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sopranogod · 01-23-2004, 04:59 PM

Answers to 1 and 2: Tell us how you would improve a trumpet with a new feature or design. Give a theme for a trumpet.

When I first heard about this contest, I thought it was too good to be true. I knew that I had to enter simply because I had nothing to lose. So when I thought about customizing a trumpet, I knew that I wanted it to be designed for lead playing. My customized trumpet should be light and have a smaller, straighter flared bell in order to achieve that specific lead sound. That is why I chose the scratch gold plating with a medium classic bell. However, I knew that these two characteristics alone would not improve the trumpet and so I thought of how to make the trumpet look “cooler.” This is where my theme originated. I decided to have my trumpet symbolize jazz and the past and present jazz trumpet greats. It would look cool from far away because of the scratch gold plating and it would also have famous quotes engraved on it so that when viewed up close, it would in a way pay tribute to the jazz trumpet players of the past. That is why my trumpet would be called “The Definition of Cool” or “The Definition” for short.

More specifically, the trumpet would be hand scratched and have polished accents in the normal places like a standard model. However, “The Definition” would also have polished accents any place that text appeared. The first text would be a quote from Louis Armstrong and would appear on the trumpet as, “What we play is life.” –Louis Armstrong. It would be located as close to the middle of the lead pipe as possible, without going beyond the little piece of metal that wraps around the lead pipe (it is under the pinky hook if that makes it easier to visualize and understand what I am talking about). There would also be two more quotes that would go on the flat plating that is connected to the tuning slide and the other side that wraps around (like in this picture of Wynton Marsalis’ horn at http://www.duke.edu/~kbk2/wynton6.jpg ). However, it does not have to be shaped exactly this way. They should each be cut the same way and the cut should be a soft curve. It should be somewhere in between a straight line and a curve that is as sharp as the tubing of the trumpet (I know you guys at Eclipse would use good taste 8) ). The quotes should be in the center of the plating and only polished where text is, as mentioned before. On the left side of the trumpet, where the Eclipse tuning slide is found, will be another quote by Louis Armstrong and engraved as "Jazz is undefined. It should be felt. If you gotta ask, you'll never know." -Louis Armstrong. On the right side will be a quote by Miles Davis and would be engraved as “Always look ahead, but never look back.” –Miles Davis. Although this quote could possibly relate to any subject other than jazz, it holds personal significance for me. I try not to dwell too much on things and always try to move on and better myself, whether it be music related or just life in general. I would also want my name and a little drawing on the straight part of the tubing where it enters the third valve (it is the part of the tubing that starts with the lead pipe and then wraps around and straightens when going into the third valve casing). It would be entered as JONATHAN MANNESS and followed by a little 2-D stick figure drawing of a figure playing a trumpet. A 3-D picture of what I had in mind can be viewed at http://www.music123.com/Item/?itemno=83029 (click on "zoom+" for a bigger picture). The reason why I want this particular drawing is because it has become somewhat of a trademark symbol for me. Whenever I sign my name, I usually accompany my signature with this drawing and I figured that this would only personalize my trumpet even more. The drawing should be almost the same size as my name. Finally, along the top of the bell, where most trumpet makers put their trumpet name, “The Definition” should be engraved. I chose to only engrave the trumpet’s abbreviated name because I have had nicknames all my life and think that they are cool and this ties into the theme of the trumpet. The font for the quotes and name of the trumpet would be the same font that you use on your receivers and the font used for my name would be more of an angular font so that it complements the stick figure trumpeter. My name and the quotes would also be on the same side as the Eclipse engraving so that when the trumpet is on its side, all text and half the name of the trumpet could be seen.

As for a slight change to the horn to help support my playing, I have thought of a design to the pinky hook so that I can comfortably rest my pinky finger on top of the hook and still have the choice to put my pinky in the hook. My current horn, a Bach Stradivarius, has a little nub at the end of the hook (it can be viewed at http://www.selmer.com/brass/stradtrp/images/180_01.jpg ). I like how the hook curves up at the end but instead of a nub, it should have a groove instead so it is more comfortable to rest the pinky on top. Since the tendons in your hands are all connected, I usually put my pinky on top so that my fingers are free and I can play faster. The reason I still want a hook is so that I can put my pinky under and get a little extra leverage when playing high (because we all know that more pressure is better! Just a little joke for those serious trumpet players reading this :) ). And before I forget about the other specifications, the trumpet would have the amado water keys, standard weight button caps, 1st valve slide hook, and a 3rd valve slide ring. In my humble opinion, "The Definition" is a pretty sweet lead trumpet. Speaking of things that are pretty sweet, here is my short story.

