductor, Sonja Benčina - em.. Sonja played trombone for a while... It was very nice. Photos are property of Fish. Check other photos at his blog: http://fishmymusic.blogspot.com/

Big Band!

Trombone section

Moli&Fish

Julijan Vidmar (He was my tuba teacher in 2003)

Tibor Kerekeš & his brother (not really)

Me & Samurai from Japan

First one was on 23/12 with University Symphonic Winds Ljubljana. The guest was Alenka Gotar. She represented Slovenia at Euro vision in Helsinki this year. We played:

The Rossenkavalier: R.Strauss, arr J.Cober*
Henry V.: Patrick Doyle, arr.J de Meij*
Aria from (bachianas Brasileiras No.5): H.Villa-Lobos arr: W.Herbert*
Ich gehor nur mir(Elisabeth-musical):Michael Kunze,arr: S.Felder*
Cvet z juga:Andrej Babić arr: Rok Golob#

* Slovenian premiere
# First performance



Second concert was on 27/12 with Simfonika Vrhnika, conductor Marko Fabiani. We played with violin player Anja Bukovec. We played in Grand hotel Union. The concert was sold out suddenly (about 900 seats). It was a beautiful concert. Guests: Vasilij Meljnikov, Jadranka Juras. Repertoire: Gershwin, Piazzollo, Sarasete, Williams...





http://www.triera.net/novica.php?id=A137341
http://www.anjabukovec.com

Domen told me about new Tuba Concerto (2006), written by Philip Sparke (Hanover Festival). I checked about it, but it seems to be a very difficult, but also very great piece. The concerto is available with concert band, brass band or piano accompaniments. Perhaps I will order the piano acc. soon. Check the mp3 samples, to hear amazing piece and performance.

http://www.justmusicuk.com/spweb/details.php?catno=JM46935

Our conductor (Wind band Idrija) Domen Prezelj, went to the Midwest clinic, to Chicago. Check their great website here: www.midwestclinic.com/ (Check very fresh videos!)

I hope he will bring us some nice music sheet!

Here are two nice photos, from their website!

We had three concert last week with our wind band. On Friday we played a exclusive repertoire for our great sponsor Hidria. It was a little bit different concert than usual. You can check two interesting youtube clips from there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVPVutW5zSA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVFK8Nk5wuk

Six of young musicians (including me) received some funds for further music studying. Thanks to Hidria again!

On Saturday and Sunday we played at Christmas concert in Sp. Idrija and in Idrija, like every year. Like I described in previous post I played solo, Concertino for tuba and band (James Curnow). On Saturday I played it good (not perfect). I was a little bit nervous and my mouth were dry. On Sunday I played it better and I was really satisfied (happy) with my performance. I am waiting for videos, which I will put on youtube!

Please check out the "Concert invitation" for wind band Idrija (Powerpoint file). It is very beautiful.
I'll be playing a Concertino for tuba and band, composed by James Curnow. It is a beautiful solo.

Link will be here for 1 month:
http://files-upload.com/files/672397/vabilo_na_novoletni_koncert.pps

Hot Slovenian search words: GDRI, Godbeno društvo rudarjev Idrija, pleh, godba, muska, banda

IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT, CONTACT ME TROUGH EMAIL AND I WILL SEND IT TO YOU!!!

"Forget about the paper in front of you! You don't need it. The Music... the Music will tell you what she needs. All that black stuff on the page on your stand there- that's her cage. Watch me! We'll set her free.... start at 5..." -Gerhard Markson (IYWO)