Category Archives: Music

Brass Teaching Materials

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Dale Sorensen

Free brass technique handouts: warm-ups, drills, exercises, etc. Continue reading →

Posted in Pedagogy | Leave a comment

Discovering Takashi Yoshimatsu

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Dale Sorensen

I have a friend who, when he played percussion in the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, sent me a CD (Chandos 9960) of works by the Japanese composer Takashi Yoshimatsu. It contains his Symphony No. 4, Atom Hearts Club Suite No. 1, … Continue reading →

Posted in CDs, Composers, Trombone | Leave a comment

Blow-air-o: Practice Strategies for the trombone solo in Ravel’s Bolero

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Dale Sorensen

The trombone solo from Ravel’s Bolero is one of the most challenging excerpts in the entire orchestral repertoire, and one of the few excerpts that is required on every single orchestral trombone audition. This solo passage, lasting just 17 measures … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Pedagogy, Tip Jar, Trombone | 2 Comments

Call for scores – The Canadian Trombone Project

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Dale Sorensen

Are you a Canadian composer who has written for solo trombone (with any accompaniment), trombone ensemble, or chamber ensemble featuring the trombone? If so, I would like to include information about your work in my Canadian Trombone Project – an … Continue reading →

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Dear Grammie (a letter inspired by the Charlottetown Festival Orchestra cuts)

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Dale Sorensen

Dear Grammie, Hope you’re enjoying the Holidays! The celebrations must be incredible where you are. I know it’s only been a week since I last wrote, but a lot has happened since then. I’m sure you’ve been following all the … Continue reading →

Posted in Kids, Life, Music | Leave a comment

Orchestra cuts to save money: Really? A closer look

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Dale Sorensen

Confederation Centre CEO Jesse Inman has stated that cutting 6 positions from the Charlottetown Festival Orchestra will save “in excess of $100,000 per season”. This is an exaggeration that is unfortunately being quoted as accurate by the media, so let’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 15 Comments

Why the orchestra matters

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Dale Sorensen

In my previous post about the proposed cuts to the Anne of Green Gables orchestra, and also in my radio interview on CBC this morning, there is one thing that I feel I have not been articulating clearly enough. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Life on PEI, Music | 8 Comments

Charlottetown Festival to reduce orchestra

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Dale Sorensen

Today (the week before Christmas) the Charlottetown Festival announced plans to re-orchestrate Anne of Green Gables-The Musical, a plan which will see the orchestra reduced by six musicians, from 19 to 13. This is devastating news – news that could … Continue reading →

Posted in Life on PEI, Music | 12 Comments

Joy to the World

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Dale Sorensen

Last night I went carol-singing with some friends – that’s right, singing! Not a trombone in sight! Together with Perry, Peter and Doug, we went around Charlottetown, mainly dropping in unannounced at some seniors’ homes, but also at a couple … Continue reading →

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Subterranean Summer Reading Club

Posted on June 21, 2007 by Dale Sorensen

The orchestra started rehearsals for the Charlottetown Festival last Thursday, and we were thrown straight into the fire – a gruelling 7 rehearsals in 3 days. And just so things wouldn’t get stale, we had our first show on Monday. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Stories from the Stage | 2 Comments

Petition to Restore CBC Radio Two

Posted on May 30, 2007 by Dale Sorensen

A couple of months ago, CBC Radio 2 made some changes which resulted in the cancellation of its evening classical music programmes, including my favourite: Two New Hours with Larry Lake. Two New Hours was the only radio programme to … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 12 Comments

Music Festival – on marks and competition

Posted on May 14, 2007 by Dale Sorensen

My daughter sang in the Kiwanis Music Festival today. It was so sweet. All the girls who sang were very cute. I love the fact that Riley likes to perform in front of an audience – she’s really into it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Kids, Life, Music | 2 Comments

Music from CTV Ad

Posted on May 3, 2007 by Dale Sorensen

We don’t have cable TV, so the only channels we get are CBC, CTV and Global on a clear day. Honestly, though, who needs more than CTV? With Criminal Minds, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and all the CSIs and … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Pearls Before Breakfast

Posted on April 26, 2007 by Dale Sorensen

Here is a very intriguing article about an experiment undertaken by the Washington Post to see what the public’s reaction might be when famous violin virtuoso Joshua Bell busks in a subway station (at the centre of federal Washington D.C.) … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Music | 1 Comment

New Trombone Collective

Posted on April 8, 2007 by Dale Sorensen

Thank you to all you non-trombonists for sticking with me through eight posts about the trombone this International Trombone Week. I hope you found some of them entertaining and/or interesting. As today is the last day of ITW, I will … Continue reading →

Posted in CDs, Trombone | 1 Comment

Music for Wilderness Lake

Posted on April 5, 2007 by Dale Sorensen

I love playing the trombone, and I love being outdoors, so when I can do both at the same time, it’s a good day. And although I don’t have to worry about bothering neighbours here, there doesn’t seem to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Stories from the Stage, Trombone | 6 Comments

Dancing Trombones

Posted on April 4, 2007 by Dale Sorensen

Performing Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker was an annual tradition for the Hamilton Philharmonic, and our low brass section used to have a great time down in the pit where no one could see us. My last year with the HPO, I took … Continue reading →

Posted in Stories from the Stage | 1 Comment

Mozart Requiem – Unplugged

Posted on April 3, 2007 by Dale Sorensen

One of the greatest trombone solos in the entire orchestral repertoire appears in the Tuba mirum of Mozart’s Requiem. I’ve gotten to play the Requiem about a dozen times, and I never get tired of it – it is so … Continue reading →

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Puretracks

Posted on March 30, 2007 by Dale Sorensen

Until recently I hadn’t even thought about downloading songs from the internet, legally or illegally, mainly because high-speed isn’t available out here in the sticks. But a couple of months ago I got an email from the musicians’ union requesting … Continue reading →