3. Short story: Living a Pretty Sweet Dream

It was time for the biggest gig of Jon Manness’ young career. A month ago, he had received a call from the band manager to sub in for the lead trumpet player in Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Noveau Band at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Jon realized that few opportunities like this would come to him and so he immediately said yes. Once the music was sent to him, Jon went right to work, using his new baby, his trumpet, named “The Definition of Cool,” which he normally called for short “The Definition.” He had designed this Eclipse, custom-made masterpiece and it made him sound like the legend Maynard himself and gave him the confidence he needed to play lead in front of anyone.

He had his music memorized and down cold, most of which did not take much effort, as Jon usually played along with the band’s recordings for fun. Once Jon had his stylish Armani suit and leather jacket on, “The Definition” put away in its leather case, and his Maynard CDs in hand, he headed out of his apartment and straight into his sleek BMW Z4 to get some dinner and then head off to the Kimmel Center for the big show.

For a bite to eat, he headed to Pat’s King of Steaks on 9th Street in Philly for one of Pat’s famous cheese steaks, along with fries (or chips for the people at Eclipse), and a diet Pepsi (so he does not get fat). Once he gobbled his food down, he reminded himself to brush his teeth once he arrived at the Kimmel Center so he wouldn’t get any leftovers in his new baby trumpet.

As Jon heads to the Kimmel Center “Birdland,” the greatest Maynard chart ever, started playing. He immediately gets pumped up and starts screaming along with Maynard, just as the center comes into view and he doesn’t even get out of the car until the song is finished. He even thinks of how he will be playing that chart tonight, since the band will be using it for their encore. Once he enters the building, he finds a bathroom (to brush his teeth of course!), meets the manager, the band, and the man himself, and chats with them all before the performance.

It was all history in the making for Jon from then on. He was playing as if he had been with the band for years. He filled the building with his screaming notes and amazing sound, two qualities that he had mastered with “The Definition.” After the encore, the band got a standing ovation and Jon knew he had had his best performance ever. The band congratulated Jon and Maynard told him that if he ever needed a trumpet player on the east coast, he would know who to call.

Jon was in complete euphoria after the events of that evening. As he was leaving, a young college student came up to him and congratulated him on his performance.

“How did you get so good, Mr. Manness?”
“Well kid, I studied with the right people, practiced correctly, and never gave up.”
“What kind of trumpet were you using?”
“Well it’s a one-of-a-kind. I call it ‘The Definition.’”
“Cool.”
“Exactly.”

4. Why I should win.

Aside from receiving the trumpet of my dreams, I feel I should win this contest because the trumpet I envisioned is a quality and legitimate lead trumpet that is worth creating. From a playing standpoint, the scratch gold plating and medium classic bell creates a powerful, light weight lead trumpet that would scream over any ensemble. This trumpet would also be more comfortable and easier for me to play due to the improved pinky ring and I would have a relaxed and free hand all at the same time.

However, “The Definition’s” visual appeal is what makes it a one-of-a-kind. From far away, the trumpet stands out with its scratch gold plating, but is also not too flashy and gaudy. Only when up close would one notice the engravings and other personal touches that make “The Definition” unique. I feel that the trumpet is visually subtle, yet distinguished and personalized at the same time.

Overall, these two components create a theme that acts as a tribute to the jazz greats that I have always looked up to and admired. After all, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Hopefully, I can live up to the level that these jazz greats, past and present, have set. Hopefully, I can do this with a custom-made Eclipse trumpet.

Jon Manness

PS- I would like to thank my girlfriend, Alyssa, for editing my paper and supporting me throughout the contest.

PSS-Thank you Eclipse, TrumpetMaster.com, and everyone else involved in putting this contest together. May the best design win!

