| Hi, Larry
I studied with both Caruso and Adam (BTW, there's no "s"). Like you I reconcile the approaches and find that they are surprisingly complementary.
re: Horns, I prefer to have a resonant sound that projects over one that comes back to me. I think a lot of people choose "dark" sounding gear because it sounds better to them behind the horn or in a small acoustically live room. However, that is not how those sounds usually are heard by the audience or picked up by a microphone.
I think the key component in how a horn projects has to do with how many high overtones are in the harmonic spectrum. My Bach has a lot of highs AND a lot of lows, so it projects pretty darned well in the hands of a good player. Some horns project because they have the highs, but sound shrill or lack timbral richness because they lack lows.
To me a good horn is both bright and dark, but it should never be shrill or tubby. My impression on the newer (Tulsa) Calicchios is that they have the harmonic richness of the old ones again...something that was missing on most of the ones made in the "lost years".
BTW, in working on Mr. Adam's concepts over the years and pursuing tone, my body has learned what it has to do to produce a great sound. It is now conditioned to play the instrument that way, even when I am in less than optimal hearing conditions (dead hall, bad stage monitors, crappy mix in the headphones, etc.).
However, the first breakthrough I had in learning to play when I couldn't hear myself was when I was working with Carmine. I asked him how I could keep myself together when the drummer got excited and I couldn't hear myself. He had me do a bit of practicing every day (just a little at first) in a walk-in closet with the coats and things hanging around me. I got used to playing easily when I didn't get a lot of feedback. Then I gradually carried this into my other playing in more salutary rooms.
Pat |