We’ve done some “sprucing up” around here – call it a “late Spring cleaning”, if you will – and I wanted to point out some of the things that have changed for the better.
While much work has been done behind the scenes, the “cool stuff” that you can actually see and use includes the following:
About us
Firstly, we’ve updated the About page to include links to articles explaining more about us, your happy hosts here at PTM. 
Many people have inquired, and while we don’t want to publish our entire life history on the net (and you likely don’t want to read it!), we wanted to make it easier to understand “where we’re coming from”, so to speak.
More in the Store
Secondly, we continue to update the Store. As products are discussed that we’ve personally found useful, we try to add a link to them within the PTM store. If you buy them here, that’s great; if not, that’s fine, too. We provide the link as a convenience to you, and while your support is greatly appreciated, it is never required to be a part of the PTM family.
Share the love
Finally, we have incorporated a new “Share/Save” button at the bottom of each post and page. If you find a useful tidbit here at PTM, please feel free to bookmark it or share it with a friend! We support Facebook, Twitter, email, and an array of other ways to demonstrate your PTM knowledge and coolness. 
More to come!
As we continue to think of things to make the site even more useful to you, we’ll add them…and if you have ideas, please share them! We want to do all we can to make this the best resource it can be for you, the Part-Time Musician. In the meantime, keep playing!
Mark
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This quote is one I had heard years ago and recently re-discovered…and I love it. As a Part-Time Musician (PTM), the lack of instant progress (or sometimes even noticeable progress) when working to learn a new technique or overcome a problem spot can be disheartening. I’ve questioned my suitability to even play music on more than one occasion, and I suspect many of you have, too. Whatever you do, though, don’t give up. Persistence pays off, as President Coolidge observes:
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Calvin Coolidge
30th President of the United States, from 1923-1929
Whenever you hit a rough patch, take another look at this quote…then remember that every other PTM out there is rooting for you. You can do it, and it will be worth it. The sweetest victories come from the greatest efforts.
Keep playing,
Mark
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While the Manhasset M48 music stand is the “gold standard” for usefulness and durability, there are two things you can add to one that takes it from being a good tool to a nearly-perfect musical companion.
Stand-Outs™
Manhasset makes Stand-Outs™ for those times when a regular stand just isn’t wide enough to hold your music. Stand-Outs slide over the top lip of the desk and the front lip of the tray and can be left on the stand at all times, ready to slide out whenever necessary. You can easily spread four full pages of music across them, eliminating nasty page turns or preparing for quick segues between pieces. Available individually but usually bought in twos, you’ll wonder how you managed without them…and at under $20 a pair, they’re cheap-yet-priceless additions to your rehearsal and performance toolkit.
Floor Protectors
Manhasset also makes Floor Protectors for their M48 music stands. These pliable plastic sleeves slide over the steel feet of a stand and protect floors (and cars, when loading/unloading!) from being scratched or dinged by said feet. Priced at just over $5 for a set of three, they’re well worth it in terms of protecting your floors, doorways, and car.
The Bottom Line
Neither of these products is as exciting as a new axe, but we think they’re well worth the little they cost us…and they get used every day. As I’ve mentioned previously, we own three Manhasset stands, and we’ve carted them to many places over the years…not to mention the countless times we’ve moved them from room to room in our house. After trying to balance too much music too many times, we broke down and bought a single set of Stand-Outs to try them out. They proved to be indispensable, so we bought two more sets. We did the same thing with the Floor Protectors, initially trying a set to determine if it helped all that much, then ordering two more sets. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bumped a doorway (or a car fender or door frame – ouch!) with the foot of a stand and appreciated those Floor Protectors’ presence!
If you’d like to see about Stand-Outs and/or Floor Protectors for your Manhasset stand, we do carry them in the PTM Store…and if you decide to buy them, we’d appreciate it if you’d think of us first. If you buy them elsewhere, that’s okay, too; either way, you’re bound to get years of good use out of them both.
All the best,
Mark
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Loyal PTM readers know that one of my favorite trumpet accessories is my Silent Mute Tray™ from Trumpeter’s Ink. Roger PetroRoy is a great guy to deal with, and his mute tray completely eliminated any repeats of the various hassles and mishaps I’d had with mutes in rehearsals and performances…and yet folds down to next-to-nothing. Below is a picture of the tray I proudly own and use:
Roger dropped me a line recently to let me know that he’s releasing “version 2″ of the Silent Mute Tray™. It still works the same as the original (thank goodness!), but it includes a neat little “extra” for trumpet gearheads everywhere. The picture says it best:
As much as I like to think of myself as a practical person, I have to admit that the trumpet logo would look so cool hanging from the front of a stand. Matte-black bling for the trumpeter.
Here’s the best part: Roger is selling the new trays at the same price as the originals…and to clear out the last two originals he has left, he’s selling those for 10% off. So if you want one of the first of the new models, you can get it at the same great price as before. If you’d rather save a few bucks and get the original, you can do that, too. With only two left, though, you may not want to wait too long to decide!
Full disclosure: Roger does have an ad here at PTM, but I don’t make a dime from the sale of these trays. I just love the product and think Roger’s a great guy, too.
If you do manage to snag one of the last two original Silent Mute Trays, Roger said he’d need your email address so he can send you an adjusted invoice reflecting the discounted price. Seems like an easy enough way to put $3.50 back in your pocket and get a great mute tray in the process. Check it out here, and say ‘hello’ to Roger when you order!
Keep playing,
Mark
Related article: Review: Trumpeter’s Mute Tray™/Silent Mute Tray™
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Tags: BrassAid, brassaid.com, mute holder, new, original, Silent Mute Holder, trumpet mute, trumpet mute holder, Trumpeter's Ink, Trumpeter's Mute Holder, update
Brass, Gear | Mark June 26, 2009 | 
Comments (1)
I’ve loved this anecdote and its associated quote since I first heard it years ago. I never had the privilege of meeting Don Pablo, but we did get to visit the Casals Museum in San Juan, Puerto Rico a few years back. It’s small, but well worth seeing if you get the chance. (Side note: the picture below is one my youngest took of a painting there.)
But back to the topic at hand. Here is today’s quote:
When Casals (then age 93) was asked why he continued to practice the cello three hours a day, he replied, “I’m beginning to notice some improvement.”
If you’d like to read more about Don Pablo Casals, a good place to start is here. In the meantime, keep playing, and keep watching for signs of improvement. You’ll never stop seeing them if you don’t stop looking!
All the best,
Mark
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