WOW. Absolutely amazing!! Wonderful sound! Sounds great with all the new additions!

he does it all on different kinds of trombone

My latest overdub is a "Reboot" of a new revamped arrangement of music from Superman by John Williams.

It's always fun to go back to something you played a long time ago and see how your skills have changed since then. Several people (Glenn Johnson, etc…) have asked me in one way or another "Why don't you go back and redo Superman now that you've come so far since the original?"

It's hard to believe it's been 2 years since I started this whole overdub adventure! In an effort to get back into shape for the PSO season 2 years ago, I attempted to overdub my Superman March arrangement I did for Rusty McKinney's UUTE trombone ensemble all those years ago back in our Utah days. I never knew what was in store from just doing a little "overdubbing for fun…" Thanks to numerous tips from folks like Shawn Standing and Mike Hosford, I started learning the technology better and better as I went.

On the trombone side (thanks Steve Shires!), I've added a few members to this arrangement going from 9 to 14 parts: 
2 contrabass trombones (thanks Nick Schwartz for letting me borrow his land cannon Kanstul F contra!)
2 Bass Trombones
6 Tenor Trombones
3 Alto Trombones
1 Alto doubling on Soprano Trombone

Thanks Greg Black for the help on the mouthpieces!

On the technology side, since the original Superman overdub, I've gotten a better MacBook, vastly better microphone, real mixing board, serious "deadly accurate" headphones (my PSO friend and colleague Craig Knox once called his studio headphones that way…) and very importantly Logic recording software.

I've so enjoyed the events these overdubs have opened up and continue to open up. Looking forward to working with Keith Jackson, Brad Edwards, Carl Mazzio, Jon Whitaker, Michael Kris and Jonathan Allen this year! I'm also really excited to perform my choir arrangements with with my old friend and mentor, Norman Bolter at NEC and at the American (formerly Eastern) Trombone Workshop in March!!

I want to dedicate this "Reboot" to Norman Bolter and Carol Viera for their help "Rebooting" me all those years ago when I was a struggling student who'd lost his way. There was a time in college I almost hung it up. Norman and Carol helped me reboot, steered me away from the cliff and got me back in touch with the reasons and sentiments I got into music in the first place. 

All these pieces of brass, notes on a page, electrical wires and computer chips, etc…mean nothing and have no power if they aren't charged with a real human musical intent and energy. It's nice to plug back into that sentiment as I start another season here in Pittsburgh.

This new version is a combination of the Planet Krypton Fanfare (original arrangement by Shawn Standing) and  the Superman March as a little suite.

As an interesting measurement, first listen to the original versions I did 2 years ago:
Planet Krypton -  https://soundcloud.com/jimnova/krypton-fanfare-from-superman
Superman March -  https://soundcloud.com/jimnova/superman-overdub
 
THEN, listen to this new version:


Enjoy!

Planet Krypton/Superman March "Reboot" 2014

James Nova joined the Grammy award-winning Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2009 as second/utility trombone. In 2012, Nova made his solo debut with the PSO, performing Henri Tomasi’s Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra. Prior to that, he was a member of the Utah Symphony Orchestra where he served eight seasons as assistant principal/second trombone. 
 
Since 2012, James Nova has found a new passion in multitrack recording, also known as "overdubbing." Overdubbing is a process by which a musician records all the parts of a piece of music one by one and layers the recordings on top of each other to create a full ensemble. Nova has released dozens of stunning and virtuosic tracks of his own challenging arrangements of exciting repertoire for trombone choir. The arrangements employ many different trombones: contra bass, bass, tenor, small tenor, alto, and even soprano trombones!
 
James Nova has had a lifelong love of John Williams’ film scores and in December of 2017, he released a new overdub album for trombone choir, A Fall from Light to Dark. Through the chosen moments of John Williams’ masterful scores, this album musically chronicles the rise and descent of Anakin Skywalker as he transforms into Darth Vader. Truly a one-man show, this album’s transcriptions, playing, recording, editing, mixing, and mastering were all done by Nova himself.

James Nova has always been passionate about music education. When not on stage at Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Symphony, he can be found at the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University where he is adjunct trombone faculty, as well as the brass coach of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras. Given their widespread popularity, Nova’s recordings are playing an impactful role in inspiring the next generation of musicians and budding recording artists and he is frequently invited to teach outside the region. Since 2012, he has completed more than 85 visits to prominent festivals (such as the International Trombone Festival, American Trombone Workshop, and the Korea Trombone Festival, among others) and reputable educational institutions (such as the Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard School of Music, and New England Conservatory, among others) as the featured artist and educator in concerts, masterclasses, and clinics.

James Nova studied with Glenn Dodson at the Curtis Institute of Music followed by study with Norman Bolter at the New England Conservatory of Music. While in Boston, Nova played regularly with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra, including recordings and television broadcasts as both principal and second trombone. 

James Nova is an S.E. Shires Artist and performs on his signature line of Greg Black Mouthpieces.

For more info, visit jimnova.com or hear his recordings at soundcloud.com/jimnova
 

Social media links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.nova.3
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimsupernova/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSNMj7Fm--kyxxXRTYqH00Q

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