The Brass program at Lawrence University provides students with a superb foundation in solo, chamber, brass, jazz, and orchestral literature. All students study with full time performance faculty and participate in weekly studio classes that focus on individual performance, technique, chamber music, and repertoire. All brass students have the opportunity to perform in major ensembles as well as brass quintets and other chamber configurations.
Since 1979, the Lawrence Brass, a faculty chamber group functioning as both quintet and brass ensemble, have appeared in recital on campus, in secondary schools, and live over Wisconsin Public Radio as frequent performers on the Sunday afternoon Elvehjem Art Museum series in Madison.
Björklunden Seminars
Every student attending Lawrence has an opportunity to spend a weekend or more during the academic year at this beautiful site located north of Green Bay in Door County, overlooking Lake Michigan. Many of the brass studios spend a weekend attending masterclasses with guest artists and perform at the end of the weekend for the Door County community. For more information on Björklunden, please visit the Björklunden home page.
Performance Opportunities
The Lawrence Conservaory has a rich tradition of many performance opportunities for brass students. Course credit is granted for ensemble participation. These include:
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After Lawrence
Lawrence alumni have had successful careers as symphonic, chamber music, and jazz performers; and as university professors. These include:
Lawrence Strieby, horn; St. Louis Symphony, St Louis Brass and Summit Brass
Elizabeth Halloin, horn; Chicago Chamber Brass
Linda Kimball, horn; Wingra Woodwind Quintet and faculty, University of Wisconsin Whitewater
Jeremiah Frederick, horn; Chicago Civic Orchestra
Joel Flunker, trumpet; United States Coast Guard Band
Marty Robinson, trumpet; faculty, Florida A & M University
Edward Hoffman, trumpet; Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Donald Babcock, trombone; faculty, Eastern Michigan University
Rob Hudson, trombone; assistant archivist at Carnegie Hall
Kristen Lies-Warfield, trombone; United States Army Ceremonial Band
Fred Sturm, bass trombone; former Director of Jazz Studies at the
Eastman School of Music, current Chair of the Lawrence Conservatory
Department of Jazz and Improvisational Music
Ryan Schultz, tuba; Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra
Recent graduates have received graduate assistantships at the Eastman School of Music, the New England Conservatory, the University of Minnesota, the University of Iowa, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan and the Cincinnati Conservatory.
Studio
Fine tune your performance with our instrument intensive Studios:
Faculty
- John Daniel, trumpet
Associate Professor of Music
John Daniel is the Professor of Trumpet at Lawrence University. He received the Specialist in Music degree from the University of Michigan, Master of Arts in Music from the University of Iowa, and Bachelor of Music from Ball State University. His primary teachers were David Greenhoe, Richard Giangiulio, and Armando Ghitalla. Mr. Daniel previously held tenured positions at Penn State University and Abilene Christian University. While attending the University of Michigan on full scholarship he won the graduate concerto award and was principal trumpet of orchestras in Ann Arbor and Saginaw, Michigan. Mr. Daniel served as principal trumpet with the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra and Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra for nine years and has performed with the San Antonio Symphony, Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, Palm Beach Opera, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and Music at Penn's Woods Orchestra, as well as “subbing” for the Broadway revivals of "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Gypsy." He performs as co-principal trumpet in the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra and first trumpet in Lawrence Brass. He has played recitals in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, throughout South Korea, and throughout the United States. As a jazz musician he performs with the Lawrence University faculty jazz group and has appeared with Lionel Hampton, Bill Watrous, Wycliff Gordon, Marvin Stamm, Vinnie DiMartino, Phil Woods, Ernie Watts, The Nelson Riddle Orchestra and many others. He conducts and solos annually for the West Texas Rehabilitation Center Telethon Orchestra. Mr. Daniel released “A Calling” in 2004, a jazz CD featuring his own compositions and is featured on a 2006 Mark Masters release, “Karel Husa Trumpet Concertos.” The Husa CD was on the entry list to be nominated for a Grammy Award in the category “best solo with orchestra” and “best classical recording.” He has been a member of North America’s finest brass band, The Brass Band of Battle Creek, since 1993 and plays Schilke trumpets, flugelhorn and cornets exclusively. In April of 2011, Mr. Daniel self published a trumpet method, “Special Studies for Trumpet.” The book represents a lifetime of practicing and teaching the trumpet. It is used by members of major symphony orchestras, leading freelancers in New York and Los Angeles, soloists and college trumpet teachers at major institutions including the Juilliard School. It is available at: johndanieltrumpet.com
Contact by e-mail: john.daniel@lawrence.edu
- Jeffrey Stannard, trumpet
Associate Dean of the Conservatory and Associate Professor of Music
Jeffrey Stannard serves as Associate Dean of the Conservatory, teaches trumpet, and performs with the Lawrence Brass. Dr. Stannard's degrees include the Bachelor of Music with High Distinction from The University of Iowa, the Master of Music with High Honors from The University of Michigan, and the Doctor of Musical Arts from The University of Michigan.
