Biography

Here is a nice little biography on my euphonium and music experience.

Way back when, when I lived in Seattle in 4th grade, they started the band program early. I decided to play the trumpet. Don't ask me why. It just seemed cool I guess. Then, I moved to New Jersey and continued my trumpet "career" through the 5th, 6th, and 7th grades. I was a fair player, surviving on my piano skills. In 8th grade, I moved to the wonderful peachy state of Georgia and continued the trumpet in the Rising Starr Middle School concert band. After Festival, in April 1999, my band director, Mr. Tyndall, asked if I would switch to the euphonium. The high school was in need of euphonium players. I didn't see any reason not to, so I did.

Now, it's near the end of my junior year and I am still playing. I have marched the past three years. I was in concert band (woo hoo!) in 9th grade, and then symphonic/wind ensemble in 10th and 11th grade. I'm not one of those "band people" (I don't mean a "stressed out band freak") who have tried out for All-State x number years and went to whatever band clinic (don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with that). This year, however, I made the first cut of All-State, but didn't pass the second audition.

Just over spring break, my friend, Matt Rouse, nicely donated his old marching trombone to me. I am slowly learning the positions so eventually I can be a virtuoso (sense the sarcasm).

Now that you have read information about the euphonium, you may be asking yourself, "what role does the euphonium play in the band?" I will attempt to answer that question based on my little experience with the euphonium in band literature.

In a song, the euphonium will probably play along side with its low brass relatives (tubas, trombones) in the piece, providing a bass part. This may compose of pulsating notes in the low register along with bass runs. In many other times, however, the euphonium will cross the bridge into woodwind-esque parts. With the combination of its high range and mellow tone, it will sometimes share melodies with instruments such as the clarinet and flute. One can hear the dark sound of the euphonium rise above the band during an important passage.

Here are some of the pieces I've played (at the moment, the composers omitted) whether in District Festival or other concerts:

• Festive Overture
• El Camino Real(pronounced Ray-al)-click here for a clip of El Camino Real and listen as the euphonium increases the interval of pitch during each set of notes
• Rolling Thunder March
• Pinnaple Poll (phew...) click here for a clip of Pinapple Poll, movement 1; listen for the euphonium as one of the melodies
• Symphonic Dances No. 3 (hmm.....)
• Olympia Hippodrome March
• In All It's Glory
• Sea Songs (sea songs run....)
• Silvercrest March
• Chorale and Shakers Dance
• Riverdance
• Sleigh Ride

The Sweet Sounds the Euphonium:

The sound clips are now here! However, these clips were made in a very sloppy and crude manner. My current computer, for whatever reason, doesn't have the capabilities of recording sound. I don't know what is wrong with it. I had to go back to my old computer and record. In addition to that, while I played the euphonium valves with one hand, the other held the microphone in the bell. That is why the sound isn't the best quality. Frankly, if someone played me the clip, I wouldn't be able to tell it's a euphonium playing. You decide what it sounds like.....

• Bb scale
• An attempt to play the Bb scale on the trombone
• "Hey Baby" (the stands tune, from Dirty Dancing)
• A-HA's "Take on me"
• The bass line to Jackson 5's "I Want You"
• Bud (from the commercial, or something)
• Semisonic's "Closing Time"-chorus
• Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire"

Here is information on my non-wind instrument abilities:

I've been playing piano since October of 1991. Between June 1998 and May 2000, I took a break from piano lessons. Currently I am taking from Ms. Heidi Larson.

(Young Cheng Piano)

I've been playing acoustic guitar since the summer of 1999, when I took an intro class at a church camp retreat. I currently play for the praise band at my church, called Midday. I acquired an electric guitar for Christmas 2001. Also,

(Takamine G-330 Acoustic, with Seymour Duncan SA-1 pickup)

(Fender Squier Strat)

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