Bone2Pick Interviews

I played with Eugene Ormandy one time. I was 18, he was 80.

With opera cues, you don’t have to count everything. It’ll be like 85 bars rest, 144 bars rest and then ‘canon explosion.’ That’s a pretty obvious cue.

In the old days, we'd have copying parties. . . you copy violin 1, you copy violin 2.

My advice about playing opera. . . don’t drink too many liquids before you start.

When I walked out from behind the screen after being announced as the winner, there were gasps. The committee was flabbergasted. None of them expected a woman.

Homogenous sounding orchestras are actually going to be the death of the orchestras. I would rather hear someone have a psychotic event during a concert.

We started playing brass instruments very young. I think it was mostly from our curiosity of the shiny metal objects in the forbidden room.

Woody Shaw was an intense person and that’s why his music had that intensity. He believed in what he believed in and wasn’t scared to say it. He was 100% focused!

If you want to play small group you better start playing in a big band.

Don’t have too many expectations . . . go where you go.

Bud Herseth used to refer to me as a greenhorn. I was totally a greenhorn. I didn’t know one side of the trumpet from the other.

When I go to work, I feel like wow . . . I’m going to work in the New York Philharmonic! I still can’t believe it.