One blessing which I recognize for its importance in my life is the ability to remember many of the concerts I have been involved with. Some are remembered for their success and some for the disaster that incurred. Some are recalled for their importance and some for just the sheer pleasure of their moments in time. In this post I will speak of three ensembles I have had the great pleasure of performing with. The first was from the distant past, the second midway through my life and the third which was performed only a week ago. Earliest Concerts- The…
Buddy Bolden- The Movie
First let me give you some adjectives which in my opinion describe this limited showing new film. Awful, demeaning, racially uncomfortable, sadistic, masochistic, dark, morbid, artistic (in a bad way), tiring, boring, confusing, creepy, erotic, brutal, suggestive, irritating, inaccurate, uninspired, irritating, sickening, unfocused, meandering, uninformative, endless……………. Now that I have…
Warmup for a Quick “Burn”
When speaking of a “burn” we are talking about the warming sensation in our embouchure muscles which happens when we start to overdo work on our lips. Knowing when to stop when experiencing a burn is very important for overdoing can lead to damage to your lip. This exercise makes…
4th of July Trumpet Arrangements
Below are trumpet arrangements which you may be able to use for your Fourth of July celebration…. God Bless the USA- Trumpet Solo/Duet or Trio America the Beautiful & God Bless America- Trumpet Duet 5 Easy Patriotic Songs- Trumpet Trio Three Days Till Freedom – Day 1(Servitude) for Trumpet Sextet…
What Value Does A Trumpet Choir Offer- Part 3 “Trumpet Choirs at the Professional Level”
Some may ask “are there any trumpet choirs at the professional level”? Not many…… The most important trumpet choir that I have had any contact with is not even a trumpet choir any more. I’m speaking of one of my favorite brass ensembles of all time and was/is the Kings…
What Value Does A Trumpet Choir Offer- Part 2 “Trumpet choirs at the College/University level”
For thirty years, I taught at the University of Northern Iowa in various capacities. When I started my tenure there, we had established a very active Brass Quintet which toured all of Iowa playing concerts and giving clinics nearly every Friday during the school year. One such year, we logged…
What Value Does A Trumpet Choir Offer- Part 1 “Trumpet choirs at the high school level”
To many casual observers, the importance of a regularly rehearsing and performing trumpet choir may seem questionable. And for that reason, I felt compelled to defend my campaign for the value of such an ensemble. The average high school band may have between six to sixteen trumpets in their ensemble…
Victor Haskins Revisited, again and again and again
From time to time I enjoy checking back with musicians who I think will be a moving force in the trumpet world; and this is my fourth visit back to our good friend Mr. Victor Haskins. These repeated visits began back in 2012 when I first ran across one of…
Welcome To The Brave New World Of Jazz Improvisation
As technology continues to advance, long time problems seem to disappear. Check out …… irealpro.com In the beginning, we had to call up some friends in order to practice the art of improvisation. Then we were privileged to the Jamey Aebersold series of “LPs”. Soon the digital age took over…
Please Welcome Our Friends In The Trumpet Ensemble From The Villages in Florida !
As we continue to feature trumpet ensembles around the country, we would like to introduce you to an active ensemble at The Villages in Florida. We would like to thank our good friend and exceptional trumpet player Mr. Corky Maschinot for the following information about his friends and the Villages…