My $10 Trombone

Most people are surprised to learn that I play wind instruments.  They know me from bluegrass, and they know I play banjo, fiddle, guitar, and other string instruments.  They don't know that I played euphonium and trombone in junior high, high school and college.

What I actually wanted to play when band started in the 6th grade was the flute.  But my two sisters before me quit band, so I had to take an instrument that the school provided.  What was my next choice?  Tuba!  But, alas, they said I was too small.  So I chose the next biggest instrument the school provided -- the euphonium!  My band director, Linda Wegmann, played euphonium, and she was such an inspiration to me!  I had to wait for my euphonium.  Two other boys got the first pick, and there were only two euphoniums.  So I sat in band class each day for several weeks with no horn.  I watched and listened and took everything in.  Then...my horn arrived!  I was so proud of that horn!  I had to drag that thing on the school bus every day to and from school.  Yes, I practiced.  Yes, I took my horn home every day. We had band every day in school.

Now you are probably wondering where the trombone actually fits in.  It doesn't until high school.  I was going to Hillsboro High School at the time where Mark Trautwein was my band director.  He was a great teacher!  And now there was JAZZ BAND...!!!  And another trombone player named Daniel that I thought was so cute!  Not to mention the guitar player, Ralph!  Of course, I just HAD to get into jazz band.

Every week, my Dad and I would go to the Big Pevely Flea Market.  We would set our watches in the parking lot to the minute.  Then Daddy would let me browse the entire place by myself as long as we met back at the designated area at the appropriate time.  This is where I bought all my instruments!  I didn't have much money, but I saved it all for the flea market.  I bought a trumpet, a cornet, a snare drum, guitars, a fiddle, a saxophone, and probably more!  But Daddy bought me a trombone for $10!  I took it home and taught myself to play it.

And I played that trombone all through high school and in college!  I still have that $10 trombone, and I still play it.

Chris' 2025 Private Teaching Schedule

Chris will not be teaching private lessons on the following dates:

January 27, 28, 29, 30 (updated)

February 17, 18, 19, 20

March 10, 11, 12, 13

April 14, 15, 16, 17

May 12, 13, 14, 15

June 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19

July 21, 22, 23, 24

August 11, 12, 13, 14

September 1, 2, 3, 4

October 20, 21, 22, 23

November 24, 25, 26, 27

December 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31

January 2026:  1

It is important that you understand your lesson time is reserved for you.  If you are unable to make a lesson, please me know as soon as possible.  If you miss a lesson, you will be expected to pay for that lesson unless you are sick or have a true emergency.  If you are missing a lesson because of a birthday party, date, prom, school event, vacation, etc., you will be expected to pay for the missed lesson(s). This has always been store policy, but it has not always been strictly enforced.  If you have frequent emergencies or illnesses, we can discuss what the best solution would be.  Sometimes I am able to schedule make-up lessons, in which case you would not have to pay for the missed lesson.

Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamp 2024

I am thrilled to be on the staff of Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamps! I will be teaching for two weeks this June. (And celebrating my birthday during that time as well!) Every summer, this award winning and all-inclusive music Kamp is held at Maryville College in the foothills of the great Smoky Mountains. Make this year YOUR year to get out and pick! I will be teaching ultra beginners of all instruments and am so excited to get you playing with others!

Old Time and Traditional Week is June 9-15, 2024, and Bluegrass Week is June 16-22, 2024.

Check it out at www.Flatpik.com

The instruments taught during Old Time Week are Old Time Fiddle, Old Time Mandolin, Hammered Dulcimer, Old Time Banjo, Mountain Singing, Flatpicking, Rhythm Guitar, Celtic Guitar, Irish Fiddle, Fingerpicking and Mountain Dulcimer.

Bluegrass Week: Flatpicking, Bluegrass Banjo, Mandolin, Songwriting, Swing Rhythm Guitar, Dobro™, Bluegrass Fiddle, Bass, Ukulele, Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar and Bluegrass Vocals.

I am so glad to be a part of Kamp this year, and I hope to see you and your friends at SKAK in June.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can send a direct email to steve@flatpik.com.

Chris' 2024 Private Lesson Schedule

 

Chris will not be teaching private lessons on the following dates:

January 1,2
February 5, 6, 7, 8, 12
March 11, 12, 13, 14
April 15, 16, 17, 18
May 13, 14, 15, 16 
June 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20
July 22, 23, 24, 25
August 12, 13, 14, 15
September 2, 3, 4, 5
October 21, 22, 23, 24
November 25, 26, 27, 28
December 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31
January 2025:  1, 2

It is important that you understand your lesson time is reserved for you.  If you are unable to make a lesson, please me know as soon as possible.  If you miss a lesson, you will be expected to pay for that lesson unless you are sick or have a true emergency.  If you are missing a lesson because of a birthday party, date, prom, school event, vacation, etc., you will be expected to pay for the missed lesson(s). This has always been store policy, but it has not always been strictly enforced.  If you have frequent emergencies or illnesses, we can discuss what the best solution would be.  Sometimes I am able to schedule make-up lessons, in which case you would not have to pay for the missed lesson.

