Minnesota Orchestra principal trumpet Manny Laureano just visited our shop, and as usual we got our ears cleaned out in fine fashion! Manny spent two full days plus in the shop, working with Dave and the crew fine-tuning mouthpiece cup contours, throat blends, mouthpiece blank proportions and various other details using our custom proprietary Monette mouthpiece design software.

The end result of Manny?s visit is the new C1-4S Version 6 mouthpiece ? made on the all-new prototype mouthpiece blank designed specifically for use on our new PRANA 1 C trumpet. Manny took the new mouthpiece home along with our updated shop prototype PRANA 1 C trumpet. He?ll be playing them together in the hall with the orchestra later this week. We are looking forward to getting the ?on the gig? report to see how it all works under fire. First impressions were excellent. Both the instrument and mouthpiece were an immediate, obvious improvement over his previous set up.

Thanks for coming out Manny - it was great listening to you!

	Manny with David Bamonte.
	Manny poses with our newest employee, Toshi Kosaka. Toshi is no stranger to orchestral music, having studied with our friend Ed Cord at Indiana University for his undergrad and with Charlie Schlueter at NEC for his Masters degree in performance.

As of the last few nights at BLUES ALLEY in Washington D.C. this past week, Maynard Ferguson now has an all-PRANA trumpet section! Pete Ferguson and Jamie Hovorka join Maynard and lead player Patrick Hession to make the current trumpet section Maynard?s first ?all-Monette? section. You can hear them all on our PRANA instruments for yourself this week in St. Louis at manager Steve Schankman?s jazz club.

Finale 8025 Bonhomme Avenue Clayton, MO 63105 314-863-8631

Stop by our new mouthpiece dealer V MUSIC in Orange City, Florida, which is just outside Orlando. Give them a call at 386-775-2263.

Check out Wynton Marsalis in the new Apple Computer "Special Event Web Cast" at http://stream.apple.akadns.net/

Our web update is coming soon! For a little teaser, we have included a video clip below. Manny Laureano (Principal Trumpet of the Minnesota Orchestra) stopped by our shop and played some informal (yet amazing!) excerpts on the new PRANA 1 C trumpet with the assistance of David Bamonte (formely Principal Trumpet of the Israel Philharmonic and currently with the Oregon Symphony).

March, 2005

Calvin Price just released his informative new book, "Breathing Your Way To Greater Atristry." Click here for more information about how to order!