Although they have passed on, their contributions to the Trumpet world cannot be fully appreciated. Whether Classical, Jazz, Symphonic or Pop, their artistry will live on through the ages. Al Hirt was a jazz trumpeter and bandleader from New Orleans, Louisiana. He began playing the trumpet at a young age and later studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He made his professional debut in the 1940s and quickly gained fame for his virtuoso trumpet playing and his ability to play in a wide range of styles, including jazz, pop, and classical. In the 1950s, he formed his own band,…

(This is an update-our original article appeared in The Trumpet Blog on March 31, 2019) The group has experienced a number of changes in the past nearly four years. Sadly, in August 2020 our founder, director, teacher, our friend, Gordon Purslow passed away. The daunting challenge-find a qualified replacement. And, good news-we were fortunate to have Mr. Dave Czohara take the director position. Dave is an experienced, professional with an outstanding background. A retired Navy musician, he is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, and studied privately with several notable teachers, Dave has played professionally with more than…

Few individuals outside the Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Iowa area will recognize the name Diana Blake and this is unfortunate for them for this wonderful lady was and is an inspiration to everyone who knew her. I have never met anyone more dedicated to her students and more gifted in caring for others than this sweet lady. To illustrate the determination and self-challenging spirit this woman had, let me reflect for you one of the lessons I had with her many years ago. Diana studied trumpet with me for many years which was unusual for her gift in music was the…

As we continue our challenge to various other instruments and non-trumpet ensembles, this time we look at a wonderful Violin Solo by Adolphe Blanc. The various wide skips to the violin is merely a matter of moving one’s finger from one string to another whereas the same intervals performed by the trumpet creates a more difficult challenge. I enjoyed recording this piece on my Cornet for the style reflexes the versatility of this instrument as well as representing a style very close to the earlier Cornet solos with heightened flexibility in tempi, characteristically that of a Cornet. I hope you…