I just recently attended a conference where the trumpet great, Wayne Bergeron gave a presentation.  I feel pretty safe in saying that Wayne is perhaps THE most in demand lead trumpet player alive; or at least in the top-5 among all commercial trumpet players.  Just have a look at his film credits on his website and you will realize that you have probably actually been listening to him for years if you ever watch a movie. His clinic at the...

Title Notes from Faraway Places Suite 1 (I. Krems, Austria – II. Richmond, Virginia – III. Delaware Water Gap, Penn.) For Unaccompanied Trumpet By David Sampson Biographical Info David Sampson is a trumpet player, teacher and composer living in New Jersey. He has made considerable contributions to 20th and 21st Century trumpet literature by composing more than fifteen works featuring the trumpet as well as works for wind...

This is super-geeky, but whatever. This summer I’m going to only play one mouthpiece per horn! Today starts my summer playing schedule and for the next month and a half, it’s going to be a very busy one. The last few months I have been slowly driving myself crazy switching mouthpieces. I was juggling about six and (obviously) not completely thrilled with any of them. I think the reason I wasn’t happy with any one...

I recently came across this article written by Steven Emery.  It’s absolutely the best depiction of tone description I’ve come across.  Dizzy used to say, “Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.”  Well, describing sound and why we like it or don’t is even more complex.  Steve does a fantastic job.  I hope you enjoy.  Thanks, Steve for allowing me to re-post your work here. One...

I’m back from another fantastic ITG Conference.  This time it was Minneapolis, May 23-28.  I would like to thank everyone that stopped by the Composers’ Collective booth and said Hi or bought something.  It seemed we hardly ever had any down time.  I also would like to that my colleagues at the booth, David Canfield, Jim Gauthier, Jim Stephenson and our booth mom, Lauren Bernofsky. I went up with four UWP trumpet students...

I would think that most of us have had musical experiences that have dramatically affected, if not impacted our lives; perhaps a top 5 list of favorite musical memories.  Funny thing for me is that I didn’t even play in two of my top five musical moments.  One, was my first concert hearing Herseth live, (Harris 3rd sym.) which made me decide to check out the whole classical world after being a jazzer up till that point. The other was...

“I’m thinking about transferring to a different university.” As a college music professor, I have this conversation every now and then.  As someone who transferred to four schools during my undergrad years, I would like to offer my thoughts on the subject. Most of the time when students investigate a move, they feel like they could be getting a better education somewhere else.  For me, one of my transfers was to study with a great...

Here is a quick little piece of advice some of you may find useful.  (Those of you with nerves of steel can disregard.)  I have been implementing it the last few times I’ve performed and this morning it really came in helpful.  Please read on. Perhaps this has happened to you; you’re all warmed up and ready to go onstage for your recital or solo performance, you’ve tried to quell the nerves by trying to remain relaxed, taking deep...

Title Paths (1994) In Memoriam Witold Lutoslawski for Trumpet Toru Takemitsu (1931-1996) Biographical Info Toru Takemitsu was a self-taught Japanese composer who combined elements of Eastern and Western music and philosophy to create a unique sound world. Some of his early influences were the sonorities of Debussy, and Messiaen’s use of nature imagery and modal scales. There is a certain influence of Webern in Takemitsu’s use of...

In February of 2011, the saxophone prof at my school, Allen Cordingley, asked me to play on a recital with him at NASA.  I know!  Pretty cool, right?  Well, to him and eventually me, this actually meant driving to Chicago and playing at the North American Saxophone Alliance conference.  Not as many space ships as I was hoping for but there WERE a few more similarities than you might initially expect. The Conferences The saxophone...

If you are reading this blog, then you are probably someone who is well aware of what ITG is and what they do in the summer.  Well, in the event you happen to be some renegade string player who loves to read trumpet blogs, ITG is the International Trumpet Guild.  It’s like a trumpet fraternity, without the hazing.  Each summer the Guild holds a week-long conference somewhere in the world and the greatest trumpet players and...

