Simposio Internacional de Metales de Nuevo Leon

Last week I had the pleasure once again of working with some wonderful musicians as the UANL Symphony Orchestra performed Mahler's Symphony No. 2 "Ressurrection." It was a fantastic experience, but one of the most rewarding parts of my trip was on Friday where the local tubist invited us to join him in the first ever "Simposio Internacional de Metales de Nuevo Leon," or International Brass Symposium of Nuevo Leon.  What started as an informal idea quickly blossomed into a fantastic masterclass and recital, as every ringer member of the brass section (hailing from Mexico, USA, Canada and Belgium!) and many of the regular members participated in the event and donated their services.  Our class was held at the Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza de Monterrey, though many of the local musicians also came to the event.  When we heard that their newly formed brass choir and some of the students had never heard live performances of brass choir music, we took the opportunity to perform a number of pieces, including Bernstein's West Side Story, Ewald Quintet No. 1, and the Holst Suite in Eb.  What was intended to be a two-hour masterclass was quickly extended to a six hour event, as we were all so eager to help and give back to the students.  As students performed, we all took the opportunity to offer input and work together with the students, and it became a collaborative forum on brass playing.  We ended the day with side by side performances with the students, which was a fun way to end the afternoon! Thank you to my colleagues and students for such a rewarding and fun experience!