Etude ETR-100 Trumpet review, part 3

Well it's been a couple of weeks since I wrote about the Etude trumpet. On December 10th I played a four hour gig using this instrument. Bottom line: an excellent trumpet for the money. Having known people in the band instrument business for years, admitting that you bought a new trumpet for less than $400 was admitting that you had an affinity for buying junk. I'm sure there are some bargain brand imports that may be a crap-shoot, but the Etude is surprisingly good. I don't recommend that you replace your Bach Strad with it, but the Etude would definitely make starting out on trumpet much more affordable than what many of us may have been accustomed to.

One concern that many music dealers will express over such an instrument is that they probably won't work on it if it breaks. This instrument probably won't fall apart on its own. Now if your little 11 year-old drops it or gets the mouthpiece stuck, there are basic repairs that most any repairman can do, such as re-solder joints or roll out dents. I just don't see this instrument needing repairs due to pieces falling apart on their own, though.

Etude ETR-100 Trumpet review, part 2

I took the Etude trumpet to a choir concert the other night. I only had to play a couple of brief Christmas carols, so I thought it might be a low-pressure occasion to perform on it. My first observation was that the trumpet didn't blow as freely as my Benge or Blessing. Also, it seemed like the instrument didn't have much tuning slide to give to play in tune. I guess what I'm saying is that it was only pulled out about half as much as I normally pull out on my main axes. The no-name mouthpiece probably was a factor in how the trumpet felt that night.

Last night I pulled it out again and ran through some technical exercises. I have a Jet Tone Merian mouthpiece that I really like, so I gave that a spin with the Etude. I remember back in college when it seemed like everyone looked down their noses at the mere mention of Jet Tone. I thought Jet Tones were like pea-shooter, screech mouthpieces, but this Merian is not like that at all. I call it my "toilet bowl" because it looks like the inside of one. It is by no means is a screech mouthpiece; rather, it is very open feeling and fun to play on. In fact, I used it with my Blessing ML-1S at a recent symphonic band concert and loved how it felt and played.

So I decided to put the Jet Tone on my etude and practice a while. Once again, it felt real nice, the mechanics of the horn were excellent, plus the tone was very pleasant. I must say that this has been a fun experience because I have not been disappointed.

Tonight I have a gig and I'm definitely going to try it out. I really feel that this will give me a chance to get a true sense of the instrument's strengths and weaknesses. Let's see what happens!

Blowing off some steam with a trumpet review

So I was going to do this pretty large notation project for my wife, spent about six intense hours working on it, and it crashes! I have had similar software glitches before, but this one really got to me. Oh well, that's life. If that's the worst of my problems, I'm doing pretty good.

Yesterday UPS brought me a Christmas present, of sorts. Back on Black Friday I was surfing the net and came across a Chinese-made trumpet for sale at Musicians Friend. They were running a sale on it for $99 (regularly $149), plus I got an $8 promotional discount and free shipping. So, for $91 I got a brand-spankin' new trumpet delivered to my doorstep. The trumpet brand is Etude and the model is ETR-100. It is a very pretty instrument and seems to closely resemble a Chinese-made herald trumpet I bought at Sam Ash a couple of years ago. The only quirky thing is that the case it comes in does not close unless the main tuning slide on the trumpet is pushed all the way in.

All right, so let me see if I can come up with a long-term test ride of my new Etude...

When I got the trumpet out for the first time, the valves were already working fairly well and the 1st and 3rd valve slides moved freely. The finish of the instrument is seemingly outstanding and workmanship appears fine. It feels a touch on the light side, so I am assuming that the brass may be thinner than an experienced trumpet player would expect. If this were in the hands of an 11 year-old beginning band student, that thin metal might show its wear and tear quicker than other brands, but that's just my opinion.

The trumpet also came with a shiny, no-name mouthpiece that actually feels pretty good on my lips. I'm going to practice with this mouthpiece today, so I should pretty quickly be able to give a preliminary analysis on how it responds to my playing style.

I didn't have a lot of time to do extensive playing on my Etude yesterday, but the playing I did felt good. I have played many years on various Bach Strads, a Benge, and even a Blessing, and you know this Etude didn't feel half bad at all! The valves worked well, the instrument responded positively, and it felt comfortable to blow. The only thing I thought I noticed was that a second ledger line D sounded a little flat. Other than that, I was having fun playing my
"cheapie".