Chris' 2023 Private Lesson Schedule

Chris will not be teaching private lessons on the following dates:

January 30, 31 

February 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9

March 13, 14, 15, 16

April 3, 4, 5, 6

May 1, 2, 3, 4

June 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22

July 24, 25, 26, 27

August 14, 15, 16, 17

September 4, 5, 6, 7

October 9, 10, 11, 12

November 20, 21, 22, 23

December 25, 26, 27, 28

January 2024: 1, 2 

It is important that you understand your lesson time is reserved for you. If you are unable to make a lesson, please me know as soon as possible. If you miss a lesson, you will be expected to pay for that lesson unless you are sick or have a true emergency. If you are missing a lesson because of a birthday party, date, prom, school event, vacation, etc., you will be expected to pay for the missed lesson(s). This has always been store policy, but it has not always been strictly enforced. If you have frequent emergencies or illnesses, we can discuss what the best solution would be. Sometimes I am able to schedule make-up lessons, in which case you would not have to pay for the missed lesson.

Oh My Bow!

 Have you ever opened your case to this?!

If so, let me introduce you to carpet beetles!  These are tiny beetles that like horse hair from your bows, dark places, and other things.  They will even eat holes in your sweaters!  Think that your house is clean and won't get them? Think again!  They can fly in or can be introduced through cut flowers that are brought into your house.  

Carpet beetles are super common, and if you have a case that is closed for any length of time, especially if you are simply storing an instrument and bows, you will be very likely to encounter them.  What I think is amazing about this is that it will look like someone took a pair of scissors and cut all the hair across in the same place!  If you look closely, you may see the larvae or the larvae skin that has been shed in your case.

Here is what the larvae looks like.  They are tiny!

The beetles themselves are the size of the pin head or smaller.  There are several different types, but the ones I see here in the St. Louis region look similar this.  Remember, they are tiny, tiny!  Not even close to being as big as a lady bug.

So how do you prevent them?  Make sure that anything that they will like is sealed tightly.  A zipper is not tight enough, nor is a normal case that is closed.  You can store bows in air-tight plastic holders.  You can also seal storage containers with tape.  I use moth balls to repel them, but you need to be careful about children and materials that the mothballs may come into contact with.  For prevention and treatment, there is a lot of great advice from The University of California's Agriculture and Natural Resources page here:  http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7436.html

What is the Difference Between Old Time (Folk) Music and Bluegrass?

Old time folk music and bluegrass music share many of the same tunes, but there is actually a big difference between the two types of music.  I teach both styles here at The Bluegrass Shack, but many times, one style of music is better suited for an individual than another.  So what's the difference?  Why would you want to play one genre over another?

Both types of music basically come from the same background.  I've already said they share many of the same tunes.  Two of the biggest differences are:  1) the complexity of the music; and 2) how it is played within a group.

The easiest way to spot whether you are watching an old time folk jam or a bluegrass jam is to see how people are playing the music together.  In an old time jam, everyone plays melody all at the same time.  Many times, people all sing the melody together at the same time as well.  There may be a little bit of difference in the actual instruments that play.  For instance, you are more likely to see a dulcimer in a folk jam than you are in a bluegrass jam.  A dulcimer just isn't typically a bluegrass instrument.  And for old time music, you do not need to know how to play backup unless you are the guitar or bass player.

In a bluegrass jam, everyone takes turns playing the melody, and when you aren't playing the melody, you are expected to play something different called backup.  This requires you to know the chords to a song and to be able to keep rhythm with the chords while someone else plays the melody.  Only one person sings the melody (lead) at a time, though others may join in on the chorus to sing harmony.  If you are in a bluegrass jam and you play the melody along with someone else, you are likely to be seen as rude.  You are, in essence, stealing someone else's turn to play lead.  If you sing or play melody behind the singer while the singer is singing, you are also seen as being rude.

Old time music is generally simpler in form than bluegrass.  This doesn't mean that old time music can't be complex, or that bluegrass music is always more complicated.  It is just a generalization.  What the instruments play is also slightly different.  Old time banjo is almost always a type of frailing or clawhammer more typical of Grandpa Jones, whereas bluegrass music generally utilizes a three-finger style more typical of Earl Scruggs.  The fiddle in old time music doesn't shift positions as much (move the left hand from the scroll position up the fingerboard), and variations to tunes are usually less and simpler.  A bluegrass fiddler will shift positions more often, even using shifted double stops (two notes played at the same time).  These are just a few of the differences in two instruments, but there are more that I won't be going into right now.

So how do you know what type of music you might want to pursue if you like songs like Soldier's Joy, I'll Fly Away, Arkansas Traveller and Will the Circle Be Unbroken?  Folk music can be a great way to get a start on either genre.  Why?  Because you can play it with other people at the same time.  It makes learning to play with and in front of others easier than bluegrass because everyone is doing it at the same time.  You are not singled out to play the melody, and you don't have to know how to do backup.  If you decide later you need more of a challenge or that you would like to have the opportunity to "strut your stuff," you can always shift more towards bluegrass.  If only one type of music is prevalent in your area, go with it!  You can always modify later.  

Don't wait and don't think it's too late to start!  I have taught folks of all different ages and abilities, and it is WAY more about how much you want it than it is natural talent.  I think you'll find both of these styles of music a great way to meet people, and great way to learn new skills, and a TON of fun!