TBJ192: William Russell
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On This Episode of The Brass Junkies:
How Boston Brass dealt with the pandemic from an emotional standpoint and from a business standpoint
William’s role within Boston Brass and how he always tries to be helpful
Why every band needs someone in a centralized role
William’s love of travel and of solving the puzzle that is touring the world with an ensemble
That time when William left his backpack on a train at O’Hare and then tracked it on a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride-esque journey before getting it back
That time when a janitor thought William’s sousaphone was trash and threw it next to a dumpster
William’s time in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and how the city of Chicago helped to shape his musical career
How Boston Brass is evolving as an ensemble
Why collaborating with other performers and composers pushes an ensemble creatively
The value of developing signature content as a band
The upcoming Boston Brass collaboration with Gordon Goodwin
The latest Boston Brass album, Blues for Sam, and the significance of it to William personally
How William came to sub for Sam Pilafian in Boston Brass when Sam got sick in 2017 and having to learn the entire Boston Brass book in less than a week
The various groups he plays in around Chicago that prepared him for his opportunity with Boston Brass
Why there’s really not much difference between playing in an orchestra and playing in a jazz combo
That time when Lance read a spot in the voice of Max Headroom
The technical side and the social side of making it as a musician
Finding something in the practice room that is outside of your musical comfort zone and how that opens up creative outlets
Why William feels that music will always be an analog profession: showing up, saying hello, shaking hands
Who he is sure perform to see if they ever pass through Chicago
The value of Sam introducing new music for William to listen to and how that influenced his musicianship
That time when Hitz had Sam crying laughing from a Little Richard tune
Why a portion of each day should be spent creating something musical
A lesson that William had with Mike Roylance where he was told “Don’t ever come in here again and play without an opinion” and why that was exactly what he needed to hear
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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.)
Enter the promo code “junkies11” at online checkout to receive $500 off your purchase of a new instrument from houghtonhorns.com
Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.