Title Eight Profiles (1980) For Solo Trumpet VIII – To J. B. Fisher Tull (1934-1994) Biographical Info Fisher Tull was born in Waco, Texas.  He received his musical training at North Texas State University.  When Dr. Tull originally went to NTSU he was assistant to John Haynie as a trumpet teacher and as a staff arranger for the renowned NTSU Lab Bands.   After He graduated in 1957 he went to Sam Houston State University as...

Title Eight Profiles (1980) For Solo Trumpet VII – To C. D. Fisher Tull (1934-1994) Biographical Info Fisher Tull was born in Waco, Texas.  He received his musical training at North Texas State University.  When Dr. Tull originally went to NTSU he was assistant to John Haynie as a trumpet teacher and as a staff arranger for the renowned NTSU Lab Bands.   After He graduated in 1957 he went to Sam Houston State University as...

Title Eight Profiles (1980) For Solo Trumpet VI – To D. O. Fisher Tull (1934-1994) Biographical Info Fisher Tull was born in Waco, Texas.  He received his musical training at North Texas State University.  When Dr. Tull originally went to NTSU he was assistant to John Haynie as a trumpet teacher and as a staff arranger for the renowned NTSU Lab Bands.   After He graduated in 1957 he went to Sam Houston State University as...

Title Eight Profiles (1980) For Solo Trumpet V – To M. G. Fisher Tull (1934-1994) Biographical Info Fisher Tull was born in Waco, Texas.  He received his musical training at North Texas State University.  When Dr. Tull originally went to NTSU he was assistant to John Haynie as a trumpet teacher and as a staff arranger for the renowned NTSU Lab Bands.   After He graduated in 1957 he went to Sam Houston State University as...

Title Eight Profiles (1980) For Solo Trumpet IV – To L. N. Fisher Tull (1934-1994) Biographical Info Fisher Tull was born in Waco, Texas.  He received his musical training at North Texas State University.  When Dr. Tull originally went to NTSU he was assistant to John Haynie as a trumpet teacher and as a staff arranger for the renowned NTSU Lab Bands.   After He graduated in 1957 he went to Sam Houston State University as...

Hi Everyone, I have maintained this site solely for educational purposes and will continue to do so.  However, I want to take this brief moment to use ATT as an advertising board for a very special concert I have coming up.  Every couple of years a concert comes around that promises to be really special and one of those is right around the corner for me.  On March 5th I’ll be involved in a production of Stravinsky’s...

Title Eight Profiles (1980) For Solo Trumpet III – To R. M. Fisher Tull (1934-1994) Biographical Info Fisher Tull was born in Waco, Texas.  He received his musical training at North Texas State University.  When Dr. Tull originally went to NTSU he was assistant to John Haynie as a trumpet teacher and as a staff arranger for the renowned NTSU Lab Bands.   After He graduated in 1957 he went to Sam Houston State University as...

Title Eight Profiles (1980) For Solo Trumpet II – To J. S. Fisher Tull (1934-1994) Biographical Info Fisher Tull was born in Waco, Texas.  He received his musical training at North Texas State University.  When Dr. Tull originally went to NTSU he was assistant to John Haynie as a trumpet teacher and as a staff arranger for the renowned NTSU Lab Bands.   After He graduated in 1957 he went to Sam Houston State University as...

Title Eight Profiles (1980) For Solo Trumpet I – To R. F. Fisher Tull (1934-1994) Biographical Info Fisher Tull was born in Waco, Texas.  He received his musical training at North Texas State University.  When Dr. Tull originally went to NTSU he was assistant to John Haynie as a trumpet teacher and as a staff arranger for the renowned NTSU Lab Bands.   After He graduated in 1957 he went to Sam Houston State University as...

Title Andante et Allegro Guy Ropartz (1864-1955) Biographical Info Composer Joseph Guy Marie Ropartz Joseph Guy Ropartz enjoyed a lifespan that cut across an enormous territory of French music; when he was born, Jacques Offenbach had just premiered La belle Hélène and the year he died, Henri Dutilleux rolled out his second symphony. Ropartz also achieved an astounding rite of passage in his own work, starting out deep inside the Franck...

