Mr. Holovnia attended Westfield State College and has been teaching privately for 8 years, ages 10 to adult. He studied with the late Alan Dawson in Boston and Jeff Hamilton in Los Angeles.

Previously, he served for 20 years as faculty for the Jazz in July Summer Music Program at UMass Amherst. Current touring credits include: The Artie Shaw Orchestra including a “Battle of the Bands” at the 2010 and 2011 Montreal Jazz Festival. Mark performed with Steve Lippia’s “Simply Sinatra” tour, which included concerts with the symophonies in Hartford, Springfield, Richmond, Corpus Christie, Las Cruces, Kansas City, Cape Cod and Portland. He also works locally with the Dick Odgren Trio and numerous other local artists. Among the bands and artists here and on the west coast Mark has performed/toured with are: Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd, Supersax, Frank Capp’s Juggernaut, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Dick Johnson, Sheila Jordan, Nnenna Freelon, The Modernaires, Herb Pomeroy, The Four Freshman, Harry James Orchestra, and The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.

The first of these is the headjoint cork, which is located at the end of the headjoint, underneath the screw cap. The headjoint cork should always be in the correct position when playing. How can you tell if the cork is adjusted to the right place? If you insert any standard flute cleaning rod into the headjoint, the line marked on the rod should be exactly in the center of the opening in the lip plate. The headjoint cork can easily be reset by a trained repair technician, but is not designed to be moved in and out as a tuning mechanism.

The overall position of the headjoint itself also contributes towards the intonation. Tuning adjustments can be made by sliding the headjoint towards or away from the body. The most common position for a flute to play in tune with itself is for the headjoint to be pulled out approximately 1/4″ from the body.

The last mechanical factor of note for intonation is the condition of the pads and keys. This element is perhaps the most important, since not only does it affect intonation but also  the overall performance and useful life of the instrument. Leaking pads or keys that are bent/out of alignment will cause the intonation to suffer as a result. For this reason, it is essential to follow basic maintenance steps for your flute, such as cleaning the inside  after each use to remove moisture that can cause pads to deteriorate. The easiest way to do this is to attach an appropriately sized soft cloth to a flute cleaning rod and run the cloth through the inside of the flute (all pieces). It is also important to make sure that the flute is assembled properly, without grabbing or clenching the keys. Even the slightest bent key can cause the instrument to play incorrectly or out of tune.

Mr. Capobianco holds a Master’s Degree in Music Performance from Boston Conservatory, and has been teaching private lessons for 14 years. He has adjudicated District Festivals, as well as being Suzuki Certified to teach ages 4 and up.

Matt received his Bachelor of Music in Performance from Pennsylvania State University, and was a member of the President’s String Quartet at Boston Conservatory. Matt has studied with acclaimed Boston cellist Rhonda Rider and internationally acclaimed cellist Kim Cook. Matt is a member of the Albany Symphony Orchestra and has performed with various orchestras including the Worcester Consortium, Massachusetts Symphony, Thayer Symphony, Symphony by the Sea, Lexington Sinfonietta, Bangor Symphony and the Vermont Symphony.  He is also an active solo player and chamber musician in and around Worcester where he currently resides. Additionally, Matt previously instructed cello for special programs in Billerica, Dracut and Westborough.

This year we will once again be having our All State instrument raffle for music educators.  Come by the booth to see what we’re giving away this year (previous prizes include bassoon, tuba, euphonium and bass) and enter for your chance to win! The David French Music repair shop will be on hand as well, with technician Roman Dubchak and luthier Dr. Luis Torres ready to take care of those last minute repairs for performing students. And of course, back by popular demand, we will once again have a massage therapist on hand at our booth. Stop in, say hi, and grab a bottle of water on your way to the next session or rehearsal.

Whether you’re a new face or an old friend, we look forward to seeing you in Boston on Thursday and Friday!

The South High School Marching Band has been given the opportunity to represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the 2012 4th of July National Independence Day Parade in Washington, DC. But right now, they need your help to get there.

