Dave Monette and Tom Raney recently spent a long weekend in Boston, working with many of our East Coast clients and giving a clinic at our Boston mouthpiece dealer, Rayburn Music.  Wynton Marsalis surprised the group at the Rayburn Clinic with an unscheduled appearance, much to everyone's delight.  Dave and Tom then had a chance to hear first-hand and in concert how the sections in both the Boston Symphony and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra were making out on their Monette instruments - and it was good!  They also worked one on one with dozens of clients, including Charlie Schlueter, Wynton Marsalis, Gus Seabring, Chester Schmitz, Seneca Black, Ryan Kisor, Dave Bamonte, Tom Rolfs and Pete Chapman, to name just a few.  FULL SCHEDULE! The schedule for this trip was quite full, as Dave and Tom got to town just in time Thursday evening for a quick dinner with Charlie Schlueter before the BSO performance of Mahler 2 with Seiji Ozawa conducting.  The orchestra sounded great, and even Ozawa had a good night!  The next morning the guys worked with various members of the BSO and other clients, delivering prototype mouthpieces for evaluation and giving private consultations for players with pending instrument orders.  Early Friday afternoon brought a 1:30 PM BSO concert of Messiaen Turangalila, with Charlie Schlueter using his Monette three valve A picc and Chester using the new model 99 tuba mouthpiece - the first time Dave and Tom had heard either one used in a BSO performance.  The concert got a well deserved standing ovation - and Charlie and the rest of the trumpet section sounded fantastic!  Lee Walkowich, Wynton and Dave. RAYBURN CLINIC Charlie, Tom Raney and Dave Bamonte joined Dave Monette for a clinic at Rayburn Music right after the concert.  The house was packed, with clients coming in from all over New England - and from as far away as Texas!  Special surprise guest at the clinic was Wynton Marsalis, who came by for about half an hour just before his sound check for the evening's LCJO concert. Dave, Mike Vax, Rayburn Music owner and host David Ginott and Lee Walkowich. The clinic went from 5:00 PM to past 7:30PM, followed by an 8:00 PM hit for Wynton and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, also performing at Symphony Hall.  Dave and Tom got to hear not only Wynton on his newly repaired 993 Bb, but also Ryan Kisor and Seneca Black on their Monette instruments filling out the section.  Ryan sounded great on his powerful, fat sounding jazz solos and solid section work, while Seneca screamed over the top of the band playing the lead book on his gold 2000LT.  Dave used the trip to deliver the latest prototype of Seneca's "LT" scream mouthpiece.  Dave and Monette mouthpiece maker Dean Comley have been working with Seneca for months, fine-tuning the exact rim and cup design - and as a result we hope to have a new production model Monette lead trumpet mouthpiece available soon. At half time during the LCJO concert, Tom and Dave stepped out with author Carl Vigeland for a quick bite of Indian food right around the corner from the hall.  Carl has many projects in the works, including putting the finishing touches on his collaboration with Wynton, due to be published very soon.  Watch our WEB page for updates on the progress of this project. SATURDAY PRIVATE SESSIONS AT RAYBURN Tom and Dave had half hour private appointments scheduled all day starting at 9:00 AM at Rayburn Music. The day was filled with instrument adjustments, mouthpiece consultations and informal small group question and answer sessions conducted by both Dave and Tom.  Finally about 6:30PM, our host Lee Walkowich locked the doors and drove a small group of us out for Indian dinner - which was most welcome after a hectic weekend. We would like to thank Lee, Hiro, Mark, Emilio and David at Rayburn for being such generous and helpful hosts! We give Rayburn the highest recommendation as not only a top Monette mouthpiece dealer, but as a store that is setting a new standard for helping brass players all over the world find more music through quality equipment. Clinic photos courtesy of Rayburn Music.  Photographers were Brian Thompson, Joe Stewart and Lee Walkowich.   Tom Raney works with Brian Hickox on Saturday at the Rayburn sales counter.

Seneca Black and Ryan Kisor join Dave backstage at the Boston Hall after the LCJO concert.  Seneca plays the lead book on his 2000LT Bb, and Ryan plays the jazz chair using his 993 Bb. Dave and Chester Schmitz about 5 minutes before curtain for the Mahler.  Chester used his new model 99 mouthpiece for the concert. Wynton Marsalis was an unexpected guest at the clinic, greeting several surprised attendees during the clinic. Charlie and Wynton at the clinic. Dave Bamonte and Charlie Schlueter played a fanfare to start off the clinic at Rayburn Music.   Dave joined by Paul Perfetti, Dave Bamonte, Charlie Schlueter, Jeff Work and Eric Berlin at Rayburn after the clinic.  Paul plays lead on the road show Les Miserables with his new 2000LT Bb.  Eric plays Principal of Albany NY Symphony, as well as may other gigs around the Northeast.  Jeff is also a freelancer around the Northeast, originally from Washington D.C.  Dave is currently on tour with the BSO in Europe performing Mahler 2 and Messiaen Turangalila Charlie and writer/golfer/trumpeter Carl Vigeland at the clinic. Our host at Rayburn, Lee Walkowich. Dave with long-time Monette clients Eric Berlin, Chris Still and Jeff Work. Tom and Dave listen to a player auditioning the FLUMPET. Dave adjusts a 3rd valve slide for Mike Butler, who owns an AJNA Bb and is about to take delivery on his matching AJNA II C