Discover
That's Not Spit, It's Condensation!

That's Not Spit, It's Condensation!
Author: Ryan Beach
Subscribed: 57Played: 1,898Subscribe
Share
© 2025 That's Not Spit, It's Condensation!
Description
“That’s Not Spit, It’s Condensation” is a weekly podcast with conversations and discussions about all things music. In it, we’ll peel back the layers of what makes great musicians great, hoping to inspire others to achieve their maximum potential.http://thatsnotspit.com
192 Episodes
Reverse
In this episode of That’s Not Spit, It’s Condensation, I sit down with tubist and teacher Ron Von Dreau to talk about what it takes to build and sustain a thriving private teaching studio. Ron has taught in Texas for decades, managing studios of 60–80+ students while also teaching at the university level, directing band programs, and balancing freelance performing. His story is full of lessons for anyone building a teaching career: from starting with only a handful of students to learning th...
In this episode, I'm going to break down the real reason auditions feel so brutal—and what separates the winners from everyone else. It's not luck. It's not just talent. It's a learnable set of skills that anyone can develop. If you’ve ever walked off stage thinking “I thought I was ready… what happened?”—this is for you. You’ll learn: ✅ The mindset shift that changes everything ✅ Why fundamentals actually matter ✅ The power of a clear, consistent plan ✅ And what most people misunderstand a...
In this episode, we break down how to master lip trills, develop faster and cleaner technique, and play with more freedom—without adding tension. You’ll learn why “lip trills” aren’t actually about the lips, how to train your air and embouchure for effortless control, and the exact exercises that build dazzling technique you can trust in any performance. We also explore how brass band playing can transform your musicianship, the mindset shifts that speed up progress, and practical advice fo...
In this episode of That's Not Spit, It's Condensation, I sit down with Victor Djonorh, longtime band director at Summit Middle School and assistant director at Edmond Santa Fe, to dive deep into the realities of teaching music at the middle and high school level. We cover: 🎵 How he accidentally became a tuba player 🎓 Lessons from his time at Oklahoma City University 👨🏫 What he wishes he knew as a first-year teacher 💡 How he keeps students engaged (and why relationship...
In this episode, I’m joined by Johanna Yarbrough, who recently transitioned from her role as second horn with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to become the Professor of French Horn at Louisiana State University. What begins as a conversation about career trajectory quickly unfolds into a vulnerable and deeply insightful look at the realities of orchestral life—and what it means to grow beyond it. Johanna shares her early path through public school band, studying abroad in Norway with Frøydis ...
Doug McVey is the founder of Vennture mouthpieces. He guides the technical direction of Vennture, oversees the development of VennCAD, and designs the tooling and processes used to produce Vennture custom mouthpieces. www.vennture.mp Support the show
Michael Anderson is the recently retired Professor of Trumpet at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University. He is a member of the International Trumpet Guild Board of Directors and ITG Journal editorial committee, Executive Director of the Guild’s web site, and chairman of the ITG technology committee. He is the ITG Journal columnist for Trumpet Technology and has presented and performed at several ITG Conferences. Previously to his OCU appointment, he was on the music fac...
Karl Sievers grew up in Louisville, KY. His teachers include Leon Rapier, former principal trumpet in the Louisville Orchestra; Louis Davidson, former principal trumpet in the Cleveland Orchestra; William Adam at Indiana University; and others. Karl holds a DMA in Trumpet Performance, is in his 24th season as principal trumpet in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and has recently retired from a Presidential Professorship at the School of Music at the University of Oklahoma. In addition to his o...
William A. Baker, was appointed Bass Trombonist of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra in 2024 by Music Director Enrique Mazzola. He also currently serves as the Principal Bass Trombonist of the Monterey Symphony, a post he has held since 2018. From 2021-2024, Will primarily performed with the San Francisco Symphony, including over 200 performances, and European Tour, and the 2023 SFS recordings with Maestro EsaPekka Salonen. A native of Walnut Creek, California, Will has perform...
