WindSong Press Limited was formed in 1996 by Brian Frederiksen for the publishing of Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind. Currently in the tenth printing, the first printing was sold out in three months! WindSong Press is half educational and half business with educational activities preserving the Jacobs legacy. Soon we sold the breathing devices Mr. Jacobs used in his studio. Mouthpiece rims and buzz aids were added including Mr. Jacobs’ ideas to use delrin for rims and increasing the holes in buzz aids for more air flow.
www.windsongpress.com came online in 1997. Articles, Biographies, audio and video files, and transcripts of masterclasses have been added.
October 7, 1998 was a sad day for musicians with the passing of Arnold Jacobs. For us, we lost our Honorary Chairman of the Board. The torch had passed to his students to continue the Jacobs tradition. We worked with the Jacobs family to create the Arnold and Gizella Jacobs Collection of books, recordings, photos and other material used by Mr. Jacobs. Brass journals worldwide published tributes which we have on our website.
As we exhibited at shows, we noticed a trend in the music business towards micropublishers we have since added several companies.
Through electronic medium, in 2003 Mr. Jacobs masterclasses returned through The Arnold Jacobs Legacy Series, a series of presentations featuring videos from Mr. Jacobs’ classes creating a new generation of Jacobs students. It has been a part of a number of conferences including the National Flute Association, International Horn Society, International Trombone Association, Australia’s Melbourne International Festival of Brass, Peru Low Brass Festival, regional and international conferences of the International Tuba Euphonium Association and various universities including continuing education classes.
We have been staying in touch with technology with the first ebook, the Kindle version of Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind released in 2012. We will continue with other offerings including multimedia editions. Most important, we are continuing the Jacobs tradition for future generations.
About Brian Frederiksen
“There would be no biography of Arnold Jacobs if not for Brian Frederiksen, a devoted student. Brian not only published Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind, but has produced and presented numerous lectures and masterclasses representing the teaching, professional pedagogy, and artistry of a great musician.”. . . Harvey Phillips (from Mr. Tuba, p. 446)
Brian Frederiksen was born into a family of flute players as his mother and aunt were the flute section of the Albany (NY) Symphony. Eventually, he began playing the tuba when eleven years old. He graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy, the American Conservatory in Chicago, and Northwestern University.
During his studies in Chicago beginning in 1973, he started a long relationship with Arnold Jacobs. Besides being the legendary tubist of the Chicago Symphony (1944-1988), Jacobs was the teacher recognized as the expert on breathing for wind instruments.
During twenty-five years with Mr. Jacobs, Mr. Frederiksen was a student then his assistant with masterclasses, first at Northwestern University and then throughout the country. He wrote Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind, and formed WindSong Press Limited. After Mr. Jacobs passed away, he worked with the Jacobs family to preserve the Jacobs legacy for future research by creating the Arnold and Gizella Jacobs Collection.
www.windsongpress.com was created as the web’s most complete source about Arnold Jacobs.
Mr. Frederiksen brought Mr. Jacobs’ masterclasses back through The Arnold Jacobs Legacy Series, a series of presentations featuring videos from Mr. Jacobs’ classes creating a new generation of Jacobs students. Arnold Jacobs Almost Live has been featured at a number of conferences including the National Flute Association, International Horn Society, International Trombone Association, Australia’s Melbourne International Festival of Brass, Peru Low Brass Festival, regional and international conferences of the International Tuba Euphonium Association and various universities including continuing education classes.