Be the greatest fan of everything that is going on around!
- José
In this part, we have asked individual questions to each of our wonderful guests (whom you already know from part 1) separately, in order to learn more about their personal life experiences, which turned out to be very special and different one from another. Nevertheless, all the five members with so diverse backgrounds have formed a strong brotherly group with a common passion: music.
José: If you start with me, it is going to be done by the time we need to leave the room!
*Laughs*
Victor: Jeff, you are the founder of this band. Tell us about what brought you to music initially, what have you done to reach your goals, to what extent was it hard?
Jeff: I was very fortunate; I started playing the trumpet when I was in 4 grade, so I was about 11 y.o. I have had great band directors, so that’s the reason I’m in Switzerland today: it’s because of my middle and high school band directors. This is the impact they had on me! Then, in college, I had the opportunity to do music. I couldn’t imagine, I think nobody of us could imagine doing anything else, but being involved in music in some capacity. In 1986, I was doing my master degree at Boston University. That’s when Boston Brass started: we were very fortunate at that time when there was a group called Empire Brass. They were the world’s greatest chairing music ensemble, in my opinion. We were very fortunate to have the Empire Brass as our first teachers, coaches and mentors. Most notably, it was their Tuba player - Sam Playfield. I would never imagine that when Boston Brass started in 1986, in 7 years Sam would become its member. He had an incredible career as a tuba player, teacher, mentor, engineer, producer... He did pretty much everything in the world of music! When I have heard the Empire Brass, I was in high school. I understood that this is what I was going to do. I told myself I was going to play in a Brass contempt. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I had to figure it out...
I told myself I was going to play in a Brass contempt. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I had to figure it out...
Victor: And you have!
Jeff: And I am still doing it! What’s great is that within Boston Brass we are in an equal partnership: there is no owner, we all have 1/5 responsibility of the band, so all the decisions are made as a group.
Victor: Mr Zumbrunnen, our dean, said that you give around 100 concerts per year, this is awesome!
Jeff:
Around 180 concerts, or even 200!
Victor: Wow, that’s even more!
Jeff: The important part is not just giving concerts, but, especially in the US, doing a lot of educational and enlightening events. We collaborate (as we mentioned previously) with wind ensembles, brass bands, college marching bands... It brings lots of fun! It might be giving a concert for the students or other different kinds of collaboration. Very exciting!
The important part is not just giving concerts, but, especially in the US, doing a lot of educational and enlightening events (...) Very exciting!
Victor: Thank you! José?
José: Yes, Sir!
*Laughs*
Victor: You are a native of Costa Rica, right?
Exactly!
We will ask a political question because our newsletter is also slightly political, especially with the theme of the year in our school: global citizenship. As a foreign native, what is your opinion about the USA's current migration policy, including walls and all other measures?
José: It’s awful! I think it is a disaster!
Victor: Disaster?
José: The worst policy any administration has had for a long time. I think it is certainly horrible, what is going on in the US right now. I think a country like the US should have the responsibility of being a beacon of freedom, equality and an example of helping others. It is becoming the opposite due to the idea of a few. They shouldn’t be where they are!
A country like the US have the responsibility of being a beacon of freedom, equality and an example of helping others. It is becoming the opposite due to the idea of a few. They shouldn’t be where they are!
Victor: Chris, as an educator, you’ve been at Julliard school in NYC. I have also been there for one day two years ago. How do you think governments should support education, motivating youth to do art, how important is it comparing to motivating economists, lawyers etc.?
Chris: To be honest with you, I don't feel it is the government responsible for motivating youth to do art. The government should help them along and provide avenues for people who are interested. It’s important for people when they’re growing up to have a balanced diet. People need to be aware of politics, aware of art and music, aware of how to write data in a cheque book and be responsible human beings. Government, through schools and education, should make sure that the students have a balanced diet. As for the motivation, I think it comes from people themselves!
Government, through schools and education, should make sure that the students have a balanced diet. As for the motivation, I think it comes from people themselves!
Victor: The parents also?
Chris: Yes, of course! It is ultimately up to parents to make sure that their children can reach their full potential. It comes from home. I think, often at school, the problem is that (with money and the educational system) children don’t get the full advantage of what is given to them. It’s for the parents to make their children get full advantage of what’s given them.
It’s for the parents to make their children get full advantage of what’s given them.
Victor: Domingo, you are a native of Venezuela and have taught there. This year there have been a lot of things going on in politics in your Homeland...
