Something was missing…
There was a sound living in my head…a dream sound.
In the midst of the “bigger is better” equipment phase for trombonists in the early 2000s, my undergraduate teacher John Kitzman and I spent hours listening to recordings of the German tenor, Fritz Wunderlich (if you haven’t listened to his Granada recording, what are you doing with your life?!?). Listening to this incredible singer, the sound of a true tenor voice emerged for me:
Color, overtones, sweetness, clarity and core - a sound that can sing in an important storytelling register and project with resonance, strength and grace.
Later moving to New York City and studying with members of the New York Philharmonic David Finalyson and Jim Markey, I married the classic sound forming in my mind with the depth of sound and stability needed for a modern orchestra.
In 2011, I went on to join the Pittsburgh Opera as principal trombone. My career now encompasses getting to play the greatest operas ever written, as well as performing in world class ensembles such as the Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, to name a few, in addition to my regular chamber music and solo performances. Each of these ensembles have their own unique history, performance halls, and ways of playing that have given me a broad perspective on the role of a tenor trombone.
While I had a good sound and was typically complimented on it, I still hadn’t found a mouthpiece that enabled that magical sound I was dreaming about inside my head.
Mark Houghton, horn section member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and co-owner of Houghton Horns, approached me about creating Houghton’s first signature trombone mouthpiece. I was honored and excited to take part in developing something unlike anything that has been created (for several reasons), but I was also very much looking forward to working alongside one of the best musicians I know! Could we create something that had the perfect recipe of a depth of sound, a bouquet of color purity, and clarity of response and projection? Could that dreamy, magical mouthpiece be possible?
There are lots of mouthpieces out there. I’ve encountered many that might “feel” good but have too much weight and a dullness in the middle of the sound. The soft dynamics lack color, and the articulations feel covered with these issues only being amplified in a hall. A heavy mouthpiece shouldn’t take place of good fundamentals in the aim to just play loudly.
Clarity and core project.
Mark and I started to imagine how this mouthpiece could quite literally take shape. We went on a “pilgrimage” to Lexington, Kentucky to visit the genius behind Pickett Mouthpieces, Peter Pickett, and his excellent staff. We visited Peter because he has designed state-of-the-art mouthpiece engineering technology that we could use to visualize and interrogate infinite variables before creating prototypes.
In addition to creating the ideal sound and feel, Mark and I are both big design nerds. We sought to create something that was visually beautiful, and that married modern and classic elements. Form would follow function. We came up with a few initial mockups and while they were being manufactured, we discovered our love for public electric scooters, but that’s a different article...
We left Lexington with seven exciting prototypes. After real-world play-testing on the job and additional feedback from trusted friends in major orchestras, we narrowed it down even more.
I desired even more immediacy of sound from the original prototype. We tinkered with the inner rim to find the perfect response. Our goal was to create one definitive mouthpiece from the prototypes but we ended up falling in love with two of them!
You know when you’re play-testing equipment and the person listening doesn’t even have to say anything as their face and eyes are telling you everything you need to know? I was getting these “wow” looks daily from colleagues (including countless non-brass players), friends, and conductors.
After two years of trial and error and discovery, we created our first two offerings, the JSV 1 and JSV 2.
These mouthpieces are sold exclusively through Houghton Horns.
The Details:
The two mouthpieces are identical in rim size and cup shape, the only difference is a slight bit more weight on the cup of the JSV 2 for a different feel and sound profile.
Between the two models, I always feel covered in every possible performing situation. With the 2, I get a slightly different color profile, a few more “mids”, and a little more grip in the low range. It feels amazing on second trombone but functions incredibly well as an all-around mouthpiece. The 1 is simply magnificent. It achieved everything I was always looking for. The soft dynamics feel incredible with color, purity, and projection. The response is heavenly. It sings with grace and precision.
The most common question I get after size questions (answer: between a 4-5G rim) is “Is that made out of ceramic? What is the finish?”
We loved the idea of a visual contrast between the rim and cup. Initially we tried a brushed brass look which looked pretty cool. Growing from there, Pickett developed a new “glass bead tempering” process that made the surface of the cup slightly course and reflective and shimmering, befitting the bouquet of colors that the mouthpiece creates. It’s a striking look and finish, and you’ll constantly find yourself being asked “What kind of mouthpiece is that?”
Through the design process, I found that the receiver fit of the mouthpiece is crucial, so I determined that a raw brass finish on the shank was the ideal move for consistency and resonance.
For some people, the way the mouthpiece is positioned is incredibly important. Many people refer to this as “clocking”. For those folks, we positioned the laser-etched “Verus” logo on the shank for tracking optimal consistency of placement.
Lastly, after decades of manufacturers creating mouthpieces of the same model number with substantial design variations over the life of the product, I had an idea. What if each batch had a unique symbol? The symbol would indicate when it was produced, and what traits were inherent, in case any adjustments were made along the way. A unique batch engraving would also signify value and scarcity, much like a non-fungible token (NFT).
For my entire life, my grandmother and then my mother would always sign notes, holidays cards, birthday cards and more with “Love you more than the last number”. This phrase means very much to my family, and I will always use it. For this reason, the symbol I chose for the initial batch was an infinity logo with a plus sign inside the right circle.
After two years of research and development, we finally got to debut the mouthpieces at the largest music educator’s convention on the planet, the Texas Music Educator’s Association Convention in San Antonio. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I believed in these mouthpieces, and all the reactions I had gotten to that point were incredibly positive, but this was in my professional circle. Sharing them with the world at a convention of about 30,000 attendees was intimidating at the very least. I was optimistic though.
A day and a half later, not even halfway through the convention, they were sold out.
Parents were literally fighting over the last ones. I even had to sell the ones I was intending on keeping for myself to meet demand. My friend and former multi-time attendee of my trombone festival, the Third Coast Trombone Retreat, Tim Maines (known as @trombonetimo to his million followers), was one of the first to try the mouthpiece. He instantly fell in love and acquired one.
The typical reaction from players would be either the equivalent of the giant eye emoji’s in real life, or pure disbelief. “How is the response so easy?” “Wow this feels so good!” “This is a sound I’ve always been looking for”, were among the phrases I heard.
A few people would comment and say, “It feels like it backs up a little.” I learned that this is often what happens when someone has been playing a heavy or inefficient mouthpiece that they’ve been working overly hard on and need to force extra air through.
The JSV line is elegantly efficient and requires less effort while yielding more results.
For this reason, my endurance has gone through the roof. When I suggested that players relax their airstream a little, the mouthpiece would activate and light up. We were then right back to big eye emoji’s.
This whole process has been a moving and humbling experience. Seeing something you’ve created and put your heart into get released out into the world and bring the same joy to others who are creating art on the highest level is a truly wonderful feeling.
There have been so many people whose dedicated efforts made this possible. I’m grateful to my design partner, Mark Houghton, and the co-owners of Houghton Horns, Derek Wright, Karen and Dennis Houghton for believing in this idea and more importantly, me. Thank you to the genius craftsmen at Pickett Brass for their beautiful work and meticulous attention to detail. Lastly, thank you to the countless people who play-tested or listened and given feedback.
I’m seeing the mouthpiece being played by everyone, from world-class musicians in major cities all over the world to humble high school band halls. I see new pictures tagged on my Instagram all the time and it always brings joy to my day, so keep them coming!
Looking to the future, we can’t wait to develop the other ideas we have cooking. My dream sound no longer only lives in theory, and I can’t wait for you to try it.