Solid Brass Information

We perform music to help people dream or imagine the things that will inspire them - helping ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Together, we can profoundly affect the lives of others. We believe in what poet Henry David Thoreau said "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." How do we do it? Every time we perform, we go into our own "Disney World" - sort of a "Fantasyland" for musicians. Only recently have we discovered that our audience also does the same thing - only it's their personal "Fantasyland. Some may see a new insight into their business or how to solve problems at home. Here's an example: at a concert in North Carolina, a woman in the audience came up to thank us for the concert. She said she was moved to tears by our performance of "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin. Now this is a rather upbeat piece of music and we were perplexed. She went on to explain that when she was a little girl, she and her father would play that piece together. It brought back a powerful memory for her although we had no idea at the time of performance that someone would imagine that. It is the power of music. Are we better than all the other brass groups out there? We're not better than them in all cases. So why should you use Solid Brass? Our music performance today is better than it was six months ago. And, our performances six months from now will be better yet. So are we better than our competitors? If you believe what we believe and you think that what we can do can help you, then, yes, we are better than all the other brass groups. If you don't, then we are probably not. How many things actually improve with age? For over 15 years, SOLID BRASS has been recognized by audiences and critics alike as one of the premier brass ensembles in America. The members are some of the New York area's finest musicians who have performed at Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera orchestras, N.Y. City Ballet orchestra, Broadway shows, movies, and television as well as a host of appearances as orchestral and chamber musicians in the metropolitan area. Members have been heard in the pits of such Broadway shows as Spiderman, Hair, West Side Story, The Lion King, Spam-a-lot, Tarzan, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Gypsy, 42nd Street, Nine, Annie Get Your Gun, Crazy for You, Sunset Blvd., Titanic, and many more. SOLID BRASS has recorded on the Musical Heritage Society label, Dorian Recordings, Joseph Grado Signature Recordings and Craig Dory Recordings; and has appeared on PBS TV's "The State of the Arts". Musical arrangements are being published in the SOLID BRASS SERIES of Art of Sound Music, Princeton, New Jersey. SOLID BRASS has been a recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and has performed in Mexico and Canada. SOLID BRASS, ten brass players and a percussionist, is the only ensemble of its kind in North America. The glorious sound of SOLID BRASS and its rapport with audiences provide a great concert experience.