How I Met Jim Rome – Current Public Enemy #1 in the Band World

Sports talk show host Jim Rome is famous for saying “Have a take, don’t suck!” It’s been his tagline for many years. What I think it means is, have a well-formed opinion and be able to articulate that opinion in a clear, concise way. It is actually good advice when you think about it. It […]

See You at Midwest!

Are you going to Midwest? That’s a common question in musical circles this time of year. A trade show the week before Christmas? In Chicago? Yes, such is the magic of the Midwest Clinic – An International Band and Orchestra Conference, an event held this time every year. It brings together thousands of band and […]

“Thank You!” from Dan the ChopSaver Guy

Today’s newsletter is not a newsletter. It is a thank you card. While I love the Christmas season and my family does send our share of personal Christmas cards, it has become a somewhat “complicated” holiday what with differing views on how to celebrate it, where to celebrate it and bizarre rituals like “Black Friday” […]

An Interview with Landon Gardner

In our next installment of “ChopSaver Users are Just Plain Cool,” this time we really mean it with World Class Skier Landon Gardner. A former member of the United States Ski Team, Landon gives us his take on skiing and motivation. And be sure to check out some amazing “point of view” video on Landon’s […]

An Interview with Sam Pilafian, Patrick Sheridan and Choppy the ChopSaver (Part 3 of 3)

Recently, tuba virtuosi and music industry giants Patrick Sheridan (https://patricksheridan.com/) and Sam Pilafian (https://www.pilafian.com/tuba/) caught up with Choppy the ChopSaver at the University of Illinois Marching Band Championship. In a hard hitting, 3 part interview, Choppy covered a wide variety of topics including the benefits of organic ingredients, marching band drill and global warming. A transcript is below to aid with hard […]

An Interview with Sam Pilafian, Patrick Sheridan and Choppy the ChopSaver (Part 2 of 3)

Recently, tuba virtuosi and music industry giants Patrick Sheridan (https://patricksheridan.com/) and Sam Pilafian (https://www.pilafian.com/tuba/) caught up with Choppy the ChopSaver at the University of Illinois Marching Band Championship. In a hard hitting, 3 part interview, Choppy covered a wide variety of topics including the benefits of organic ingredients, marching band drill and global warming. A transcript is below to aid with hard […]

An Interview with Sam Pilafian, Patrick Sheridan and Choppy the ChopSaver (Part 1 of 3)

Recently, tuba virtuosi and music industry giants Patrick Sheridan (https://patricksheridan.com/) and Sam Pilafian (https://www.pilafian.com/tuba/) caught up with Choppy the ChopSaver at the University of Illinois Marching Band Championship. In a hard hitting, 3 part interview, Choppy covered a wide variety of topics including the benefits of organic ingredients, marching band drill and global warming. A transcript is below to aid with hard […]