veery715

I was born into music. Rachmaninoff, Prokofieff, & Gershwin were regular "go to sleep" music in our house. Piano was not on an opt-out basis, but lessons ended when I decided I hated the teacher. He was old-school European - and I wasn't. Fortunately I never lost my love for the piano.
In 4th grade when offered a chance to learn another instrument I selected trumpet, and played it until switching in 8th grade to the french horn - unfortunately IMO not a good move. But I never stopped loving the trumpet.

I have always played music, as if it isn't a choice, but a compulsion. I NEED it. My return to the trumpet may be viewed by some as a mid-life crisis. I guess that means I'll live until I'm 120. (playing my trumpet all the way)

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Music = Love

Trumpets:
Lawler Bb / Olds Recording / Schilke B2
Selmer Rad 2 / Yamaha 8310Z
Holton MF ST 550S / Stage 1 California C
Easyplay mini-trumpet (????) / Chinese Special / Benetone
1934 Cleveland (HN White) 603 Silver Plate w/ Gold Bell

Kanstul ZKT 1525 Flugelhorn

Cornets:
Conn 36A / King Super 20 Master
Olds Ambassador / Conn 18A
King HN White 1904 Bb+A / Ohio Regent Soloist

Conn 16E Eb/F Mellophone

Piano, keyboards, vibes, congas, guitars, yada yada

Wlfgng

I started with piano, not my choosing but rather my parents. I was allowed to quit when I joined the Jr. High band where I played the trumpet. In Highschool moved to tuba as their were too many trumpets.

I never really got into music till I started playing guitar, this is when my piano theory all started making sense and I was able to understand music. From there it has just been a progression, when I started playing the trumpet again it wasn't just something I did...it is something I am into becuase I enjoy it.

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Olds Ambassador(only one left, need more)
King Silver Flair - main horn
Selmer Cornet

Amatuers practice till they get it right, Professionals practice till they can't get it wrong.

tjtrumpet

I'm a 3rd generation pro musician.

Granddad started on clarinet when he was 7. He played clarinet & violin in vaudeville, burlesque & movie houses.

Dad started clarinet when he was 7. Played clarinet & tenor his entire life, which was a nice supplement to his main job in radio & TV broadcasting, finally retiring from the cable TV industry. dad's big claim to fame was he was in the touring swing band that got Barney Kessel out of Oklahoma.

My older brother started clarinet when he was 7 (are we seeing a pattern here?), was a very fine clarinetist & sax player thru his high school years.

When I turned 7, dad says "Well son - clarinet or tenor?" (because those were the instruments in the house.

I says "Trumpet!"

Dad says "uh, we don't have one in the house, and I'm not going to buy something that might end up in your closet in a few weeks. if you really want to play trumpet, you have to wait until band classes start in school."

That was in 7th grade / 12 years old. Haven't stopped yet.

One of the many running gags I had with Dad was "Gee, Dad...I think I'm gonna stick with playing the trumpet for a little while longer...."

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BTW, contact me for "The Best Damn Trumpet Lead Pipe Swab Period! - you won't be disappointed! (Proudly made entirely in the USA....Brooklyn and Exit 15W, to be precise).

kadleck

Excellent! I'm blown away by the amount of people who had a musical upbringing. (Mine was not.)

And I thought kids were supposed to rebel against their parents!

cl7307

i am in the same boat as you mr. kaddleck; i had i had heard from my gandmother that i had a disstant cousin who played trumpet in the glasgow,scotland symphony in the 1800's.and that jenny lind was a relative also.i have done a truck load of genealogy and can not find those to be true.however,the artistic side must come from my great grandfather.he was wm. curriie a landscape painter in oils and watercolor in that same time era and place.he died a poor man. today his paintingss are worth at auction between $400.00 to $9000.00.i am fortunate to havee two small orginals my granddmother bought over in 1889.some of my children,gr.children and great gr.children are very good artist.

wilcox96

Okay..... I don't know whether it was so much a total devotion to the trumpet, specifically..but more so an overall love of music in all forms.

Certainly, much credit goes to my parents. Mom was a beautiful singer (though she had the worst nerves on the planet. I remember later on when we both were in the church choir and did The Messiah - she had the Alto solo...and she told me that she was shaking so bad that she read the music of the person in "front" of her..haha...but man, she sounded great). My dad is just a total talent. He is one of the finest music educators, conductors and musicians I've known. His main instrumental expertise was... woodwinds. Great clarinet (main)...and all others.

