In keeping with our mission to celebrate the world's best, here's a chance to share your stories.  Tell us who has inspired you.  Maybe it's the teacher who in one lesson recreated your vision of what it means to be a great musician or maybe it's the musician whose performance set you on your path.  We know there are lots of great stories out there -- share them here and help us celebrate "Women of Note".  Send your stories (feel free to include pictures) to this email address womenofnote@yahoo.ca

In the Beginning ...

Laura Lineberger, Master Seargeant, Library Section Leader, Euphoniumist, United States Army Band shares this memory with us.

In 1993, I heard through the grapevine about a woman named Susan Slaughter who had been working diligently to host a conference showcasing Women Brass Players -- the first one of its kind.  Being a virtual "newbie" in the United States Army Band, ("Pershing's Own"), I thought it would be awesome to attend a conference like this and also get a chance to perform at an international venue.  I, along with three others (Jan Duga, Ann Hinote and Jennifer Cox) in the United States Air Force Band formed a Tuba-Euphonium ensemble and we made our way to St. Louis, Missouri for the very first IWBC.  We met Susan Slaughter at The Washington University and she welcomed us as though we were long lost friends, despie the fact that we had never met in person until that moment.  Her all embracing demeanor and generous welcome set the tone for that conference and all subsequent International Women's Brass Conference.

That's the kind of event we're looking forward to in 2010 -- be sure to join us!

 

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  Lisa Ford, Principal Horn of the Gothenburg Symphony shares with us her enthusiasm for Julie Landsman:

Inspiration! 

Julie Landsman is Principal Horn of the orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera for about 60 more days.  If you haven’t heard her live, then GO!  Though there is a wealth of recorded material, there is nothing quite like being there and hearing her beautiful sound live.Julie Landsman is a brilliant player, and an inspiring teacher.   Principal horn of the Met orchestra since 1985, and Professor of Horn at the Julliard School of Music, she was previously Co-Principal Horn of the Houston Symphony.  Julie came to the Met by way of audition which has been described by Malcolm Gladwell in his fantastic book "BLINK".   She has former students in major orchestras throughout the world.

Don’t miss her at IWBC Toronto in June!

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Joan Watson, principal horn of the Canadian Opera Company

Emma Richards, Principal 3rd Horn of The Auckland Philharmonia, enthuses about her last visit to Canada and being mentored by our esteemed host, Joan Watson.  Come join us at the conference and change your life too...

For the complete story, click here

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Lady Brass Series: Donna-Mae Baldenecker Burr Smith: the U.S. Military’s First Female Bugler By Christina M. Cavitt

This article first appeared in the 2009 Winter IWBC NoteWorthy Newsletter, Vol. 15, No. 2. Reprinted by permission of the IWBC. This article is the first in a series of interviews featuring women who have made a positive impact on brass players.

  For the complete story, click here

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Equal Footing

Thanks to Susan Rider, Trumpet/cornet section member "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, Washington, DC, for sending us her memories of Barbara Butler (pictured) and Susan Slaughter.

To read all of Susan's story, click here

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 Froydis Wekre
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Impressions of Frøydis Ree Wekre by Gary Pattison

Thanks to Barbara Bloomer, my first horn teacher and herself a pioneer in the world of Canadian orchestral brass sections, I continued my horn studies in Europe after four years of university in Toronto.
I followed Barbara to Sweden in the late ‘70s, and then to Norway where I had the opportunity to learn from a truly inspiring player, Frøydis Ree Wekre. I also had the chance to attend a 2-week master class with Frøydis in Antwerp, Belgium the following year.
Her playing was always an inspiration on its own… creative, original, imaginative, and above all, totally committed to expressing musical ideas above and beyond the notes on the page. And often those actual pages and notes would be missing, as she favoured memorization when possible. “If violinists and pianists can do it…”
Her teaching was a wonder to participate in. She was never at a loss for new and creative suggestions. If something wasn’t working she would find a different approach until she managed to convey her ideas. If something was working she would lead you beyond what you expected of yourself to reach a greater level of performance. Frøydis was always practical in her efforts to inspire magic in one’s playing.
When in Belgium, Frøydis was accompanied by two of her young students from Norway. I was older, already pursuing a professional career, and perhaps was the ‘stronger’ player if assessed solely on experience and raw mechanical ability. However I felt woefully inadequate playing next to these students, as every note that emerged from their horns was committed with purpose and musical expression. I felt quite the novice on the horn next to them. I left my studies with Frøydis with a whole new world of possibilities on the horn to explore.
I am indebted to Frøydis for all she showed me was possible, and to Barbara Bloomer as well, for her example of never stopping the search for those new possibilities.

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Merker Magic

A great story comes to us courtesy of Dr. Jack Dressler from Murray State University... Thanks Jack

For the complete story, click here

 

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Mini Merker?

Another "woman of note"; well, young woman.  Maybe, she'll be the next Ethel Merker!  Thanks to her horn teacher, Ed Calfee, for sending us this story and photo.

To read Madeleine's complete story, click here

One Woman Brass Band!

 
My parents, exiled immigrants from the Sudetenland (german part of then called Czechoslovakia)  came to Canada through pier 21 in  Halifax in 1949. 
My Czech grandfather was the brass band teacher in their small village in Czechoslovakia. He taught my dad to play trumpet and my dad taught me.  First working  as  a lumberjack, then later on as an itinerant choral music teacher in the public schools of eastern Ontario (Prescott region), my dad eventually worked his way up to  become the high school music teacher at South Grenville District High School for many years. This set off my euphonium career as we had a school  Bavarian Brass Band, an all-girls marching band, a stage band and a concert band of which I was all a member. In fact my dad had me join the high school concert band when I was only in grade 6. 


Read more about Shirley here

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