TrentAustin

Hey gang!

I just got back from a 3 day "audit" of Chosen Vale. As many of you know I was originally planning on attending the full session but due to professional gigs I just couldn't get out of my schedule. I'm kicking myself that I didn't.

The three days I spent at CV by far surpass any other seminar I've attended (with the exception of Ed's Lake Placid Jazz Seminar I went to after college). I'm going to write up a much longer post with Audio and video samples (if I get the okay with Ed, of course) in the near future.

Think about a perfect world situation... all your peers (who all play GREAT... some simply astonishing) encouraging your creativity in any genre. Here's the kicker: NO ego, or negative vibe to be found! None of this "He/she played okay but I could better" sillyness.

Everyone who is there is there for one simple reason: because they LOVE what they do. It's all about being creative. Everyone is open minded, open to learn (Cassone and Stockhausen improvising together in one of the workshops is a wonderful example of this), and really encouraging of everyone's vision. Whether you are in High School or already have your "gig" the melting pot of cultures and students is a sight to see.

I'll take Cassone's masterclass for an example. A piccolo piece, a virtuosic cornet solo, a few very contemporary pieces followed up by Baroque trumpet (ps... Cassone is a master of all of this... HAVE YOU heard him live? He's one of the greatest trumpeters I have EVER heard. ABSOLUTELY perfect, insanely musical, chops of steel, and can play any style?)

You just don't see that melting pot of styles anywhere. Combine that with Markus Stockhausen and David Rosenboom's sessions on free improvisation! Tom Stevens Stamp sessions (oh yes, the sounds of the collective warmup are still fresh in my ears), talking about Gozzo with Tom, Ed's wonderful session on finding your path... etc.
wow
wow
wow
wow
wow

If you had any notion of attending this session and didn't follow through. DO it next year. If you're within a 5-8 hour drive and want to check this out PM Ed to inquire about auditing. The audit rates are very fair. Do it, you will not regret it and it could just be the lightning rod you need to jumpstart your mind as a CREATIVE artist.

Thank you again Ed for always inspiring me. The seminar is simply tremendous.

-T

PS: This was only 3 days out of two weeks! I can only imagine if I was there as an active participant.

Richard Oliver

Sounds wonderful Trent. I could have quoted all that you said, but with the above as the basis of your time at Chosen Vale and trumpeters present, well it sounds as if it were dead solid perfect.

Happy Days,

Richard Oliver

TisEkard

I attended last year and it was exactly what Trent said. It was one of the best musical experiences of my life. Everyone should go at least once.

mahaberio

And we have internet now!

ecarroll

Trent and fello TMers,

Chosen Vale 2007 is history and I'm trying to take a few days off to decompress after a very intense experience.

The following rare/unusual/exciting works found their way into our programming this time around. Your comments are appreciated.

Best,
EC

• Peter Maxwell Davies: Litany for a Ruined Chapel Between Sheep and Shore (Jason Price)

• H.K. Gruber: Exposed Throat (Philippe Brunet)

• Mauricio Kagel: Atem (Tom Dambly)

• Makiko Nishikaze: Northern Stars (Matthew Conley)

• Robert Erickson: Kryl (Philippe Brunet)

• Alex Eddington: So Joab Blew a Trumpet (Jeremy Maitland)

• Wilhelm Killmayer: Tre Pezzi (Marc Kaptijn)

• Samuel Barber: Hermit Songs (Huw Dann)

• David Rosenboom: Tango Secretum (Mark Gould)

• Ryan Purchase: Apparatus Inconcinnus: (Amy Horvey)

• Mark-Anthony Turnage: An Aria (with dancing) (Stephen Burns)

• Markus Stockhausen and David Rosenboom: Duo Improvisation

• Joan Tower: Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman (Katie Miller, Sandra Coffin, Rachel Allen, Emily Lawyer)

• Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Clarino Quartet (Stephen Burns, David Seals, Philippe Brunet, Katie Miller)

• Stephen Burns: Fanfare for Thibaud (Nate Mayfield, Heather Madeira Ni, David Seals, Rob Reustle, Amy Horvey, Andreas Stoltzfus, Jeremy Maitland, Erik Thogerson)

• Thomas Stevens: Triangles III (Thomas Stevens (solo), Jason Price, Katie Miller, Marc Kaptijn, Amy Horvey)

• David Dzubay: 2 Celebratory Fanfares (Simon Wolnizer, Najib Wong, Peter Schiller, David Wharton, Alex Serio, Simone Telandro)

• Mark Gould: The Trumpet in Time of War (Mark Gould, Tom Dambly, Huw Dann, Mark Gould, Kevin Maloney, Katie Miller, Alexander White)

• David Rosenboom: a set of pieces adapted specifically for the Chosen Vale International Trumpet Seminar: Continental Divide (1964) for piano and trumpets, In the Beginning: Etude III (1980) for trumpets and electronics, In the Beginning: Etude I (1979) for eight trumpets, Shiftless Drifters (2001) for trumpets and electronics, and Attunement (1999) for trumpets, electronic orchestra, and narrator (Mark Gould)

• New compositions from Dartmouth: five works for trumpet(s) and electronics by graduate students in the electro-acoustic music department at Dartmouth College (Philippe Brunet, Andreas Stoltzfus, Jeremy Maitland).

Trombadave

I had the great fortune of attending Chosen Vale this year. It was a truly amazing experience working with musicians like Ed Carroll, Mark Gould, Tom Stevens, Stephen Burns, Gabriel Cassone, Markus Stockhausen, David Rosenboom, and Rebecca Wilt. Equally awesome was getting to know, listen to, and learn from the other students. What a nice group of people. All this in a gorgeous setting. Thanks Ed.

Peachy Dave