TBJ168: Alison Mahovsky
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On This Episode of The Brass Junkies:
What it was like going through basic training during a pandemic
Lance comparing eating in basic training to the world’s worst wedding
Alison’s start in music (which was as a percussionist!) and why she switched to euphonium
The relationship she had with her first euphonium teacher, Jennifer Cox, who she calls her hero
Applying for the International Leonard Falcone Euphonium Tuba Festival Competition for the first time (as a 7th grader!)
Studying with Roger Behrend at the same time as her “big brother”, Roger’s son Bobby, who she went to high school with
The value of studying with a teacher who is extremely honest and doesn’t sugarcoat anything
Some of the concepts she learned in high school that
How she went about successfully preparing for a premier DC military band audition while she had a full-time teaching job
Her path back to playing a lot after taking almost a full year off due to teaching
The two things she told herself that led her to believe that she could win an audition
The realization that at some point people aren’t going to tell you anything you haven’t already heard before and that you need to take ownership of your own playing and become your own teacher
Why having nothing to lose helped take pressure off of her for the Air Force Band audition
Nothing in life is one size fits all and neither is practicing - you need to do what works with you
Bio:
Technical Sergeant Alison Mahovsky is a euphoniumist with the Ceremonial Brass, The United States Air Force Band, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. A native of Burke, Virginia, her Air Force Career began in 2020.
Sergeant Mahovsky completed her Bachelor of Music Education degree in 2013 at The University of North Texas. She then went on to earn dual Masters Degrees in Music Education and Euphonium Performance at The University of North Texas. Her most influential teachers are Jennifer Cox, Roger Behrend, and Dr. Brian Bowman.
An accomplished soloist, Sergeant Mahovsky has received several international accolades. In 2010, she was the winner of The United States Air Force Band’s own George S. Howard Young Artist Competition. She was runner up in the International Women’s Brass Conference’s Mock Audition competition in 2014, and in 2016 Mahovsky was awarded a Bronze Medal in the Artist Division of the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition.
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With Thanks
The brass program at The Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University
Parker Mouthpieces (including the Andrew Hitz and Lance LaDuke models.)
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Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.
