The Brass Junkies

The Brass Junkies

Author: Pedal Note Media Language: Afar Episodes: 221
Hosted by Andrew Hitz, who spent years on the road as the tuba player for Boston Brass, The Brass Junkies dives into the lives and minds of world-class brass musicians. This isn't a formal lecture series; it's a conversation among friends, often with a rotating group of co-hosts joining in, that captures the unique spirit of the music community. You'll hear celebrated performers talk about the gritty realities of practice, the thrill of performance, and the bizarre, funny stories that happen offstage. The discussions roam freely from deeply technical advice and career insights to outright hilarious anecdotes, mirroring the full spectrum of experiences in the music business itself. Produced by Pedal Note Media, each episode of this podcast feels like pulling up a chair in the green room, offering an authentic and unvarnished look at what it really means to be a professional musician. For anyone fascinated by the art and the life behind the brass, from the trumpet to the tuba, this series provides a consistently engaging and human perspective.
Episodes
Joe Alessi: Episode 12 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:20
Andrew & Lance are joined by Joe Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic, from Vail, Colorado where the orchestra was on tour. Joe talks about his career as a teacher, soloist, and orchestral musician, in…
Carol Jantsch: Episode 11 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:50
Andrew and Lance are joined by Carol Jantsch, Principal Tuba for the Philadelphia Orchestra and international soloist. She talks about what the experience was like successfully auditioning for one of the best orchestras…
Amy McCabe: Episode 9 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:23
Andrew & Lance are joined by Amy McCabe to talk about her winning a major military band audition, what it was like to be the featured soloist for Blast while being suspended from the ceiling every night, and about a heal…
Rex Richardson: Episode 8 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:27
Andrew and Lance are joined by their good friend, international trumpet star Rex Richardson. Rex talks about touring all over the world, playing with Rhythm and Brass for the last two decades, and how he came to be so ac…
Victor Barranco: Episode 6 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:08
THE BRASS JUNKIES EPISODE 5: VICTOR BARRANCO Victor Barranco, trombonist for the US Army Blues, is the guest on this episode of The Brass Junkies. He talks about growing up in the only Puerto Rican family in North Pole,…
Andrew Hitz & Lance LaDuke: Episode 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:08
Andrew and Lance interview - themselves. No really. They give you a little bit of background on Pedal Note Media, the origins of this podcast, and their Pray For Jens campaign. You can help offset the costs of producing…
Kevin Gebo: Episode 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:11
Kevin Gebo joins Andrew and Lance for the latest episode of The Brass Junkies to discuss the many different aspects of his career. Kevin Gebo joins Andrew and Lance for the latest episode of The Brass Junkies to discuss…
Michael Parker of Parker Mouthpieces: Episode 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:49
THE BRASS JUNKIES EPISODE 3: MICHAEL PARKER OF PARKER MOUTHPIECES Michael Parker joins Andrew and Lance to discuss his line of mouthpieces, being an entrepreneur, and a special connection he feels through his mouthpiece…
JD Shaw: Episode 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:38
Our former colleague from Boston Brass, horn player JD Shaw, joins us for this episode of The Brass Junkies. JD is currently Associate Professor of Horn at the University of South Carolina, musical arranger for Santa Cla…