Anyway, I grew up with all of that..and of course listening to great records. Actually...mainly great singers (though, the bands behind these singers were flat out amazing..and certainly had a huge influence). Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Sinatra...etc...on and on. In the 4th grade (and my dad being in preparation for what he would like me to do next), gave me a rubber drum practice pad, some sticks, a metronome and the Ludwig rhythm method book. Band/etc was not offered in 4th grade...but I practiced this the entire year. His point? To help me learn rhythms - something that has been invaluable since. Then, he suggested I begin in 5th grade on cornet (he got me a used Holton Cornet..that I still have today)..but the thoughts were to switch to French Horn once in Junior High.

I had a very nice, older teacher in 5th grade. Mr. Stuklick. I think he did a terrific job in preparation for all of us back then. In Junior High, I played in the B band on cornet and the A band on French Horn (I'd still never played this...haha...but they had them for use at the JH...so they stuck me on it). I thought the French Horn was "okay"...but I was getting more and more interested in the cornet...and trumpet. One of those JH years, I attended a summer music camp at the Univ of Illinois. I played in the orchestra. It was a terrific experience. Although I'm not totally sure, I "think" one of the teachers there was Susan Slaughter. Whoever it was, they were very nice and extremely helpful. She even let me borrow (for a day or so), her shiny new Schilke trumpet! wow. Great time and the music we played just touched me. I got to play first on "Toccata" by Frescobaldi. What a thrill. (for me) Other pieces - no matter what part I played - were equally moving and fun. Thanks to those folks.

Then, in High School...I got introduced (big time) to playing in the Jazz band. (now, I still played in every freakin' group/thing you could do. Marching, Concert, Orchestra, Pop Orchestra, Chorus, Guy's chorus, Musicals, etc). Big thrills were my dad taking me to see Doc Severinsen with the St Louis Symphony. Holy schmoly. George Benson...another live concert that just knocked me out (see what I mean about a general love for MUSIC?). There was this new group that was touring around...kind of a rock/jazz type of band with trumpets. Heck, I'd never heard of them. But we all went. It was Chase. I've seen them twice live. Talk about an eye opener. We also had all the great bands tour through and give clinics over my time in Junior High, High School. Maynard, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones, Woody, all multiple times.

Well, I'll leave it there I guess. No need to give life history after the "formative" years. The point is what got me hooked. Now, no more singing...not really done that in a long time (though I did a lot of pop singing for a good while). Always played trumpet and still do. AND...I still love it. Every minute. The music experience - to me - is just so great. I hear stuff/play stuff that still gives me chills, for lack of a better term. I love that feeling.

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Brad Wilcox
NYTC Endorsing Artist
Stage 1 California Light w/Rose Brass Bell
Bach Strad Flugelhorn
GR Mouthpieces
http://www.newyorktrumpetcompany.com...rad-wilcox.htm

http://trumpetland.ning.com/profile/BradWilcox

kadleck

That's what it is all about. I call them "goose bump moments". They don't happen everyday, but when they do, it's the best. It's like golf - I can hit 105 terrible shots, and then hit one great one - that's what keeps me coming back!

Tony

tjtrumpet

Just about every time I hear Doc Severinsen play...I gets the goose bumps! Others, too, but Doc more than anyone.

With being from a musical family (mom played some piano), we always had records & radio to listen to, went to hear the Indy Symp. on a regular basis, things like that. Dad brought home one of the first Command albums that Doc did, played it for me, and that's what made me become the black sheep brass guy in a family of reed players.

__________________
BTW, contact me for "The Best Damn Trumpet Lead Pipe Swab Period! - you won't be disappointed! (Proudly made entirely in the USA....Brooklyn and Exit 15W, to be precise).

Larry Jess

I was 10 when I started piano...did not care for it. Would have rather played baseball at that time. My brother played trumpet/horn in a local high school band. When he stopped playing, I was next in line to try it. Awful instrument! Purchased a new horn and started lessons. Started to listen to Louis Armstrong, Harry James, Mendez, but the one that really got my attention was Doc Severinsen. To this day, he still is amazing. I really play the trumpet because of Doc. He has been a good friend over the years and we still keep in touch!

Larry Jess
Principal Trumpet
Spokane Symphony Orchestra

bill benzon

My father loved music and would often listen to classical music on the record player (plain old monaural). In fourth grade the school offered music lessons. The trumpet was the closest I could get to a bugle. A year or two later I discovered Mendez. Couldn't believe what I heard. I still have those old (and well-worn) Decca LPs and a bunch of Mendez sheet music.