Muppet Musicians

[grail]

This came up in another thread, and i got to wondering:

How many of the Muppet Central members are musicians?

what instrument do you play, and what type of music? do you play professionally? or just for fun? and WHY did you get started?

personally, i'm a trombone/low brass player. in other words, i CAN play the other stuff, but i prefer trombone. i've been playing, off and on, since i was 10. i got started because my dad is also a trombone player, and there is a recording of him in high school that is him, playing "Flight of the Bumblebees" on a trombone. i know it's really him too because it was a recording that his high-school made, and his name is the credit for it.

i've never played "professionally" (never gotten money for it), but i have done quite a few pit orchestras for local theater groups. but if they try and make me play "A Chorus Line" one more time, someone's getting hurt...i'm not the only one in Indy that can play a high "c" (bass clef) on a trombone.

i'll play anything people put in front of me, though the instrument is limiting in the genres it'll work in. so i play mostly classical (Hungarian Dance #5 is one of my favorites to play), jazz, and every now and then some SKA.

my favorite musical moment is playing on stage with the Dallas Brass. they were really great guys, and picked some of us to join them for a number. we had a DAY to learn the music, but those of us they picked were pretty good friends, and hammed it up so much we made them laugh.

 

[Traveling Matt]

Originally posted by Grail
my favorite musical moment is playing on stage with the Dallas Brass.

Hey Grail-
I live in the Dallas area. Does this group still play there?

I used to play clarinet in jr. high, but it didn't catch on with me, so I was done by high school. Went to a couple of jazz concerts to help with my music at the time, and I'm wondering if this group is still around.

- Billy

 

[grail]

last i heard they were still playing. they are originally from the Dallas area, but they tour everywhere. they're like a lesser-known cousin to the Canadian Brass. i actually got their trombone player to send me a copy of the arrangement he wrote for "Hungarian Dance #5" (trombone played the melody the whole time) i played part of it for warm-up every time i would play for a few years after that...and ever performed it once. it's a blast! i lost the box with most of my music in it during a move about a year ago though...i was devastated.

 

[Billy's Girl]

For 7 years I had piano lessons and hated the piano 100%. Now that I don't have lessons (for the last 5 years) i love playing the piano. Sadly my parents sold the piano when I quit with the lessons.

Now I play the piano at the school I teach at and at church - when no one is listening!!!!

 

[grail]

why when no one's listening? music is meant to be shared.

 

[gymkatarules]

Music should be shared, I agree.

I play piano, guitar, drums, trumpet, etc. I've been in bands and played professionally. I play and record solo now. More info and even an mp3 of me at my site (link down below).

What type of music? Singer/songwriter stuff. My old band was really experimental. Oh, that reminds me...in my old band (http://www.struggleburger.com) we used to name songs after Muppet stuff. We were instrumental; we could do that freely. Examples: Splurge-Drawn Coach/Sing It, Mr. S/A Dog Has Fleas/Bad Basketball, A Square. If you know where some of those come from, you rock!

I love writing songs on the piano, but I especially love playing Joplin, Gershwin, Mozart, and Ben Folds. Very fun.

Any other musicians out there? We should get together and have a big Muppet Central jam at MuppetFest. Good night.

-Chris

 

[Billy's Girl]

Only at church because if they catch me at it they will con me into playing during the Sunday Service and in my church all the piano ladies seem to age extremely quickly and play songs so slowly that no one can even sing along.

So for my own sanity and the fact that I don't want to look about 70 when I get to 25 I avoid being heard in church.

Have I defended myself enough?

 

[grail]

Originally posted by Amy
Have I defended myself enough?

i didn't mean it like that, and believe me i understand your point.

i'm really sorry if you took it like i was trying to give you a hard time. i really didn't mean it that way, i promise.

i'm sorry...

 

[Billy's Girl]

That's ok!!! I didn't mean to come across sounding like a 'female dog'. Just a bad day at work which results in Amy having one of her five minute bad moods.

I feel better already

 

[grail]

oh good...i really hate it when people are mad at me. i'm sorry to hear about your day though...