“This diverse group of talented young people have already made a name for themselves. They have marched in the 2010 & 2011 Worcester St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the 2010 Worcester Columbus Day Parade, the 2010 Ware Memorial Day Parade and even performed for “Good Morning America” during their stop at Union Station.”

The band is currently collecting New or Gently Loved instruments and donations for their trip. If you have an instrument, you can bring it directly to South High School in Worcester, or to one of two drop off points: Hanover Theater or the WICN Worcester Jazz Radio studio. Monetary donations can be made out to : South High Community School Band  170 Apricot St Worcester, MA 01603. All donations are 100% tax deductible.

A trip of this magnitude is costly, roughly $40,000 – $80,000! And just in case your curious, here’s a breakdown: 

- $40,000 for transportation, lodging, and meals for the band and chaperones.
- $2,500 for matching marching band pants
- $2,700 for matching shoes
- Roughly $25,000 for new instruments, or to refurbish some of their existing ones.

Check out their website today for more information and to see a list of upcoming performances : www.southhighmarchingband.com

Mr. Penella attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied classical and jazz saxophone with woodwind master Joe Viola. He has been teaching for 40 years, from ages 8 to adult. He taught classical and jazz studies along with jazz band director and music theory labs at Binghamton College in New York.  He has also taught at the Marshfield Public Schools and the Indian Hill Music Center, and sent countless students to the All State and District festivals.

Along with his private teaching, he also does freelance performances in New York City and the Boston area.  Mr. Penella has played with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, productions at Joseph Papp Public Theatre in NYC, the Tom Jones International Tour, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Larry Elgart Orchestra, the 18th Army Band, the Worcester Jazz Orchestra and many others.

“It takes the right combination of industry insight, business acumen and superior customer service to sustain and thrive in the music products industry,” said Joe Lamond, NAMM president and CEO. “Through its tireless efforts and business sense, David French Music Company has achieved this milestone. NAMM is pleased to recognize this company’s accomplishment and wishes it continued success in the future.”

The Milestone Awards were presented to industry dignitaries at the 2012 NAMM show, an annual music products trade show that draws nearly 90,000 industry professionals to see the latest music products, attend professional development seminars and network in order to grow the global music products industry.

About NAMM

NAMM is the trade association of the $17 billion international musical instruments and products industry. The association’s activities and program are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of more than 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit namm.org or call 800-767-NAMM.

Dr. Torres earned his Doctorate in Science of Education from Army Polytechnic in Quito, Ecuador, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Masters Degree in Science of Education from the University of Azuay in Cuenca, Ecuador as well. He has taught private music lessons for 28 years all over the world, including violin and piano at Cuenca National Conservatory of Music and the University of Azuay.

Dr. Torres is active as a violinist, composer and conductor in the Central Massachusetts area. He previously taught violin at the Thayer Community Music School, Atlantic Union College Conservatory and the Performing Arts School of Worcester. Dr. Torres has also participated in the Bard Conductors Institute in New York under the direction of Maestro Harold Faberman as well as the International Master Class for Orchestral Conductors in the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow under the direction of Maestro Gennady Rozhdestvensky. He has won several first place national composition and composer competitions held in South America. Currently on staff at the Shrewsbury Public Schools, Dr. Torres also founded the David French Orchestra in 2010.

Part 2 of the Jeff Coffin Clinic video synopsis.

On November 17th, 2011 David French Music sponsored a free clinic by world renowned saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Jeff Coffin and the Mu’tet, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones). The event took place at our retail location in Westborough, MA and was open to musicians and students of all ages and abilities. Jeff was accompanied by legendary jazz drummer Rakalam Bob Moses and trumpeter Bill Fanning (also of the Mu’tet and DFMC faculty member). The trio performed a free, improvised piece for the audience and followed with a very informal, yet in depth discussion that touched upon many elements of improvisation, technique, and music in general. All attendees received a free, signed copy of the live double CD recently released by Jeff Coffin and the Mu’tet. Posted here is Part 1 of a video synopsis of the clinic, stay tuned for Part 2!