trickg

Sometimes going back through some of your old posts can provide some insight about things that you either aren't thinking about, or have forgotten. A couple of things have happened since I last posted to this thread back in June.

The trumpet, the Schilke B6 that I initially had my doubts about, has turned out to be fantastic, and it got even better after I sent it off to Bob Reeves for an alignment. I also don't seem to be having any major issues with my mouthpieces - still a Schilke 14A4 for rock band, and a Schilke 14C4 I picked up to use if something should come up where I have to play something live or unmiked that doesn't consist of horn hits and choruses in rock and roll charts.

My playing surged quite a bit due to practice that I put in for an audition that I took in July. While I didn't win the audition, it proved to be a sobering and worthwhile experience because it forced me to look at my life and my playing from a perspective that I might not have otherwise. Most of all, it taught me that there is nothing wrong with being a hobby player, gigging on the weekends, and I have come to accept both my relative level of proficiency and the "gigs" that I have in life as a husband, father, career employee, and musician.

These days, rare is the gig where I don't have chops to burn by the end. While I would like to take some of the credit for that, I believe that much of that has to do with playing great equipment that is set up efficiently for me. I'm still not knocking down the dubbas, nor am I ready to go solo with the NYP, but I can't say that I'm unhappy with my playing because I'm not. Is there room for improvement and am I still striving to improve? You betcha! But for now things are cruising along steady and I'm not having any major playing issues.

I want to thank everyone who participated in this thread 6 months ago who gave me encouragement and advice. You guys are great and it's people like you who make this forum the great place that it is!

__________________
Patrick Gleason
email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com

"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
"At my signal, unleash hell."
- Maximus Decimus Meridius

oldlou

I am also in the front of the 'thank you' line. As a comebacker who was away for over 45 years, I got encouragement from many top trumpeters to continue and practice as much as I could. I am now playing 4th chair first trumpet in the 10 piece trumpet section of a rather good sized New Horizons band and second chair first trumpet in a 6 chair community band where I have been asked to double on an Eb alto horn that I have had for most of my life to play in a brass quartet at our next concert as an opener for the band's Christmas concert and also to roam in the local mall to provide Christmas music for the shoppers there. My greatest encouragement came from my section leaders, Esteban Corrillo, principal trumpet of the Mariachi Cobre band at Disney World, Manny Laureano, principal trumpet in the Minnesota Symphony, and, from Mike Bowman, Principal trumpet in the Grand Rapids, Mi. Symphony Orchestra. They all were telling me that the skills that I had in high school and college would all soon be back and that I would be better than ever if I worked at my music. It is coming to be true, and, I am thrilled by my own progress. Heck, I am having fun with music.

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OLDLOU>>

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Couturier trumpet
York Master Model trumpet
York Elite trumpet
York Airflow cornet
King super 20 Master Model cornet
King Liberty trumpet
Reynolds Professional cornet
Bohm & Meinl professional trumpet
Besson 10-10 trumpet with Holton M.F. bell
Olds Special cornet Los Angeles
B&H Sovereign cornet
G.R.Band Instr. cornet
Getzen Super Deluxe trumpet and cornet
Getzen Deluxe trumpet and cornet
Many others no room to list

gregc

Hey Pat, if you're always playing to the mic, remember to let the mic do the work.
Just a thought,
greg

trickg

Greg, I appreciate the advice. It used to be that I was playing into a fixed mic - a Shure SM57 with a soundshield - the sound shield was necessary to hear myself for the longest time. In the last year or so, the band went to a different monitoring system - we all still had the in-ears, but we each got our own customizable channel. After a while, the monitoring got good to the point that now I use a wireless clip on mic and the whole experience is easier.

Anyway, for the book I play, there is only so much I can do to let the mic do the work - the notes and long phrases are what they are and I used to work my tail off just to get to the end of the gig. More and better practice coupled with a better instrument on top of a better miking and monitoring system has made my life a lot easier over the last six months. Playing trumpet became fun again.

__________________
Patrick Gleason
email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com

"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
"At my signal, unleash hell."
- Maximus Decimus Meridius