Title Rondo for Lifey (1959) Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) Biographical Info Leonard Bernstein enjoyed an illustrious career as a composer, conductor, educator and pianist. He will be best remembered for his contribution to the Broadway musical scene, his composition of scores for On the Town, Candide and West Side Story will live on long in the memory of all who hear them. As a conductor, after graduating from Harvard, he became the...

I wrote and recorded a post here at ATT called Musical Marksmanship where tried to convey my thoughts on the benefits of playing in the center of your horn.  (centering, hitting the bulls-eye of each note…)  A couple of weeks later I ran across this article written by trumpeter extraordinaire, Mark Van Cleave.  Our articles are so similar that if we were writing these as an exam we’d be cited for plagiarism!  It really makes...

Title Legende (1906) For trumpet in C or Bb and piano George Enescu (1881-1955) Biographical Info He was born in the village of Liveni (later renamed “George Enescu” in his honor), Dorohoi County at the time, today Botoşani County. He showed musical talent from early in his childhood. A child prodigy, Enescu created his first musical composition at the age of five. Shortly thereafter, his father presented him to the professor...

Title Intrada (1947) For trumpet in C and piano Arthur Honegger (1892-1955) Biographical Info There is a website that has an exhaustive biography of Arthur Honegger. Below, I’ve included just the highlights. Arthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les Six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 2311, which imitates the sound of a steam...

Title Intrada (1958) For solo trumpet in C or Bb or Horn in F Otto Ketting (1935) Biographical Info The son of a composer, Ketting studied trumpet at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and composition with his father. He played trumpet in the Hague Residentie-Orkest for seven years, before quitting for further composition study with Karl Amadeus Hartmann in Munich. Writing from a modernist perspective that takes in tonality and atonality...

Title Tromba Solo Ketil Hvoslef b.1939 Biographical Info Ketil Hvoslef studied the viola and organ at the Music Conservatory in Bergen Norway, from which he graduated as an organist.  He later taught ear training and theory at that Conservatory.  His music is difficult to classify because it differs with each piece.  His style has evolved from an almost new-classical mode of expression to an intensely personal musical language,...

This post is “aimed” at younger players but perhaps all of us can benefit from “recalibrating our sights” now and then. As an undergrad, I had the great fortune to study with IU trumpet professor-legend, William Adam.  We spent most of our time working on his legendary “routine” but we also spent a good part of every lesson playing out of the Getchell Book 1 of practical studies.  I always thought this a bit beneath me but...

It is my sincerest hope that those of you who have found their way to this site and are taking the time to read this particular article do NOT need an introduction to trumpet great, Lew Soloff.  I am going to continue on the assumption that those of us in the trumpet world realize what a master musician and trumpet virtuoso we have in Lew Soloff.  For those of you who might need a Soloff refresher course visit JazzTrumpetSolos.com or his...

A while ago, I came across a trumpet repertoire list that was put together by David Hickman.  Hickman is the trumpet professor at Arizona State and one of the most important and influential trumpet teachers around today, so the list of his that I am about to share with you is pretty heavily weighted in importance.  Looking at this list encouraged me to make an inventory list of my own and in doing so, I learned a lot.  This summer I...

Title Festive Arias for Mezzo-soprano, trumpet and piano Volumes 1 & 2 Arranged by David Cooper Biographical Info Festive Arias vol. 1 Trumpet player, teacher and arranger David Cooper has selected five of the most popular arias for soprano/mezzo-soprano and arranged them to include trumpet parts. The arias include: “Alleluja” from Exsultate, Jubilate by W.A.Mozart “Laudamus te” from Mass in C minor by Mozart  Audio clip: Adobe...

Title L’Histoire du Soldat (A Soldier’s Tale) Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) Biographical Info The Soldier’s Tale comes from 1918, a lean post-war time when jazz was just beginning to emerge into the mainstream. Stravinsky was broke, deprived of his royalties because of the Revolution, and his other source of income, Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes was also going through lean times. Stravinsky invented a new style, pared down to...