I want to report back on how this trumpet works out, so let's see if I do more than give this review more than just lip-service. A lot of complaints about Chinese instruments are that they fall apart or need maintenance and no parts are available. Hopefully I can avoid damaging this trumpet, because I'd really like to see if it has long-term staying power through normal use. I'm betting the lacquer might show some wear faster than other brands, but again, that's just guessing. Chinese stuff will surprise you how good it's getting.

OK, now I feel less stressed about my notation project that went up in smoke, plus I've got the first entry in my Etude ETR-100 trumpet review. Let's see how this goes...

Where did the time go?

This evening at Williams Stadium in Garland, Texas my old alma mater--North Garland High School--will do their usual Friday night thing in the fall, namely play football. Only tonight, though, my classmates from 1981 will assemble and begin a two-day reunion celebrating 30 years since we graduated. I'm not sure how many will make it because I won't be in attendance myself. I've kicked the thought around quite a bit of showing up, but I will be going to Garland in just three weeks to celebrate Grannis' (my grandmother) 90th birthday, so I decided to not make the 1200 mile roundtrip. So I guess if I try to go next time, I'll be 58! Holy guacamole!

So where did the time go?

Well for starters, I have been here in Presidio since 1987. That's 24+ years and counting, meaning that over half my life I've been way out in West Texas. And that's cool because time has just flown by.

What pappened to 2010?

Hey, my apologies to anyone expecting to find something Presidio-related on this page during 2010. What can I say? It's been a great year in Presidio; time flies when you're having fun.

We're almost to November, and what a beautiful Fall it's been. Of course, Fall in Presidio is like late summer in most other places. The mornings are mild and afternoons are still quite warm. But it's usually around this time of the year when we get our first cold snap, so don't be surprised when that happens. On the plus side, Presidio winters are almost an oxymoron. If it doesn't get above 70 F on a January afternoon, that's a chilly day.

Presidio got a new, state-of-the-art sulfur-sodium battery this year (for power outages), along with many new paved streets. We're gettin' there...

On the down side in "things Presidio" I keep watching and waiting for a hopeful sign of Mexico to turn the corner with its internal issues. At least for right now, gone are the days when you could travel Mexico with hardly a care. In the past I ventured into rural areas where most tourists wouldn't think about going. Now even I am nervous. It's not really the cartels that I worry about, because I am of no value to them. It's the lower-tier criminal element who have been emboldened by the general chaos to prey upon others through kidnapping, extorting, and being a general pain in the ass to the populace. It's really unfortunate.

Any up for a bike ride on a sunny Sunday afternoon?

In the Devils' house

Presidio is enjoying an entertaining high school basketball seaon this year. The boys are right in the hunt, and the girls are competitive more often than not. The basketball program is well-coached and the teams are loaded with outstanding players and lots of heart. Going to see the Blue Devil teams play is definitely the most sought-after ticket when the teams are in town.

Part of this year's excitement is the addition of a school pep squad and pep band. When these spirit groups get revved up, the electricity starts to buzz, and the Blue Devils seem to take their game to the next level. It's a different feel because Presidio fans aren't used to being rowdy unless the refs make a questionable call. But now they're learning the art of how to get inside the visiting teams' heads, and it makes for great fun.

Trash in the news

Slow news day, I'm afraid.

First, some non-trash related news. Evidently an individual representing a national chain hotel was in town surveying the landscape for a possible new location here. Presidio really misses out on a lot of tourist hotel stays simply because our current offerings aren't that great. Let's see if anything comes of this business visit.

Probably the biggest news recently is that Presidio will end its contract with Duncan Disposal in April and begin trash pick-up with city-owned equipment immediately thereafter. Solid waste disposal is a headache for cities, and it's a financial pain in the bee-hind for customers. Due to rising prices being charged by commercial trash-haulers, the city opted to give the service a "go." It won't necessarily result in trash fees going lower, but maybe they won't head for the stratosphere quite so fast, either. Another very important consideration will be that the money spent on solid waste disposal may now re-circulate within town.

