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Hello everyone:

I thought I would report to my egroup about the Canadian Brass concert of June 02, 2000 at the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference in Regina, Saskatechewan. ITEC was attended by almost 450 Tuba and Euphonium enthusiasts from all over the world. The host was John Griffith at the University of Regina.
Our concert was sponsored by Yamaha Canada, and the theatre was jammed to capacity.
The day was my last active performing day as a member of the Canadian Brass, and at the evening concert, Chuck Daellenbach gave me nice send off tribute, which precipitated a standing ovation. Since I consider my tenure with the Canadian Brass a fabulous gift in the first place, it felt really great to be paid such a nice tribute by my colleagues and friends both on stage and in the audience. (Note: more images and a screen saver featuring this event are available through the Canadian Brass web site.)

I am working on a mailing to be sent to a variety of venues to remind the public of my new career direction, and if any of you want to be sent the hard copy via snail mail, you can send me an address via private email at Ronnie6@aol.com, and I'll put you on the snail mail list. Also, suggestions for venue mailings are appreciated.

The next week will be consumed with compiling lists of lists, as well as catching up with communications and repairs to home, vehicles, and chops. I'll keep you all posted as the more interesting things develop. So far I have several inquiries about master classes and concert appearances; I'll be assembling a schedule as things progress.

More soon!
Cheers,
Ron

Ron will be at the ITG conference on the afternoon of May 25, and all day May 26.
"Fred Mills has invited me to participate in his lecture/demo on the 26th at 11:00AM, which I am proud to do; it'll be nice to play with Fred again(...we spent 25 years together).  I'll be around to chat, for those that are in the mood."

Some of you may have heard the news about my leaving the Canadian Brass.  As of next season, after a fantastic run of 29 years, I will not be appearing as a performing member of the quintet wing of the Canadian Brass.  I am not, however retiring!  Rather, I will be creating a series of special solo concerts...which I will be performing with orchestras and bands.  I am also creating a duo show with my wife Avis (a stunning pianist); our plan is to have much more than a normal recital; all of my concerts will be events...more about all of this as it happens.  In addition to my solo performances, I will be available to do master classes and workshops, drawing upon my experience as a member of a group that has built and performed many successful concerts/shows.  Workshops and masterclasses could run the content gamut from the physical and psychological aspects of performance, to programming for success, and the relationship of the performer to the audience.
For more information, you can visit my webpage at Canbrass.com/RonRomm.
For booking information, you can contact me via email at Ron@MusicRomm.com, or Ronnie6@aol.com.

See you all out there!
Ron

Many of you have written to inquire as to the imminent change in personnel in the Canadian Brass, and about my decision to leave the group.  Thanks very much for your interest.  I'll be brief in this note, and tell you how I feel, and what I have in mind.

First and foremost, I have to say that for the last 29 years, the Canadian Brass has been my life, my work, and the ultimate output for my musical skills.  I am extremely proud to have been involved in this endeavor ... AND

I AM NOT DONE YET.

As the group has evolved, there has been part of me that has also been growing, and that is the part that has, most recently, brought me to express a need to branch out on my own.  In discussing the possibilities with Chuck and Gene, it has become quite obvious that I can never totally leave the Canadian Brass, even if I am not performing in the quintet.  We have been reviewing the progress of the group, and in reflection, we remembered that we share a fundamental principle, which brought me to the CB in the first place.  I trained to be a soloist, and also to be a member of a chamber music group.  I had a background in classical music as well as jazz, had done live radio broadcasts and TV from the days of live TV in Los Angeles, and I had played in orchestras and bands, both large and small.  From the time I was ten years old, I had recognized the importance of live performance and the value of an audience.  This understanding of the need to communicate with the audience forms the lifeblood of a group such as the Canadian Brass, and this is the principle I share with my colleagues.  I have had many of my dreams realized by performing over 100 concerts per year for live audiences for these 29 years, while sharing the joy of music and humor with all of you.  I thank you all for sharing these things with me.

NOW

You can look forward to seeing me with orchestras, bands, as part of a duo with my wife (and stunning pianist) Avis, and you can know that our performances will be based on the experiences and positive attitude that we all enjoy at Canadian Brass concerts.  I promise that you will not be disappointed.  Look for me at master classes, workshops, Universities and festivals as well.

IN ADDITION

You can all be sure that the Canadian Brass will continue to thrill and enchant audiences all over the world; I know that the next member of the group will be fantastic ... believe me.

SEE YOU
Ron