David M. Erato

saxophones, clarinets, flutes, bassoon

Author: David Erato

  • Music Improves Brain Function

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    David Erato
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    For most people music is an enjoyable, although momentary, form of entertainment. But for those who seriously practiced a musical instrument when they were young, perhaps when they played in a school orchestra or even a rock band, the musical experience can be something more. Recent research shows that a strong correlation exists between musical…

  • Is jazz dead in Milwaukee….What do you think?

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    David Erato
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    Perception is reality.  If people are told, time and time again, that jazz is dead, then they will start to believe it.  We, as Milwaukee musicians, have to stop saying “Jazz is dead” A great post by my friend Mike Pauers on the Milwaukee Jazz blog.  Be sure to read the comments for many great…

  • Practice Tip: Accumulative Scale Technique

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    David Erato
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    opening run in Maurice Whitney’s Introduction and Samba Have you ever seen a run like the one above and thought there was no way you could play it cleanly?  So instead you just moved your fingers without even bothering looking at the notes, hoping to land on the next quarter note or eighth note at…

  • Is jazz dead in Milwaukee?

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    David Erato
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    Big thanks to Jamie Breiwick for posting this on his blog, Milwaukee Jazz. Freelance journalist Michael Drew wrote “Is Jazz Dead?” for the current issue of Milwaukee Magazine.  He spoke to Bonnie North on WUWM about the article.  It’s great to hear educated people talk about the art form, even though it is about jazz dying.…

  • Milwaukee Jazz

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    David Erato
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      Milwaukeeans now have an excellent resource for finding local jazz.  Milwaukee Jazz is a new blog launched by trumpeter/educator Jamie Breiwick.  Navigation along the top gives the reader the who and the where.  Not only is there space where every current Milwaukee jazz musician is highlighted, the extended family is represented as well.  Milwaukee-bred musicians who…

  • iPhone music apps

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    David Erato
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    As you might already know, I am a fan of all things Apple, Mac, and iPhone related.  I own an iMac G5, MacBook, Airport Extreme, Apple TV, iPod Shuffle, iPod Classic 160gb, and iPhone 3G.  Since Apple opened the App Store to developers, it has been flooded with good (and not so good) music apps.…

  • More from Paul Hanson

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    David Erato
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    In doing research for my interview with Paul Hanson, I came across his old website, jazzbassoon.com. Though he now has a new website (paulhansonmusic.com), I found some of that content very informative, and worth a reposting.  So please enjoy the following musings from Paul.  And as an added treat, a live recording of Paul playing…

  • Interview with jazz bassoonist Paul Hanson

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    David Erato
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    “What the amazing Paul Hanson does on bassoon — an exceedingly difficult instrument to play and one almost exclusively associated with classical music — is akin to what other innovators like guitarists Charlie Hunter and Stanley Jordan, banjoist Bela Fleck and bassist Jaco Pastorius have done with their respective instruments.”- Bill Milkowski, Jazztimes, Jazziz  When…

  • Sal Lozano interview on the Big Phat Chat

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    David Erato
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    I had the pleasure of meeting Sal Lozano back in 2008.  I was in the Los Angeles area and he invited me to sit in on a recording session for Disney. No, I wasn’t playing, just sitting back and listening to him and other great woodwind players Dan Higgins and Chris Bleth.  Afterwords, Sal and…