Finally, a commentary on trash. Presidio has a significant litter problem. Just about everywhere you look, there is either trash on the ground or plastic bags hanging from mesquites. Sadly, I think we locals have just become jaded to this reality. If everyone would just get out and clean up their property from time to time, this blight would cease. The reality is that we will need a coordinated campaign to clean up our town, and guess who's headed to city hall on Tuesday to get this ball rolling...

Catching Some Rays At The Smelly Place

Happy 2010! Well 2009 was a good one and I'm hoping 2010 is better.

So what's news in Presidio? We'll how about plans for a solar-powered sewage treatment plant! Normally news about such a place focuses on how it overflowed, or why Presidio originally built evaporation ponds that are uphill from town. Well, come 2010 Presidio will have a brand new facility, and we're just now hearing that it will be powered by solar panels. I don't think I'll plan on hanging out there to sing praises to Ra (Utopia album, 1975), but altenative energy rocks! In addition because Presidio will be utilizing solar power, we will be eligible to recieve credits and incentives to expand this type of electrical generation.

Evidently, there are other projects being proposed to utilize solar energy locally, as well. One thing's for sure: we got lots of sun! I don't think it's quite windy enough here to do wind power, but one thing's for sure: we got lots of sun!

The end of a decade

Wow, can it be almost 10 years ago that people were fretting about the Y2K Bug? Where were you when we rang in 2000? Well, here we are closing out that "old" decade and about to christen a new one. Do we call it twenty-ten or two thousand-ten? I like twenty-ten better. Seems like everytime you say two thousand-something the "Also Sprach Zarathustra" theme (music to "2001" movie) should be playing. Regardless, Happy New Year!

Presidio is always a nice place to be during the holidays. Being a teacher, I run into former students going back 20+ years. Hopefully the Presidio they come back to is a better place than when they left years ago. I hope so. My motto is "be a good person and leave the earth a better place than you found it."

OK, so let's take a look at our dreamworld, Presidio, and see how we fared over the past decade:

• Built a new elementary school
• Built a new middle school
• New track at the football field
• Two new clinics
• Alco, Subway, Payless Shoes, DY Store, Melrose
  
• Mariscos Las Palapas de Aldama, La Pasadita, The Enlightened Bean
  
• Street paving underway
• New community center
• Community internet
• The Resonators formed (personal plug)
  

I'm probably leaving out some really important things, but what do ya' want for nuthin'? 2010 will bring numerous positive additions to town, but I'll list them as they come online. Right now let's be thankful that things are as good as they are here, while being willing to work for things to get even better.

The challenges facing Presidio are pretty much ones which most small towns face. Fortunately we have in place outstanding local leadership at city hall, the school board, county commissioners, state rep and senator, as well as federal rep. With all these entities working together, there are going to be some important developments around town, but I'll brag on them--once again--as they occur.

I'm hoping that Presidio and Ojinaga will continue to be strong friends of one another in the coming decade. Ojinaga faces some pretty tough challenges, as they have for quite some time. In spite of difficulties face on many fronts in Ojinaga, there are numerous citizens there who have much to contribute. We should always look for ways to facilitate their efforts and work in tandem to continue making La Junta a special place.

Happy New Year! Feliz ano nuevo!

The beginning of the Christmas holidays in Presidio

Today (Saturday) we had our annual Christmas Parade in Presidio. It was pretty small, but counted with the participation of the Franco Middle School Band--all 100 of them. Good job, kids! At the parade's conclusion, the Ft. Davis State Bank (Presidio branch), hosted a community Christmas party, and it was very well done. Providing music entertainment were the Presidio Elementary Honor Choir and La Rondalla de CeTIS 98. Magical!

It's been unseasonably cold here for the past few days, with temps falling into the 20's at night and daytime highs in the 40's. We've even had snow, with the surrounding mountains really showing off what winter can be with a beautiful dusting. This will all be a fond memory come May.

Saturday afternoon thoughts

What a nice day to be in Presidio! It's the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the weather's about 69 F outside, and all is well. If there happens to be ANYBODY who reads this, you must be halfway interested in Presidio, Texas. (Hi-five!)