Title Six Suites of Canonic Duets By Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) Adapted for trumpet by David Cooper Biographical Info Georg Philipp Telemann was a German composer, born in Magdeburg.  He was the most prolific composer in history and a contemporary of J.S.Bach, Vivaldi and a lifelong friend of G.F.Handel.  While presently Bach is generally considered the greater composer, Telemann was more widely renowned for his musical abilities...

I spend some time on TPIN (Trumpet Player’s International Network) which is an email sent with threads of topics for and about trumpet playing.  Recently, I came across a post from a friend of mine, John Daniel that I thought held particular merit for my site, AllThingsTrumpet.  John is currently the trumpet professor at my Alma Mater, Lawrence University in Appleton Wisconsin and a member of the Battle Creek Brass Band.  I asked John...

A recent trend in jazz improvisation seems to be playing in odd meters.  I.e. 5/4 – Brubeck’s Take Five, 9/8 – Brubeck’s Blue Rondo ala Turk, 7/4 – Woody Shaw’s Seventh Avenue, 10/8 – Pat Metheny’s First Circle to name a few.  Perhaps, we have Dave Brubeck to thank for this movement dating back to his groundbreaking album, Take Five.  Two of my favorite player/composers using the idea of...

Title Miniatures for solo trumpet (©1977) by George Andrix published by SeeSaw Music Corp. – which is now Subito Music Biographical Info George Andrix was born June 15, 1932. He began the study of the violin at the age of five (5) in his native Chicago. As a youngster, he attended the Chicago Musical College and Lane Technical High School where he received training in violin, music theory, and orchestral and chamber music...

My good friend Lauren Bernofsky (the composer whose works I love and have reviewed here on All Things Trumpet) passed this article on to me.  I have a post dedicated to cleaning your horn and personally find this stuff very important.  I’m very glad to have gotten this article because it just supports my cause.  I hope you enjoy it.  Well, “enjoy” probably isn’t the right word…  Read and heed. Think Music Heals? Trombone...

While living in the Cleveland-area during my Master’s studies, I had the great fortune of studying with two masters of orchestral trumpet; the great Bernard Adelstein at the end of his career with the Cleveland Orchestra and the dynamic Michael Sachs at the beginning of his.  Talk about a source of first-hand knowledge and experience; “Bernie” played professionally in orchestras for over 40 years.  His last 28 were as principal of...

Title Variation Movements for Trumpet (1967) by Robert Henderson Biographical Info Robert Henderson’s remarkably productive career began before he reached college age and has expanded without pause since then. He was three years old when his father gave him his first violin lessons. When he reached his teens he added piano and horn to the instruments he played, and began studying composition and theory with Donal Michalsky. By the...

Title Shazam for trumpet solo (1984) By Folke Rabe Biographical Info Folke Rabe born 1935: ‘A portrait of Folke Rabe,’ as Goran Bergendal has wittily observed, ‘would be made up of one composer (or two or even three), a couple of trombone players (jazz trombone and member of the Culture Quartet), one actor (the New Culture Quartet), one teacher (the Sound Workshops, which helped people to find their ears), several administrators...

I had a student the other day that was having difficulty playing without tension and was really “attacking” the notes – not playing the music, thus getting all tight, thus missing more, thus getting more tense…  We talked a minute about what could be causing him to be having such an off playing day and decided that while he warmed up at home before his lesson, he jumped right into playing when he got to his lesson which was...

Someone showed a list similar to this to me a while back and I apologize for not currently being able to give proper credit to the original author.  I have edited and paraphrased a few things in my list but primarily the credit for this Prep List goes to someone else out there in the music world.  (If anyone knows this source please leave that info in a comment below.) The ideas below are obviously geared toward trumpet players but any...

A fellow Tom Harrell fan, great trumpet player and friend Jamie Beiwick shared this interview clip on his facebook page.  Tom is not only one of the greatest jazz trumpet players of all time (imho) but also a very deep thinking, spiritually sensitive person.  This is a great interview clip mixing commentary with playing.  I am especially blown away by Tom’s solo on Green Dolphin Street.  (about 3:20 minutes in) Enjoy! Jazz...

