Dave Monette gave a presentation at the 2007 ITG Conference in Amherst, Massachusetts this summer to a packed house. The presentation started out with a short fanfare written by Monette trumpet client Phil Snedecor, "Fanfare for Dave," that Phil wrote for the occasion for himself, Charles Schlueter, Manny Laureano and Patrick Hession. Phil started the composition out with a series of F's below low C on C trumpet, and Patrick capped things off with a D over double C. This certainly demonstrated the range and power of these four great players have on their Monette instruments! A video clip of this performance is available via the link to the left on this page.

After the opening fanfare, Dave presented a 45 minute video tour of how we make our instruments and mouthpieces, projected onto a large, movie size screen for the audience to view. Dave methodically and concisely described each operation shown in the video as the video progressed through the various demonstrations . The tour included close-up video of how we design and machine our new CNC valve casings, how we spin bells and how we design and cut our CNC mouthpieces, along with quick shots of many other key steps in the 150 or so hour process of producing each Monette instrument.

Playing demonstrations were interspersed throughout the video presentation. Adam Rapa's demonstration of three different mouthpiece cup designs and weights played back to back on the same instrument was an impressive demonstration of the variety of sounds one can produce on our heavier, large bell instruments simply by switching mouthpieces. This particular clip has been posted on our "NEWS" page, and is available HERE. Also shown was a brief but informative segment on body use and pitch center relative to mouthpiece design. The video showed specifically how the standard body adjustments of pivoting the head and raising the shoulders most players grew up with are no longer necessary when playing our equipment.

The video ended with video of our finished work, including closeup shots of some of our decorated, presentation instruments, our custom inlaid fingerbuttons and several minutes of shop concert footage. The audience got a front row seat for some of our most well known clients during shop visits and private shop concerts, such as Maynard Ferguson, Wynton Marsalis, Charlie Schlueter, Patrick Hession, Manny Laureano and Dave Bamonte, Urban and Joakim Agnas, Jim Pugh and more.

Also during the week were presentations buy many Monette clients, including:

Maynard Ferguson Tribute
Charles Schlueter Clinic and Lifetime Achievement Award
Manny Laureano with Dave Bamonte and Matt Sonneborn
Patrick Hession with the Jeff Holmes Big Band
Phil Snedecor and Chris Gekker with the Washington Symphonic Brass
Kim Dunnick
Jeff Work
John Henes Alexander Technique
Jim Klages

Our thanks to ITG Conference host Eric Berlin for making the experience of moving half our shop to the east coast for a week go as smoothly as possible. Eric did a great job putting together this conference, and our hat is off to him!

ITG host Eric Berlin with Charles Schlueter, composer Jim Stevenson and Chief Warrant Officer Richard Wyman. Eric and Charlie used SAMADHI C instruments on Jim’s piece, Duo Fantasique, accompanied by the U.S. Coast Guard Band on the opening concert.

Three generations of Minnesota Orchestra principal trumpeters spanning over 50 years! Manny Laureano, Charles Schlueter and Steve Chenette.

Monette mouthpiece maker John Kim with Oregon Symphony principal trumpet Jeff Work and Monette trumpet maker Jeff Snyder. Jeff Work beautifully performed the challenging Concerto for Trumpet by Jim Stephenson with the U.S. Coast Guard Band.

Long-time Monette clients Matt Sonneborn and Phil Snedecor backstage after Manny Laureano’s clinic. Matt assisted Manny and Dave Bamonte in orchestral demonstrations during Manny’s clinic, and he sounded outrageously good!

Our good friend Carl Fischer with Patrick Hession and Maynard Ferguson’s daughters Lisa Ferguson and Wilder Jacob after the Maynard Ferguson Video Tribute, hosted by Ed Sargent. Carl is a good friend from Maynard’s band who now plays trumpet and saxophone (!) with Billy Joel.

Old friends! Monette mouthpiece client and former principal trumpet of the Philadelphia Orchestra Frank Kaderabek with Charlie Schlueter with Dave Monette.

Orchestral legend Charlie Schlueter and with Maynard’s last lead player Patrick Hession backstage after Dave Monette’s clinic.

Monette mouthpiece maker John Kim with trumpet legend, mute maker and Monette client Tom Crown.

Ultra-Pure valve oil inventor Ken Saul with his wife pose with satisfied client and orchestral wizard Manny Laureano at their display booth. www.ultrapureoils.com

Washington Brass trumpeters and Monette instrument clients Phil Snedecor and Chris Gekker pose with Dave Monette and guest soloist Patrick Hession after the highly acclaimed Washington Symphonic Brass concert. Phil not only plays split lead in the group, but is the chief writer arranger as well. Great concert, guys!

Two Monette clients with instruments on order came by to play for us and confirm the details of their orders. They got a good hang with their old friend Ravi Best who was helping in the display room that day. Thanks to Ron Cureton Jr. and Eric McMillan coming by and also helping us devour even more Indian food than we otherwise would have been able to that evening!

Charlie Schlueter is joined by fellow SAMADHI owner Heinz Schwebel, who flew in all the way from Brasil to attend and help honor Charlie when he received the ITG’s Lifetime Achievement Award.