Other than what little you read about Presidio in the news, let me share a personal perspective on some things:

• Presidio Schools are currently in the somewhat controversial process of verifying where students and staff actually go to sleep at night. Thankfully, I think everyone can say they go to a permanent dwelling. However the issue is being raised as to whether or not a number of individuals may be residing in Ojinaga, but listing Presidio as their residence. This is a very delicate issue, but one worth staying on top of. Students who are attending our schools but reside in Ojinaga cannot have a means to for their parents to pay property taxes, i.e. generate revenue to operate the schools. It's somewhat of a dirty, thankless job to have to do this, but I agree with it. More on this as things unfurl.
• The school is also looking at a school calendar that contains four 9-week sessions with a Fall, Christmas, and Spring Break, in addition to a 7-week summer vacation. It sounds like it might be good for our students, in that they wouldn't have 11 weeks of little or no English exposure during the summer. The staff will have a chance to vote on keeping the current format or adopting the new proposal.
  
• The City of Presidio has been very fortunate as of late in receiving an enormous amount of money for infrastructure. Now it's time to think about parks for our kids. The time is right.
• The international bridge has been the scene of about 94 deportations of illegal immigrants per day since November 1st. So far the U.S. Border Patrol has not seen a rise in apprehensions, but only time will tell. Ojinaga is not big enough to absorb a large number of these individuals, and public safety could be compromised if there were a substantial number of deportees left to their own devices there. Again, we'll see.

A new stinky place for Presidio

The City of Presidio just received notification that the Obama administration's stimulus funds--to the tune of $12 million dollars--have been awarded to construct a new sewage treatment facility. Originally the city had planned to the fund the facility using a combination of grants and local funding, so the savings are enormous. The millions we would have spent on this project might now be possibly be considered for other needs, still many.

Typically the city receives approximately $250,000 in grants per year for community development. That normally goes toward water, sewer or streets (Oh, and we were the fortunate recipients of a $5 million dollar street paving grant, too.). So instead of inching along to provide basic services, Presidio vaulted--finally--into the 21st century.

Come on, Presidio. It's a parade for cryin' out loud!

Probably the most underwhelming community events in our town are our parades. Unlike Marfa and Alpine where the local populace turns out to enthusiastically support their various parades, you'd think that a Presidio parade was a processional to an I.R.S. audit. Our parades have just about everything you'd find in such an event: a marching band, floats, hot rods, politicians, etc. That is not where the problem lies. The problem is that many of our townspeople don't show the slightest inclination to joining in on the fun of what a parade is.

Imagine giving a pep talk to a 12 year-old about carrying a 26" bass drum a mile and a half down Main Street. Oh, and he'll need to play it non-stop, too. Outside of the encouragement of the band director and a bargain brand soda waiting at the end, that's about all a typical Presidio band kid gets out of helping out in a parade. Yeah, there'll be a few random souls whooping it up along the way, but for the most part people just stand there and stare expressionless. Weird.

I think the underlying problem in this situation is that we lack ownership in this town. So many of us either still count Ojinaga as our home town, or we haven't decided that Presidio is worth rooting for--win, lose, or draw. We are not yet a true community. We all happen to live in the same village, but the esprit de corps is absent. We all love to cheer the local baseball champs, but forget about cheering on the local team that has no chance at the playoffs. We all want to be a part of the fervor when times are great, but what about the lean times?

I guess you have to keep trying...

Viva Presidio!

Presidio Arts Festival 2009 was awesome! See you in '10!

Jesus Hernandez performs with Muela de Juicio.





Paisano Dancers from Terlingua School.

Rondalla de CeTIS 98.

Vamonos a Guajira

Hey so now members of Congress are seriously talking about introducing legislation to lift the travel restrictions to Cuba? All right! Now we're talking!

My previous post dealt with lifting the embargo, but now there's a good chance I won't have to sneak over to Cuba to visit. The times, they are a changin'. It would almost be like adding a new island to the earth, because practically none of us have ever been there. How I would love to hang out in Havana and just soak up everything.

By the way the title of this post comes from some lyrics from a Santana tune.

An end to the Cuban embargo?

The US Congress is apparently getting ready to loosen the (ludicrous) embargo that has been in place against Cuba since the early 1960's. Once upon a time, when communism, was on the march, the US put into place an almost total embargo against Cuba due to Fidel Castro's assuming power of the island nation. Castro definitely is no saint, but the Cuban people have borne the brunt of this embargo over the years. It's time for the embargo to end.