Title Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra Johann Friedrich Fasch, 1688-1758 Scored for 2 oboes, solo trumpet, strings, and continuo Biographical Info Johann Friedrich Fasch is an example of that all-too-common phenomenon in music, the forgotten innovator. A contemporary of Bach (1685-1750), Fasch was a prolific Baroque composer, writing among other things over 90 suites, 16 masses, 4 operas, 61 concertos, and 19 symphonies. He was well...

Tom Harrell has been one of my musical heroes for many years.  In fact, I would say his playing and composition have had the most profound impact of all my jazz influences.  I have done many transcriptions of Tom’s solos and in doing so have developed an even greater appreciation for his musicianship.  His lines are often un-idiomatic, meaning they don’t lay naturally for the trumpet.  It is as if playing the trumpet for Tom is...

I can count on one hand the crossover trumpet players that I would actually buy CDs of BOTH their classical and jazz playing.  Rex Richardson is one of those players.  There are plenty of players who specialize in one field and dabble in the other but it’s rare to find someone that digs in, way in, to jazz improvisation AND classical technique/repertoire.  I was first introduced to Rex’s playing when we shared a new-music recital at...

Title Call for Solo Trumpet (2003) By James Stephenson Biographical Info Jim has composed a considerable amount of fantastic material for trumpet; sonatas, concerti, etude books, chamber music and unaccompanied solos.  I have heard that he has even composed music that involves instruments other than the trumpet.  I know … hard to believe, but you can find a complete listing of his compositions and arrangements here.  His website, by...

Title Litany of Breath For Unaccompanied Trumpet By David Sampson Biographical Info David Sampson is a trumpet player, teacher and composer living in New Jersey.  He has made considerable contributions to 20th and 21st Century trumpet literature by composing more than fifteen works featuring the trumpet as well as works for wind ensemble, brass ensembles of various instrumentation and choirs.  Further biographical information on David...

Title Solo For unaccompanied flugel horn or Bb trumpet by David Sampson Biographical Info David Sampson (b. 1951, Charlottesville, Virginia) has emerged as one of the truly unique voices of his generation achieving rapidly growing attention from major orchestras, soloists and ensembles.  He holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music, Hunter College, Manhattan School of Music, and the Ecoles d’ Art Americaines, where his teachers...

Outside of practicing your butt off, aspiring jazz musicians are told two things will also help their improvising; listening to great jazz players and transcribing their solos.  I do not disagree with this.  After all, jazz is a language and to understand it we must not only study the grammar of how to spell and write, but in order to speak it we need to listen to hear how it sounds.  However, here is the point where I differ slightly...

Title Fantasia for Solo Trumpet (2008) By Lauren Bernofsky Biographical Info Although Lauren Bernofsky was trained as a violinist, she has contributed a substantial amount to the brass repertory.  Her list of compositions can be found here. The Fantasia for solo trumpet was commissioned by John W. Cain. Suggested Equipment Lauren composed this for Bb or C trumpet.  Except for the high E at the very end I prefer to play this on C...

Ray Mase is one of my absolute, all-time favorite trumpet players.  He plays in the American Brass Quintet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and teaches at Julliard Aspen Music Festival.  He has the most singing, vibrant, lyrical tone I have ever heard on the trumpet and is a huge influence on my playing.  I highly recommend his CD, “Trumpet In Our Time”.  The article that follows is one of his on how to practice more efficiently by...

Here is a transcript from a clinic given by the great Bud Brisbois.  He gave a concert at my alma mater Lawrence University with the group Matrix (mentioned below and pictured above) just before he committed suicide.  While I was not at Lawrence at that time, many of my teachers were.  They talked and still do talk extremely respectfully of Bud and I am very thankful that they turned me on to one of the true legends of the trumpet.  (I...

In May of 2005, I hosted a trumpet conference that featured the former principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony, the great, Adolph Herseth.  It was a three-day event that not only showcased him in recital with none-other than Doc Severinsen, but featured him in a number of educational settings.  What follows is an article written by a former student, Jerod Sommerfeldt, and myself that appeared in the September 2005 ITG Journal. Adolph...