01-23-2004, 04:59 PM	#47 (permalink)
sopranogod New Friend Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2	Jon Manness' Contest Entry Answers to 1 and 2: Tell us how you would improve a trumpet with a new feature or design. Give a theme for a trumpet. When I first heard about this contest, I thought it was too good to be true. I knew that I had to enter simply because I had nothing to lose. So when I thought about customizing a trumpet, I knew that I wanted it to be designed for lead playing. My customized trumpet should be light and have a smaller, straighter flared bell in order to achieve that specific lead sound. That is why I chose the scratch gold plating with a medium classic bell. However, I knew that these two characteristics alone would not improve the trumpet and so I thought of how to make the trumpet look “cooler.” This is where my theme originated. I decided to have my trumpet symbolize jazz and the past and present jazz trumpet greats. It would look cool from far away because of the scratch gold plating and it would also have famous quotes engraved on it so that when viewed up close, it would in a way pay tribute to the jazz trumpet players of the past. That is why my trumpet would be called “The Definition of Cool” or “The Definition” for short. More specifically, the trumpet would be hand scratched and have polished accents in the normal places like a standard model. However, “The Definition” would also have polished accents any place that text appeared. The first text would be a quote from Louis Armstrong and would appear on the trumpet as, “What we play is life.” –Louis Armstrong. It would be located as close to the middle of the lead pipe as possible, without going beyond the little piece of metal that wraps around the lead pipe (it is under the pinky hook if that makes it easier to visualize and understand what I am talking about). There would also be two more quotes that would go on the flat plating that is connected to the tuning slide and the other side that wraps around (like in this picture of Wynton Marsalis’ horn at http://www.duke.edu/~kbk2/wynton6.jpg ). However, it does not have to be shaped exactly this way. They should each be cut the same way and the cut should be a soft curve. It should be somewhere in between a straight line and a curve that is as sharp as the tubing of the trumpet (I know you guys at Eclipse would use good taste 8) ). The quotes should be in the center of the plating and only polished where text is, as mentioned before. On the left side of the trumpet, where the Eclipse tuning slide is found, will be another quote by Louis Armstrong and engraved as "Jazz is undefined. It should be felt. If you gotta ask, you'll never know." -Louis Armstrong. On the right side will be a quote by Miles Davis and would be engraved as “Always look ahead, but never look back.” –Miles Davis. Although this quote could possibly relate to any subject other than jazz, it holds personal significance for me. I try not to dwell too much on things and always try to move on and better myself, whether it be music related or just life in general. I would also want my name and a little drawing on the straight part of the tubing where it enters the third valve (it is the part of the tubing that starts with the lead pipe and then wraps around and straightens when going into the third valve casing). It would be entered as JONATHAN MANNESS and followed by a little 2-D stick figure drawing of a figure playing a trumpet. A 3-D picture of what I had in mind can be viewed at http://www.music123.com/Item/?itemno=83029 (click on "zoom+" for a bigger picture). The reason why I want this particular drawing is because it has become somewhat of a trademark symbol for me. Whenever I sign my name, I usually accompany my signature with this drawing and I figured that this would only personalize my trumpet even more. The drawing should be almost the same size as my name. Finally, along the top of the bell, where most trumpet makers put their trumpet name, “The Definition” should be engraved. I chose to only engrave the trumpet’s abbreviated name because I have had nicknames all my life and think that they are cool and this ties into the theme of the trumpet. The font for the quotes and name of the trumpet would be the same font that you use on your receivers and the font used for my name would be more of an angular font so that it complements the stick figure trumpeter. My name and the quotes would also be on the same side as the Eclipse engraving so that when the trumpet is on its side, all text and half the name of the trumpet could be seen. As for a slight change to the horn to help support my playing, I have thought of a design to the pinky hook so that I can comfortably rest my pinky finger on top of the hook and still have the choice to put my pinky in the hook. My current horn, a Bach Stradivarius, has a little nub at the end of the hook (it can be viewed at http://www.selmer.com/brass/stradtrp/images/180_01.jpg ). I like how the hook curves up at the end but instead of a nub, it should have a groove instead so it is more comfortable to rest the pinky on top. Since the tendons in your hands are all connected, I usually put my pinky on top so that my fingers are free and I can play faster. The reason I still want a hook is so that I can put my pinky under and get a little extra leverage when playing high (because we all know that more pressure is better! Just a little joke for those serious trumpet players reading this :) ). And before I forget about the other specifications, the trumpet would have the amado water keys, standard weight button caps, 1st valve slide hook, and a 3rd valve slide ring. In my humble opinion, "The Definition" is a pretty sweet lead trumpet. Speaking of things that are pretty sweet, here is my short story. 