Joe Jaxson is a composer whose music challenges the familiar and connects with his audience while pursuing versatility in writing in numerous styles and genres ranging from Contemporary Classical to Cinematic Screen Scoring. Recent premieres include “Within the Flux” (2023) for Sax Quartet and Percussion, “Treeflowers” (2023) performed by the Sandbox Percussion Quartet, “Persevering” (2022) for Chamber Orchestra commissioned by the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra. “Mountain Stars” (2022) for solo cellist Sarah Kapps and “The Light of Stars” (2022) for Baritone voice and piano were both premiered at the 2022 Wintergreen Music Festival.

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Quinn Mason is a composer and conductor of Western Art Music. He has received numerous awards and honors from such organizations as the American Composers Forum, Voices of Change, Texas A&M University, ASCAP, the Dallas Foundation, Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble, National Flute Association, International Clarinet Association, the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, the Heartland Symphony Orchestra and the Arizona State University Symphony Orchestra. In 2020, Quinn was honored by the Dallas Morning News as a finalist for 'Texan of the Year'.

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Brian Meixner is an active euphonium soloist, conductor, and educator, currently Associate Professor of Music at High Point University where he serves as the Director of Instrumental Studies, Director of Bands, teaches studio low brass, and conducts the HPU Community Orchestra and HPU Brass Ensemble. Brian is the Founder, Music Director, and President of the North Carolina Brass Band.

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The Euphonium Ambassador Adam Frey travels the globe sharing his talents as a performer and advocate for live music where he solos with orchestras and bands the world over. Adam has more than one hundred and twenty works that have been composed or specifically arranged for him. He is a Yamaha Performing Artist and serves as Associate Professor of Music at the University of North Georgia. 

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Dr. Mike Vecchio is a lecturer of Music Education at the University of Illinois. While completing his doctorate at University of Michigan, he taught and assisted with courses throughout the undergraduate music education curriculum, pursued a cognate in wind conducting, and served as the assistant conductor of the Michigan Youth Symphonic Band and the University of Michigan Band Alumni Association Concert Band.

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Hiram Diaz is an educator euphonium player, bandsman, and multi-instrumentalist with the President's Own United States Marine Band. A second generation Cuban American, he grew up in Miami, surrounded by rich expressions of Latin-American art. He studied at Miami’s New World School of the Arts, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and the University of North Texas. He also performs as a member of The High Bridge Brass and regularly on euphonium, trombone, and bass trumpet with the Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and National Symphony Orchestras.

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Dr. Chris Dickey has earned a reputation as a performer, teacher, and adjudicator throughout the United States, South America, and Asia. Currently, they are Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium in the Washington State University School of Music.

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Dr. Gail Robertson has a distinguished reputation as a euphonium artist and teacher, soloist, and clinician. She has also garnered worldwide attention for leadership, her work as composer/arranger, and as a musical talent. Robertson serves as Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Robertson is Past President of the International Tuba and Euphonium Association (ITEA) and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Leonard Falcone Tuba and Euphonium Festival. She is Past President of the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC).

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Lance LaDuke is an internationally known educator, writer, speaker and performer who teaches at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Lance is a former member of international touring quintet Boston Brass, the United States Air Force Band in Washington DC, the Brass BAnd of Battle Creek, and the River City Brass Band—the only full time professional brass band in the country. He contributed to The GAME of Innovation, a full-color visual book that helps teams solve creative challenges.

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The phrase "Lead by example" has been corporatized, marked, and perverted into a cliche that people put on resumes because they think it will help them fit in in the business world. In reality it is one of the most important, difficult, humble, and brave things you can pursue.

In this episode I reflect on what it takes to be the change that you want to see, where to look for inspiration, and how, in my experience, it will help you grow a more fruitful life.

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Doctor Brendan Ige, a native of Pearl City, Hawaii, is the instructor of tuba and euphonium at Eastern Michigan University's School of Music & Dance. Brendan earned his master’s degrees in tuba performance and chamber music from the University of Michigan, and his undergraduate degree at Bowling Green State University. Brendan performs regularly on tuba and euphonium, composes, and teaches low brass in the Michigan and Ohio area. Brendan has performed with the Toledo Symphony, Toledo Symphony Concert Band, Adrian Symphony, Akron Symphony, Perrysburg Symphony, The Royal Hawaiian Band, and the Cedar Point Beach Band.

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In this episode I reflect on how I feel like my summers often feel like a time of preparation and training rather than relaxing, how I'd like to change that, and I go off on several targets about how to foster your creative thinking.

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This last weekend I attended the Midwest Regional Tuba and Euphonium Conference at University of Kentucky in Lexington. In this episode I reflect on some things a learned and some convictions I've realized I have including skills musicians should develop and what it takes to get there, how to find an instrument that's a good fit for you, what the tuba and euphonium repertoire is missing, and the seedlings for my doctoral project.

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On May 1st 2022 I said some tearful goodbyes to an immense teacher and a number of amazing colleagues. In this episode I reflect on the power of emotional contrast, how it is rooted in our humanity mentally, physiologically, and spiritually, and how that is showcased by the great works in classical music but especially a work I have come to know very intimately--David Maslanka's Symphony No. 4.

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In this episode I reflect on the context of a sports injury I sustained on March 14th, 2022, explore the anatomy and physiology of injury recovery, break down the factors that led to my recovery, explain how these pillars contribute to a better learning and growing experience, and share where I draw inspiration from to maintain this mentality consistently.

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Taking Care of Yourself is Underrated. In order to develop true relentless progression, it is essential that we invest the entirety of ourselves into to the project/process. This is impossible if we don’t take care of ourselves. If you neglect care for the mechanism you should expect diminishing returns. It doesn’t matter if it’s your car, your kitchen knives, your instrument, or—especially—your body. In this episode Andrew breaks down a few things he prioritizes to ensure that he feels like he’s always progressing. He discusses why these pillars of his life are important, how they can help you get the most out of your body, and he moves through them from most to least important in order to help changes feel more accessible.

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Taking projects one at a time is underrated. In this episode Andrew discusses how taking projects one at a time makes a difference in intensity he’s able to leverage in his work, how it helps his work/life balance, his new philosophy on creativity, and how he leveraged these mechanisms over the last two months. Afterwards he discusses his fugue project, how it helps him hone his writing and creative productivity, and then ties it into the one at a time mentality.

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There’s a problem with the implementation of the “New year, New me“ philosophy.

Almost everything about it is based around a quick fix. The unfortunate truth is that anything you hope to achieve and then maintain only comes after a long journey, but when you make that commitment to sustained change, you can watch your life flourish before your eyes.

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The Musical Trequartista is Changing! After some serious reflection I've realized that I'm not happy with where the Podcast is at. In this episode I reflect on the state of the podcast and where I see it going.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder is defined by the Mayo Clinic as “a type of depression that is related to changes in the seasons and begins and ends around the same time every year—typically in the fall and winter months.” In this episode Andrew breaks down his relationship with Seasonal Affective Disorder, its symptoms, and his methods for combating and preventing them.

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