by Douglas Yeo (February 23, 2024)
In late 2021, Rowman & Littlefield published my book, An Illustrated Dictionary for the Modern Trombone, Tuba, and Euphonium Player. This book is the product of several years of writing and a lifetime of exploration into the world of low brass instruments.
Since the book hit the market, it has received generous reviews and I’ve been heartened knowing that so many individuals and libraries have purchased the book. Here’s a sample of recent reviews:
To simply list all of the topics in this dictionary is not practical; however, suffice it to say that if a topic is not covered in this dictionary, it might not be worthy of investigation. . . Lennie Peterson’s illustrations are engaging and accurate. . . This is an excellent first step for reference or research. There are exhaustive references to outside sources for further study and the 13-page bibliography is perhaps the most comprehensive resource available. This is one of the books that should be on every teacher’s shelf and in every academic library. ~ International Trombone Association (2022)
This new resource is accessible to both beginning and experienced players and is thorough in its hundreds of listings, ranging from “a piacere” to “zugposaune.” . . I am thrilled to add this resource to my collection. I believe that it is a mandatory addition to the library of any low brass player and will be invaluable to any performer, educator, or student who is interested in taking a deep dive into the history and development of the tuba, euphonium or trombone. ~ International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal (2022)
Excellent illustrations created by Lennie Peterson, an award-winning artist and educator and a professional trombonist, enhance many entries. All in all, a fine overview of low brass instruments that will be valuable to novices and professionals alike. Summing up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. ~ Choice, the Journal for the Association of College and Research Libraries (2022)
Of all the people that could have been chosen for the task of creating a dictionary for the modern lowbrass player, Yeo is perhaps the most appropriate to undertake such a project. As a performer – having served as bass trombonist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra for nearly 30 years – and pedagogue – having held faculty positions at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston University, the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, Arizona State University, and Wheaton College – his name is recognized and respected in the world of modern low brass. Additionally, he is a well-known champion for and practitioner of historical low brass instruments, which, with his practiced eye and knowledge of the history of these instruments, serves the dictionary and its readers well. His interest and yearning for knowledge are clearly the driving forces behind the volume’s success, making it an invaluable resource for any modern low-brass practitioners, students and teachers, amateurs and professionals. ~ Galpin Society Journal (2022)
[This book] offers an absorbing and comprehensive view of our instruments and their craft and lore. . . it is about the present-day instruments and their immediate past, but their predecessors are in here too and are treated respectfully and sympathetically. Douglas Yeo’s definitions and explanations are clear and concise, and the drawings by Lennie Peterson are elegant and surprisingly instructive. ~ Historic Brass Today (2023)
Here is a sample page from the book, with a few of the over 130 illustrations by my friend, Lennie Peterson:
An Illustrated Dictionary for the Modern Trombone, Tuba, and Euphonium Player by Douglas Yeo. Page 18 (part of the entry for bass trombone with illustrations by Lennie Peterson).
While I have been delighted with the reception to my Dictionary, it was initially released as a hard cover book with a price point that was higher than I hoped it would be. The price for the hard cover edition, $105, was set by the publisher, and with many people purchasing the book as a textbook, the price wasn’t out of line with a lot of similar texts. Still, I wished the price had been lower. I’d rather sell more copies of my books at a lower price than fewer copies at a higher price—for me, it’s about the ideas I’m putting out for people, not my royalty check.
So I was especially happy when, last year, my editor at Rowman & Littlefield told me that my Dictionary had been selected by the publisher to be reprinted in a paperback edition at a much lower price point. I was also very pleased when my editor told me that printing the book in a paperback edition meant I could make a few changes and corrections to my original text.
I’m glad to announce that the paperback edition of my An Illustrated Dictionary for the Modern Trombone, Tuba, and Euphonium Player is now available. The price is $50, half of the hard cover $105 price. You can purchase the hard cover ($105.00), the paperback ($50.00), and the Kindle edition ($47.50) on amazon.com.
But if you’d like to purchase the Dictionary for less, go to the page about my book on the Rowman & Littlefield website, HERE.
Once there, you can order the Dictionary, and when you check out, apply this discount code:
RLFANDF30
Doing so will give you a 30% discount on the book, bringing the cost of the paperback edition down to $35.00. That’s a savings I want readers to know about.
And I want to thank all readers who now have the book in their library. My Dictionary was a labor of love, and it makes me very happy to know that so many people are now exploring the same subjects I cover in the book that have fascinated me for so many years.
The Last Trombone – Douglas Yeo 