3. Short story: Living a Pretty Sweet Dream It was time for the biggest gig of Jon Manness’ young career. A month ago, he had received a call from the band manager to sub in for the lead trumpet player in Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Noveau Band at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Jon realized that few opportunities like this would come to him and so he immediately said yes. Once the music was sent to him, Jon went right to work, using his new baby, his trumpet, named “The Definition of Cool,” which he normally called for short “The Definition.” He had designed this Eclipse, custom-made masterpiece and it made him sound like the legend Maynard himself and gave him the confidence he needed to play lead in front of anyone. He had his music memorized and down cold, most of which did not take much effort, as Jon usually played along with the band’s recordings for fun. Once Jon had his stylish Armani suit and leather jacket on, “The Definition” put away in its leather case, and his Maynard CDs in hand, he headed out of his apartment and straight into his sleek BMW Z4 to get some dinner and then head off to the Kimmel Center for the big show. For a bite to eat, he headed to Pat’s King of Steaks on 9th Street in Philly for one of Pat’s famous cheese steaks, along with fries (or chips for the people at Eclipse), and a diet Pepsi (so he does not get fat). Once he gobbled his food down, he reminded himself to brush his teeth once he arrived at the Kimmel Center so he wouldn’t get any leftovers in his new baby trumpet. As Jon heads to the Kimmel Center “Birdland,” the greatest Maynard chart ever, started playing. He immediately gets pumped up and starts screaming along with Maynard, just as the center comes into view and he doesn’t even get out of the car until the song is finished. He even thinks of how he will be playing that chart tonight, since the band will be using it for their encore. Once he enters the building, he finds a bathroom (to brush his teeth of course!), meets the manager, the band, and the man himself, and chats with them all before the performance. It was all history in the making for Jon from then on. He was playing as if he had been with the band for years. He filled the building with his screaming notes and amazing sound, two qualities that he had mastered with “The Definition.” After the encore, the band got a standing ovation and Jon knew he had had his best performance ever. The band congratulated Jon and Maynard told him that if he ever needed a trumpet player on the east coast, he would know who to call. Jon was in complete euphoria after the events of that evening. As he was leaving, a young college student came up to him and congratulated him on his performance. “How did you get so good, Mr. Manness?” “Well kid, I studied with the right people, practiced correctly, and never gave up.” “What kind of trumpet were you using?” “Well it’s a one-of-a-kind. I call it ‘The Definition.’” “Cool.” “Exactly.” 4. Why I should win. Aside from receiving the trumpet of my dreams, I feel I should win this contest because the trumpet I envisioned is a quality and legitimate lead trumpet that is worth creating. From a playing standpoint, the scratch gold plating and medium classic bell creates a powerful, light weight lead trumpet that would scream over any ensemble. This trumpet would also be more comfortable and easier for me to play due to the improved pinky ring and I would have a relaxed and free hand all at the same time. However, “The Definition’s” visual appeal is what makes it a one-of-a-kind. From far away, the trumpet stands out with its scratch gold plating, but is also not too flashy and gaudy. Only when up close would one notice the engravings and other personal touches that make “The Definition” unique. I feel that the trumpet is visually subtle, yet distinguished and personalized at the same time. Overall, these two components create a theme that acts as a tribute to the jazz greats that I have always looked up to and admired. After all, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Hopefully, I can live up to the level that these jazz greats, past and present, have set. Hopefully, I can do this with a custom-made Eclipse trumpet. Jon Manness PS- I would like to thank my girlfriend, Alyssa, for editing my paper and supporting me throughout the contest. PSS-Thank you Eclipse, TrumpetMaster.com, and everyone else involved in putting this contest together. May the best design win!