Meet Denis Wick euphonium artist, Algirdas Matonis. Algirdas Matonis is a Lithuanian born euphonium player. He currently serves as a Principal Euphonium at the River City Brass Band in Pittsburgh and is traveling internationally as a soloist, chamber musician and a clinician. Learn about how it all started, and what is currently happening in his career in this series of Get to Know interviews.

Meet Dopey Monkey, Denis Wick's first artist group duo. Tuba player Danielle Price, and Euphonium player have been performing together since 2015. Their original compositions are an amazing fusion of jazz, folk, classical and experimental music. Get to know Martin and Danielle in this recent interview with Denis Wick Artist manager, Brett Baker.

Meet one of our newest tuba artists, Vikentios Gionanidis. While you can visit his artist page on the Denis Wick website, check out this recent interview we did with Vikentios and Get to Know how Vikentios got his start on tuba, and what he is doing now.

When you need a new mouthpiece, you might consider many different measurements and specification to determine a unique fit to your needs. Do we need to take the same measures for a cup mute? Of course not, but there are some key things to consider before you choose what cup mute to purchase.

January is the perfect time to establish and reinforce some good habits, quit some old ones, reflect on all you've accomplished up to now, and examine what you would like to accomplish in the future. After all your reflections, what actions are you going to take?

Many talented brass players have problems in high note playing which seem inexplicable. Often there is no obvious reason. These days the general standard of teaching and playing sophistication at a professional level is at an all-time high, but there are, of course, many amateurs who have not had access to the best teaching.

Getting the first sound on your trumpet is not the hardest part. The hardship comes when  you try to recreate that sound and make it better each time! The Mouthpiece makes a big difference in how successful a beginner a beginner, student, or professional makes sound. In this interview, Denis Wick artist Chris O'Hara explains what makes a quality beginner mouthpiece, and how to get your student set up on their new mouthpiece.

How I became a Mute Maker, By Denis Wick

My  long-suffering wife said,  “You’re just never satisfied!”. Many a true word is spoken in exasperation. I had tentatively suggested, in about 1969, that somebody ought to design mutes that actually played in tune and worked in every register. We had been recording film music with Bernard Herrmann, who had  helped to make all those Hitchcock films such a success. He was contemptuous of the old fibre mutes that I and my  LSO trombone section were using. He called them  "psychological mutes” and we knew what he meant.

 A PRACTICAL AID TO A BEAUTIFUL SOUND, by Denis Wick    
 

As every teacher knows, a good tone on any brass instrument needs a properly set-up embouchure; a good teacher will spare no effort to ensure that the student's embouchure is as efficient as possible. These days one may assume that the young player will have a reasonable instrument and a sensible mouthpiece. To this one must add what many teachers would regard as the most important of all - good breath control.

This year’s 4BR Special Award goes to Denis Wick — a man who revolutionised the way modern brass band sounds.