Before coming to the Lawrence Conservatory, Dr. Stannard served as Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. During his time at Del Mar College, he also served as Applied Music Coordinator and Chair of the Department of Music and Drama. In addition to his teaching and administrative work, he has remained very active as a trumpet performer in a wide variety of styles and genres, including chamber music, orchestral, jazz band, and solo appearances.
Active in numerous organizations, Dr. Stannard is a Past-President of the Board of Directors of the Texas Jazz Festival Society. Other memberships include the College Music Society, Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, Phi Mu Alpha professional music fraternity, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Contact by e-mail: jeffrey.m.stannard@lawrence.edu
- James DeCorsey, horn
Associate Professor of Music
James DeCorsey, horn, joined the faculty of the Lawrence Conservatory in 1990. A native of California, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Stanford University, and later became the first horn player to receive a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University. Among Mr. DeCorsey's many teachers and mentors, Wendell Hoss, A. David Krehbiel, Anthony Halstead, Paul Ingraham, Arnold Jacobs, and Carmine Caruso have been particularly influential.
Professor DeCorsey has performed throughout the Americas and Europe as soloist, recitalist, orchestral player, chamber musician, freelance hornist, and recording artist, with internationally recognized ensembles and conductors. A sampling includes the San Francisco Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Royal Opera, American Symphony, Orpheus, and Musica Sacra, under maestros Georg Solti, Seiji Ozawa, Edo de Waart, Simon Rattle, Norman del Mar, Gunther Herbig, and Rafael FrŸbeck de Burgos. His eclectic background also includes concert work with popular artists Frank Sinatra, Henry Mancini, Roberta Flack, and numerous Broadway shows, as well as commercial recordings for radio and television.
While living in Great Britain (1976-80), Mr. DeCorsey learned a great deal about horn design and manufacture, working closely with horn makers Robert Paxman and Richard Merewether. Through performances with noted British hornists Anthony Halstead and Michael Thompson, he gained a special appreciation for the British tradition as handed down from Dennis Brain and Alan Civil. He also cultivated an interest in the natural horn and in historical performance practice, through contact with Halstead and Horace Fitzpatrick.
Professor DeCorsey pursues an active career as teacher, clinician, adjudicator, and performer on both modern and historical horns. Since coming to Lawrence, he has been heard as principal horn with the Green Bay Symphony, Pamiro Opera, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Green Lake Festival, on Wisconsin Public Radio, and with the Lawrence Brass, Lawrence Wind Quintet, and the Lawrence Chamber Players. His teaching interests include horn, music history, chamber music, brass techniques, and Freshman Studies.
Contact by e-mail: james.h.decorsey@lawrence.edu
- Nicholas Keelan, trombone
Associate Professor of Music
Nick Keelan is Associate Professor of Trombone at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Along with teaching trombone he teaches in the Jazz and Improvisational Music Department, directs the Lawrence Trombone Ensemble, and performs with the Lawrence Faculty Jazz Group and the Lawrence Brass, the faculty brass quintet. The Lawrence Trombone Ensemble is currently composed of 29 trombonists and has performed recently with Conrad Herwig, Stuart Dempster, Todd Baldwin (US Army Ceremonial Band), Wycliffe Gordon, and Jim Pugh. Since he joined the faculty in 1985, Keelan has taught trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, chaired instrumental music education, chaired the Woodwind-Brass-Percussion department, and served as conductor of the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Jazz Workshop. Prior to coming to Lawrence he taught for ten years in the schools of Colorado and Texas. His degrees are from the University of Northern Colorado and Henderson State University in Arkansas. He performs on and is a clinician for Getzen trombones.