Cuba is economically poor; it's people are, in so many other ways, very rich. Out of necessity, they are resourceful and are quite resilient. From my perspective, their culture is extraordinary, and I would guess many people share this opinion. Cuba is also an interesting land--one that I must visit during my lifetime.

President Obama, let's bring to a close this strange chapter in our nation's history and make some new friends in Cuba.

Next door: Mexico

Right across the river from Presidio lies Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico. Ah, Mexico... A land with never a dull moment. The food, the scenery, the culture, the romance... Like a siren, she entranced me when I was just a boy. Now, as a man, I remain her blissful devotee. Alas, she has suffered a sad fate in the year 2008. Years of disfunctional leadership, coupled with a persistently weak economy have brought much suffering to her people, with no end in sight.

More to come...

President Barack Obama!

10:00 PM CST, November 4, 2008: The Bradley Effect is debunked. America, we have done it! Barack Obama will be our next president and I can't wait!

Presidio didn't seem to be very interested in any spontaneous partying in the streets, probably because many were ill-informed about Obama's candidacy. Let's give those people some time to see what President Obama can and will do, and they'll likely come around.

Oh, and congrats Pete Gallego and Ciro Rodriguez for your victories, too.

I think I 'll drink a beer and celebrate tonight. It'll be time to get to work very soon.

Just One Victory!

Back in 1992 I clearly remember Bill Clinton winning the presidential election and how excited I was. At the time I was Mayor of Presidio and felt like the stars were really starting to "align". Unfortunately I gave up the mayor business in May of 1994 and that was that. I was a loyal Clinton supporter during his two terms, but some of his mis-steps fired up Republicans so much, we got George Bush in 2000.

I already lived through the 1980's and was in no mood to repeat that period of history. We got it anyway, as Bush brought back people and ideology that so pervaded that decade. I just knew his presidency would be one huge bummer and I was right. Bad news: he took 8 good years of my life. Good news: It's basically over now.

So, here we are on election eve 2008. Barack Obama is out in front and seems to have everything going his way. John McCain and Sarah Palin are making last-minute desperation attacks and showing me that they will continue to divide our nation, should they win. I prefer coming together. I prefer not fearing everyone and everything that is different from me. I prefer going down the road not previously taken, because the one we're on doesn't seem to be one I want to continue traveling.

I read where 23% of my fellow Texans still think Barack Obama is a Muslim. He's not, but so what? I remember my grandfather running down every other denomination except our own. And I married a Catholic! Wow! Didn't see that one coming, huh, grandpa? So I guess I can see why so many people are uncomfortable with people who are different. The good news in Texas is that 77% of us are able to be a little more open-minded.

I really hope that I am witnessing a watershed moment in our nation's history. I honestly believe that Brack Obama can and will be right up there with some of the giants whom most all of us look up to. He just needs to keep his focus, keep his pants on, and remember he is President of us all.

In the unlikely event that Mr. Obama were to read this, here are some recommendations I would have:

• Put every penny you can find into developing alternative energy.
• Make health care affordable to every American.
• Bring jobs back to the US.
• Revamp or trash "No Child Left Behind."
• Make Mexico a true neighbor and work hand in hand with her to address her many problems.
• End the Cuban embargo.
• Work for peace around the world.

We can make this happen. All we need is just one victory on November 4th!

Just two more days until the election!

America, are you ready to let your voice be heard? Finally, the end of the Bush era is drawing near and we have the chance to get things straightened out. But you must vote! Otherwise, get ready for four more years of The United States of Fear.

Early voting in Presidio did not mirror national trends. While most of America was turning out in droves to cast early ballots, supposedly only about 28% of Presidians did the same. If you haven't voted yet, then--for sure--do so on Tuesday. If you have voted, then talk to your friends and make sure they have done so. Ciro Rodriguez (D), our congressman, needs all the support we can give, with Pete Gallego (D), our state legislator, needing the same. Both men are great friends of Presidio, so let's send them back to be our advocates for another term.

If all goes well on Tuesday, the next step will be to communicate clearly to President Obama and other elected officials that we want fair government, and to take care of our nation's, state's, and local business in an honest and forthright manner. Nothing more, nothing less.