Trumpet Trends & News – Page 3

Substantiating Evidence That All Trumpet Mouthpieces are Not Equal (or consistent).

written by Bruce Chidester on July 4, 2023

In a previous post, I addressed the practice of “Clocking” your mouthpiece (“Clocking” Your Mouthpiece Part #2 – Trumpet Blog (thetrumpetblog.com). At the end of my post, I admitted to the possibility that rotating one’s mouthpiece can and did change the sound as well as a resistance factor. In the same article I admitted that I was originally skeptical of this technique but after trying it myself, I was convinced that the rotation made a difference in the final outcome. I also admitted that I had no idea why this happened. I recently had the pleasure of visiting with someone…

Musician Humor

written by Bruce Chidester on June 25, 2023

From time to time I am sent musician jokes from friends and I thought these were worth posting. A seasoned musician will understand clearly what is going on for we have all been there. Enjoy. A very intense, self-absorbed saxophone player is sitting at the bar after playing all night. A beautiful woman shyly approaches him and says, “Excuse me, I hate to intrude, but I just have to tell you that I saw you play tonight. I have never been so deeply affected by music before. It’s like it woke up my mind and my heart. It also woke…

The Great American Shoot Out Part 5- String Trio vs. Brass Trio

written by Bruce Chidester on June 13, 2023

In our ever-continuing struggle to gain prominence in the world of instrumental performances, I have now posted the 5th in our series entitled “The Great American Shoot Out” which compares music written for various ensembles and solo instruments to the technical ability of the Trumpet. Vivaldi composed this number (La Follia) originally for a String trio. My transcription was done for two Trumpets and a Euphonium. As you will hear, the violins were much more used to the difficult skips and the outrageous tempi. An additional problem would be the constant playing. Today we continue with our challenge as we…

Required Listening Assignment

written by Bruce Chidester on May 28, 2023

As the interest in Trumpet choirs continues to grow, some ensembles seem to occupy the highest level of professionalism. Such is the case for the San Luis Obispo County Trumpet Alliance and their most accomplished director Warren Balfour. I have had the pleasure of knowing and following this remarkable ensemble for several years and continue to be impressed not only with their playing ability but also their range of music which spans everything from Bach to Rock. If this talented ensemble is new to you, be sure to check out all of their videos and if you happen to be…

Possibly The Most Difficult Record Copy Ever Made

written by Bruce Chidester on May 20, 2023

One of my all-time favorite Dixieland groups was Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen. A list of their successes in the early 1960s would include the following- Midnight in Moscow, The Green Leaves of Summer, Sukiyaki, Hello Dolly and When I’m Sixty- Four. But the most impressive recording in my opinion, was a lengthy (6 minutes 28 seconds) number entitled High Society. To an average listener, the extended Clarinet solo which lasts through seven full choruses might seem excessive but to a fellow musician it has the effect of sheer amazement. The traditional Clarinet solo was recorded by Alphonse Picou and…

More Interesting Assumptions Proven and Disproven

written by Bruce Chidester on April 30, 2023

In our never ending quest for truths and the American dream, I came across this assertion which sounded very plausible, yet questionable. On one of the more popular trumpet bulletin boards I found a reference to a trick which apparently Mr. Armando Ghitalla was given credit. The writer mentioned in passing that “Ghitalla did a lot of experimenting with paper clips, and various hand fashioned doodads, placing them in the backbore of the mouthpiece and other places”. Now I am not a strong fan of placing paper clips in my instrument but the name Ghitalla raised my interest. If this…

Living in the Inseparable Worlds of Art, Music and Drama

written by Bruce Chidester on March 31, 2023

Choosing a title for this post was not easy for what I wished to describe is as fluid as an oil painting, as subtle as a string quartet and as emotional as a masterfully delivery text in a play. From a musical composer, transcriber, or arranger’s standpoint, the choice of instruments in a composition is as important as the colors on an artist’s pallet or an actor’s interpretation of a text. In each case, there is only one perfect combination of elements to produce a perfect finished product. This realization was what prompted me to leave my comfortable bed at…

March 9, 2023, An Evening to Remember

written by Bruce Chidester on March 14, 2023

Trumpet Trends & News

When thinking back to memorable events in one’s life, some seem to have a special place in the corners of our memories. One such event now holds that special place in mine. The event was the Dallas Blows Cancer Away Concert at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Allow me to list a few of the names present on stage that evening. Dallas Symphony Orchestra Dallas Symphony trumpet section Stuart Stephensen Russell Campbell Kevin Finamore Elmer Churampi Allen Vizzutti Jose Sibaja The Canadian Brass Quintet The One O’clock Lab Band from the University of North Texas Alan Baylock Jens Lindemann…

Advanced Interval Studies

written by Bruce Chidester on February 19, 2023

The market is inundated with educational material, all guaranteed to improve your trumpet playing ability. And here’s one more to consider. Through many decades of teaching and practicing myself, there have been many methods, etudes and exercises which have been helpful to me and my students. Previous exercises on interval study have centered around the melodic approach to interval study which I feel is not the most effective direction. The reason I took a different approach was to isolate the intervals and in doing so, make the practice much more difficult and at the same time create a more productive…

My Final Challege For The Use Of Artificial Intelligence

written by Bruce Chidester on February 10, 2023

“My first question”-compare the popularity of the cornet in the United States to its popularity in Europe The popularity of the cornet in the United States and Europe can vary depending on the region and musical style. In the United States, the cornet was widely used in traditional jazz, ragtime, and brass bands in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, with the rise of big band and swing music in the 1930s, the trumpet became more popular and the cornet fell out of use. Today, the cornet is still played in some brass bands and in classical music,…