Contact by e-mail: nick.keelan@lawrence.edu
Nick Keelan's personal webpage: http://www.lawrence.edu/fast/keelann/
- Marty Erickson, tuba
Lecturer in Music
Marty was principal/solo tubist with the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C., where he served for twenty-six years. He has been the principal Eb Tubist with the Brass Band of Battle Creek for the past twenty years and is a founding member of Millennium Brass Quintet, The Symphonia tuba-euphonium ensemble, and the Tuba-Percussion duo Balance with percussionist Alison Shaw.
Having served on the faculties of Penn State University and Eastern Michigan University, Mr. Erickson is in his tenth year as Lecturer of Tuba, Euphonium and Chamber music at the Conservatory of Music at Lawrence University and performs with the Lawrence Brass faculty brass quintet.
Mr. Erickson has performed as a soloist/clinician throughout Western Europe, China, Japan, Scandinavia, United Kingdom, Bermuda, Cuba and in 48 of the 50 United States. He has performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the National Symphony and Annapolis Chamber Orchestras (with performances at Carnegie Hall and the J.F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts), the Baltimore Opera Orchestra, the Maryland Symphony, the Washington Masterworks Orchestra, and the Smithsonian Masterworks Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Gunther Schuller. He has also performed as soloist on concert and recital series programs with the United States Army Band, The U.S. Army Field Band, the U.S. Marine Band and the Army Garrison bands of Oulu and Helsinki, Finland. In April 2008, Mr. Erickson performed four concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, serving as “extra tuba” in performances of Symphony Fantastique.
He has been a featured jazz and classical performer at six International Tuba-Euphonium Conventions, which will include ITEC 2012 at the Brucknerhaus in Linz, Austria. He was a featured jazz soloist and member of the Balance Duo which performed at the 2007 International Women’s Brass conference at Illinois State University. In May 2011, Marty was the guest jazz performer professor at the Deutsches Tuba Forum International Conference in Hammelburg, Germany, making it his fifth consecutive service for that conference.
Marty has released three solo jazz CDs; "My Very Good Friend" with pianist John Sheridan; "Smile," with Marvin Stamm and Frank Mantooth; and most recently "You and I" with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and an all-star rhythm section. He has performed on over fifty recordings of orchestra, concert band, brass band, dixieland jazz, folk, and children's music. His most recent recordings include performances with the Millennium Brass Quintet, the Brass Band of Battle Creek, and the New Columbian Brass Band on the Dorian label, as well as Grammy-nominated recordings with the Symphonia Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble. As a tubist/bassist, Marty has worked with Joe Wilder, Grover Washington, Pete Christlieb, Sammy David Jr., Donny McCaslin, Phil Wilson, Hank Levy, Ray Charles, Louis Bellson, Pearl Bailey, and many more.
A Past-President of Tubists Universal Brotherhood Association (now ITEA-International Tuba and Euphonium Association), Mr. Erickson is currently the chairman of the Creative Award committee for that organization. He is the Adjudicating Chairman for the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival LFIETF). As a founding member of this organization, Mr. Erickson has served 27 years as an Executive Board member.
Marty is a clinician/design consultant for the Willson tubas distributed by the Getzen Company in the US, and performs on the Willson 3400S Eb Tuba, the 3100S BBb Tubas and the Erickson Signature mouthpieces he helped to design.
Contact by e-mail: marty.erickson@lawrence.edu
Visiting Artists
Each year, renowned artists have appeared on the Lawrence campus as guest soloists with Lawrence ensembles, on the Lawrence Artist Series, or as featured visitors and clinicians. These have included: Wynton Marsalis, William Barnewitz, Clark Terry, American Brass Quintet, Kelly O'Bryant and many more.
Links
- Brass Jury Form
- Robert King Music Sales
- Hickey's Music Center
- Nichols Music
- Allegro Music
- Summit Records
- GM Recordings
- The Canadian Brass
- Empire Brass
- American Brass Quintet
