Inside Stories from the Empire Brass Tour Manager - Chuck Wilson's Journey from Hershey to Boston and Beyond

Join us on Studio HFL as host Larry welcomes Chuck Wilson, former tour manager for the iconic Empire Brass Quintet, for a fascinating discussion. Chuck shares his unique experiences working with legendary musicians like Rolf Smedvig, Charles Lewis, and Sam Pilafian. Hear about his early musical influences, his family's background, and his journey from Hershey, Pennsylvania to becoming a vital part of one of the most renowned brass quintets in the world. Chuck also delves into his time at West Point and his continued passion for drum corps. This episode offers an insider’s perspective on the music industry and the life of a touring musician.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:13 Chuck Wilson's Background and Connection to Empire Brass

02:56 Musical Journey and Education

05:21 Drum Corps and Early Influences

08:46 Joining the Empire Brass Quintet

17:21 Touring with Empire Brass

22:10 Challenges and Innovations on the Road

33:29 Reflecting on the Brass Quintet Legacy

33:53 David O'Hanion's Journey and Teaching Philosophy

34:50 Personalities and Practices of Quintet Members

36:28 Memorable Moments and Challenges

41:16 Transition to West Point Band

45:19 Life and Career at West Point

57:20 Drum Corps and Alumni Connections

01:00:45 Final Reflections and Gratitude

This is from an April 22, 2022 interview. Transcripts available upon request. Contact Larry Powell at [email protected] for that and any other questions and/or comments.

Thank you for listening!

L.A. studios legend Rick Baptist joined me for an interview on October 12, 2020 for this fantastic insight into his career.

Chapters/Key Moments

00:00 My Intro & Sponsor Info

03:54 Interview begins

08:48 Leaving trumpet to lead the AFM local

17:59 His story from the beginning

23:37 Getting to Vegas & rotation bands

32:49 The Brunson Brothers (great story!)

36:42 Playing lead

39:28 Getting to LA

47:08 The opening solo in Pixar’s UP

57:20 Music & the movies

1:06:08 The Simpsons

1:08:53 Advocating for musicians

1:08:13 Studio etiquette

1:23:14 Playing for the Oscars

Rick talks about many of his colleagues and stars he’s worked with in this interview, including Malcolm McNab, Gary Grant, Warren Leuning, John Audino, Wayne Bergeron, Harry James, Placido Domingo, Bill Conti, Graham Young, Tony Turand (sp), Snooky Young, Chuck Findley, and a few more!

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(C) 2024 Powell Music, LLC

Director of Artist Services at Yamaha, John Wittmann joined me in the studio for a live interview on April 5, 2022.

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(C) 2024 Powell Music, LLC

University of Utah Professor of Trumpet and member of Mirari, Peyden Shelton joined me in the studio for a live interview on March 29, 2022.

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(C) 2024 Powell Music, LLC

Recording studio legend Gary Grant joined me in the studio for a live interview on March 22, 2022.

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Jari Villanueva, USAF (ret), and bugle call expert, joined me in the studio for a live interview on March 8, 2022.

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Mnozil Brass trumpeter Roman Rindberger joined me on October 2, 2020 for this fantastic insight into his career.

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Composer Peter Meechan joined me for an interview on December 15, 2020 to talk about Song of Hope, written for Ryan Anthony, and much more. You can find out more about Peter by visiting www.meechanmusic.com.

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Conn-Selmer Artist Morris Northcutt joined me in the studio for a live interview on February 15, 2022 to talk about and promote his new album release, Tonada. You can find that album on Amazon and via the Bob Reeves website at www.bobreeves.com. And, you can find out more about Morris at www.morrisnorthcutt.com.

Find more interviews at www.studioHFL.com and while you're there sign up for the newsletter. You'll get information on interview releases and new live interviews coming up.

Be sure to check out the show sponsors:

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S.E. Shires - www.seshires.com

Eastman Winds - www.eastmanwinds.com

Pickett-Blackburn - www.pickettblackburn.com

Chopsaver - www.chopsaver.com

Austin Custom Brass - www.austincustombrass.biz

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Produced by Larry Powell

Eastman Winds Performing Artist

S.E. Shires Performing Artist

(C) 2022 Powell Music, LLCAll Rights Reserved

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(C) 2024 Powell Music, LLC

This is my interview with Mark Buselli, Professor of Jazz Studies at Ball State University. This interview was streamed live on February 8, 2022.

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Copy, rebroadcast, or any distribution on any platform without expressed consent is forbidden.

(C) 2024 Powell Music, LLC