Dr. Jennifer Oliverio is a celebrated cornet and flugelhorn player who holds the positions of principal cornet with the Fountain City Brass Band and flugelhorn with the Athena Brass Band. Jen is currently the Assistant Professor of Music in trumpet at Missouri Western State University and one of the directors for the Fountain City Youth Brass Academy. Jen is an avid supporter of new music for cornet and flugelhorn, having commissioned and premiered solo works by Lucy Pankhurst, Dorothy Gates,...
Grace O’Connell is a highly diverse musician with equal passions for soloing, orchestral playing, and chamber music. Grace frequently plays in the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Huntsville Symphony Orchestra trumpet sections and is also a dynamic soloist and active competitor in national and international competitions. Most recently she was named first place winner of the Roger Voisin Memorial Trumpet Competition (2024). She was also named first place winner in the International Trumpet Gui...
Christopher Smith brings nearly 20 years of major orchestral and ensemble experience to the role of Principal Trumpet of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Prior to joining the SDSO, he was 4th/Utility Trumpet with l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) for 11 years, and served as Acting Associate Principal Trumpet from 2015-18. He has performed with OSM on eight international tours (two as Associate Principal Trumpet), numerous live broadcasts on Mezzo TV and Medici.tv (several as Principa...
In this episode, we're talking about my experience auditioning for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. We'll cover how I prepared, what I did differently, what I learned, the rounds themselves, and my thoughts on the outcome. Support the show
Reach out to Matt! matthew.vangjel@gmail.com In the fall of 2024, Matthew Vangjel will begin teaching at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Matthew Vangjel was previously the Julian R. and Sidney Nicolle Carruth Associate Professor of Trumpet at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where he teaches trumpet and coaches chamber music. He also held positions at the University of Texas-San Antonio and the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. Vangjel is a passionate music educator and fr...
Brandon Jochum mastered this podcast episode https://www.epiphanyrecordingstudio.com/ Tony's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@UCExbrtVAbwkjjprUPk4Sfxw Anthony Prisk joined The Philadelphia Orchestra as second trumpet in August 2013. He came from the Houston Symphony, where he was second trumpet for 11 seasons, and the New World Symphony, where he was a trumpet fellow for four seasons. In the past 20 years he has played internationally with several orchestras and music festival...
Dr. Joseph Gray is the Associate Director of Bands and trumpet instructor at the University of North Alabama. Before coming to Florence, he served on the music faculty at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and as a noncommissioned officer and senior instrumentalist with the U.S. Army Music Program. During his military service, Dr. Gray was a member of the Army Material Command Band at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama and the Maneuver Center of Excellence Band at Fort Benning, Georgia. &n...
Ben Gunnarson is a trumpet player and music educator based in Los Angeles, California. He is currently Principal Trumpet of the Bay Philharmonic and also is a member of the Disneyland Band. After growing up in Frederick, MD, he earned is Bachelor’s Degrees in Trumpet Performance and Music Education from Indiana University and is pursuing his Masters Degree at the University of Southern California under the mentorship of Thomas Hooten and Jennifer Marotta. He also studied abroad in Vienna, Aus...
Daniel Carson comes to the CSO after previously holding the position of principal bass at the Alabama Symphony Orchestra from 2013-16, and having performed with numerous other American orchestras, including those in Atlanta, St. Louis, Minnesota and Kansas City. Carson was a fellow at the New World Symphony, under the direction of co-founder and Artistic Director Laureate Michael Tilson-Thomas and has also been a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Music Academy of the West, an...
Wiff Rudd began teaching trumpet and serving as Brass Area Coordinator at Baylor University in 2002. Previous teaching posts include Oklahoma Baptist University and the University of Arkansas. A founding member of Rhythm & Brass, he is also an active soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. He has been a featured soloist in Carnegie Hall on multiple occasions and at several National Trumpet Competitions and International Trumpet Guild Conferences. Rudd has performed and presented master ...
Dr. Jesse Cook has been hailed by Fanfare Magazine as a trumpeter with “technical surety, a shining tone, dynamic control, a smooth legato, and real imagination.” Dr. Cook is the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Central Florida and the Principal Trumpet of the Atlantic Classical Orchestra. He has also held appointments as Principal Trumpet of the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, and as the Studio Professor at Valdosta State University (GA), Pittsburg...