In May of 2005, I hosted a trumpet conference that featured the former principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony, the great, Adolph Herseth.  It was a three-day event that not only showcased him in recital with none-other than Doc Severinsen, but featured him in a number of educational settings.  What follows is an article written by a former student, Jerod Sommerfeldt, and myself that appeared in the September 2005 ITG Journal. Adolph...

Title Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra For Bb or C trumpet and piano (1996) By John Williams Biographical Info “Given a background of playing trombone and trumpet as a teen, and after writing so much brass music for films and for ceremonial pieces, you can imagine my pleasure when the Cleveland Orchestra asked me to write a concerto for their newly appointed principal trumpeter, Michael Sachs.  Not only did this commission offer me an...

In May of 2005, I hosted a trumpet conference that featured the former principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony, the great, Adolph Herseth.  It was a three-day event that not only showcased him in recital with none-other than Doc Severinsen, but featured him in a number of educational settings.  What follows is an article written by a former student, Jerod Sommerfeldt, and myself that appeared in the September 2005 ITG Journal. Adolph...

Title Unaccompanied Suites originally for Cello Johann Sebastian Bach Edited and Arranged by David Cooper Biographical Info Bach composed the cello suites while he was employed at the court of Cöthen (1717-1723) as capellmeister and director of chamber music.  At this time, he devoted his efforts to instrumental music in which he set up perfect models and guides to professional musicians, advanced students, and music lovers. The six...

Most universities require that their music majors perform a half recital (20-30 min) their junior year and a full recital (45+ min) their senior year.  Here are some thoughts and strategies I have on programming. Programming Strategy Your first recital can be a nervous endeavor.  Like many of us, when nerves come in to play, our endurance suffers.  I encourage my students doing junior half recitals to pair up and share this program with...

This is my mantra with my private and university students.  (Actually, one of my many mantras.)  Another favorite is: Scales are Useless!  -until they’re memorized. My problem with typical scale work is that everybody practices them the same way.  (Click the scale images to enlarge them.  Then, your “back” button to come back.) Here is an analogy.  Say you were to have to come to my house, out in the middle of nowhere,...

I’m going to break from the norm of this site for a moment and offer up a musical selection.  I know this may not be following the educational and informational direction of this blog but I came across this mp3 the other day and just thought I would share it. The Setup A few years ago saxophonist Tom Gullion, called some musicians together to play on a recording project of his.  The night before the recording session I happen to have a...

Here’s the bottom line with mutes; for the most part – You Get What You Pay For. Q.           What makes one mute worth more than another? A.            Consistent intonation in all registers.  Often lesser mutes will make you sharp in the lower register and flat in the upper register. A.            Intonation to the instrument; meaning, how far do you have to pull your slide when you put the mute in? ...

Here is an email-article that I read written by Jens Lindemann.  For those of you new to the trumpet world, Jens is one of the greats.  Actually, I would put him in the top 10 living all-round players.  He is one of the few trumpet players making a living as an international soloist. This was originally written a few years ago and I see on his website that he is now endorsing GR mouthpieces.  I’ve met Gary Radtke of GR technologies...

One of the things I find myself discussing often with students is how to make a trill, or general ornamentation guidelines.  It’s actually pretty involved, aside from the part about making a finger go up and down… First a little historical (hysterical) context: The Quantz View Noted musicologist Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773), on ornamentation, particularly trills. It must be noted that his reference to the “shake” should be...

Those of you that know me know that I have a passion for playing many musical styles as deeply and sincerely as I can.  In fact, I think the main thrust of this AllThingsTrumpet blog is geared for the versatile cross-over player.  All that being said; I would like to convey some thoughts on a musical situation that recently got me thinking. A more subtle cross-over playing situation My contracted position with the Madison Symphony is for...

Title Sonata no.1 “The Tempest” For C trumpet and piano By David Gillingham Biographical Info The first sonata of David Gillingham bears the nickname, “The Tempest” because of the stormy and turbulent nature of the first movement, the somber aftermath of the second movement and the whirlwind drive of the third. Suggested Equipment C trumpet is preferred because of the extreme endurance demands.  There are also technical...