Domingo: Not this year, it’s been all the last 20 years!
Victor: This year especially... So, what do you think about Guaido's coup d’état attempt and the situation in your homeland in general?
Domingo: First of all, I am going to make a point that it wasn’t a coup d’état attempt. In Venezuela, there has been a government for 20 years. Last year we were supposed to have elections, and they banned the opposition from those elections. So, what happened is that when elections happened, nobody came to vote and they said: “winners”! According to the constitution, if there is no legal election, and there is an emptiness of power before the second period like now in January, the president of the assembly takes over for three months and organizes free elections. According to what happened (even the US didn’t recognize the President after January 5th), there is an emptiness of power with two presidents and two governments and a very big crisis in the country.
Victor: And what is your relation to the sanctions that the US constantly impose on your Homeland?
Domingo: It is hard to say because the sanctions hurt ordinary people, and not the elite of the government. In a way, I want them to be out (the regime), but something has to be done in order for them to 'have the shake'. So, I think the sanctions hurt the people but the crisis is so bad internally that we don’t have anything: no medicine, no food, no services, no hospitals...
the sanctions hurt the people but the crisis is so bad internally that we don’t have anything!
Victor: Do you think that sanctions can potentially make life better in the future?
Domingo: I don’t think the sanctions could, but if the Venezuelan people can get this regime out, things are going to get better, because they are going to start from point zero and many things will be re-organized. Right now, everything is upside-down! Structurally, politically, economically.
Victor: What do you think about the scenario of a military intervention which Trump has declared as a possible solution to the problem?
Domingo: Well, I’m up for it! Nowadays, the army is so mixed up with drugs, and narco-traffic and mafia from Columbia who is in charge of everything... The only way to get these people out is to use a different army.
Victor: Do you have relatives in Venezuela?
Domingo: Yes, I do!
Victor: What do they think about it?
Domingo: They want them out! They want the regime out, everybody wants the regime out!
The only way to get these people out is to use a different army.
Victor: Thank you! Finally, William, you are the newest member of Boston Brass as far as I know, before you were a jazz and pop instrumentalist. What brought you to BB and to classical music?
William: To clarify that, all of us are close to being jazz and pop instrumentalists in a lot of ways. In order to form a group like BB, you have to draw from as many backgrounds as possible. Relating to what we said earlier about forming a wide base of tastes in music and arts, it is really the only way to drive something like this creatively.
Victor: Often, people say that true musicians can feel their instruments. Would it be your case?
William: On good days, yes!
*Laughs*
William: At a certain level, what we do is very technical. But it is equally very simple. It’s buzzing your lips into a tube of metal and, at the same time, translating that into something that can move a person emotionally. Not always easy! We have to look to other artists where they’ve been successful, as well as try to translate that into something as good as possible.
Victor (to all musicians): Do you agree?
Musicians: Yes!
At a certain level, what we do is very technical. But it is equally very simple. It’s buzzing your lips into a tube of metal and, at the same time, translating that into something that can move a person emotionally!
Dana Bauer: And if you have got an audience that is not expressive and does not show emotions - do you know they still feel it? Or do you sometimes have the impression after a concert which could be described as "oh no, that was a disaster"?
José: I have been in the group for 14 years and I have never experienced a concert like that. People are always receptive. They just have different ways of expressing themselves. It’s funny because in different countries people express themselves differently. It’s a matter of having an open mind. I played with colleagues that don’t understand this and get 'bombed out' because they misunderstand the reaction of the audience. That’s just childish!
I have never experienced a concert like that. People are always receptive.
William: Maybe, if the audience isn’t liking what we are doing, we need to make our best effort to join them in, and, at the very very least, we can have fun between ourselves!
At the very very least, we can have fun between ourselves!
Chris: That is very, very rare!
José: The greatest denominator of a person is to be the greatest fan of everything that is going on around him. That’s human nature! I can’t recall one concert where we said: «Oh, the audience isn’t having a good time». Yes, they express themselves differently, but there’s never been something like "we hate it". Not only in this group! I play with different ensembles with other types of music, and it just picks people. If you give your best out there, people are appreciative of that, I think.
It just picks people.
Victor: I think you have in a way convinced all of us to come tomorrow!
*Laugh*
Victor: Because we got to know you better...
José: Put more political questions!
*Laugh again*
Victor: Thank you very much, see you tomorrow at the concert!
