Before we get to the “How Do I’s”, I need to address a few questions which are seldom asked but are equally important: Why is it important to play in tune? Playing “out of tune hurts”. It doesn’t hurt the player but it certainly hurts the listener. If you watch television programs such as “American Idol” or “So You Think You’ve Got Talent” or some equally popular show, you have experienced the horror of amateur singers trying to make it big. When they land on an out of tune note for any length of time, we all seem to have…
A Few Generalizations about Jazzers and Legit Trumpet Players
For those who find my observations to be biased and unfounded, I apologize. To those who agree with me I question your judgement for to generalize on any topic is to accept all criticisms thrust upon you. The following observations stem from many years of experience and in no way…
Bud Brisbois Clinic- 5-24-72 @ Nathan Hale High School, Seattle, Washington
Thanks go out to a good friend Mr. Dave Bacon for this interview given by the late great Bud Brisbois “The main two things that I stress and firmly believe in are: 1. Breathing, knowing how to breath and knowing how to set the air and 2. Building the proper…
Flight of the Saber Dance- rehearsal video
I thought some of you may want to see and hear what the Branson Trumpet Ensemble is doing lately. In preparation for a concert this Sunday, we decided to video tape one of our numbers and share it. When I arranged this number, I wanted to combine “Flight of the…
At Last “A trumpet Player Stands Up To A Conductor!
There is justice in the world after all.
When will this ever end?
There is no accounting for bad taste…. and just how young can we continue to exploit… and then there is hope for those who have better taste….
The Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps
The Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps is a service organization for high school and college trumpet players to use their musical gifts to serve others. Their main project is volunteering to play Taps at veterans’ funerals to help with the shortage of military buglers. Due to this shortage, most veterans…
Music Business Definitions
No explanations needed…. AGENT: a character who resents performers getting 90% of his salary. ARRANGER: a guy who writes to support a drinking habit. BALLET: an art form for people with eating disorders. BANDSTAND: the area furthest away from an electrical outlet. BIG BAND: nowadays, an aggregation consisting of two…