Daniel Rowland

In sixth grade, my homeroom teacher had a poem on the wall that stuck with me over the years: GOOD ENOUGH All too often “good enough” is where the weak hearts stop. It keeps the very best in them from rising to the top. “Enough” implies just getting by, and “good” falls short of best. So “good enough” is average stuff and seldom meets the test. But you don’t have to settle there; you have what it takes. Push yourself to do your best, it’s how you get the “breaks.” Remember th

I would guess that the number one thing I get asked is about my tuba and tuba-related equipment. I often tell students that as long as you're practicing efficiently and effectively, equipment isn't that big of a deal. If you have good equipment, it will work. To that effect, I often share one of my favorite anecdotes. When I was a TA at FSU, I would always work the FSU Summer Music Camps. For three or four weeks, thousands of middle- and high-school students flooded FSU's cam

"If you record the sound of bacon in a frying pan and play it back, it sounds like the pops and cracks on an old 33 1/3 recording. Almost exactly like that. You could substitute it for that sound." ---Tom Waits I have a few recording sessions coming up with one of our finest accompanists, so I've been preparing extra hard so as to not waste her time. These recordings aren't for anything in particular, just recital pieces I've been working on that I'd like to have good recordi

It's fall in the south and that means one thing for many people - IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON! As a professor in the official Titletown USA, and a graduate of FSU, I'd be lying if I told you I didn't follow college football at least a little bit. I may not paint my face garnet & gold every weekend or wax philosophical as GM of a champion fantasy team, but it's hard not to be a fan when the university you teach at has 3 D2 National Championships and the university you recently gradua