| Great topic!
The first thing that inspired me to play trumpet was hearing the fanfares at the beginning of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back as a child. John Williams' music gave me such a rush that I knew I had to be a part of it.
Later, I was able to hear Doc Severinsen live on a couple of different occaisions and absolutely fell in love with his fat, rich sound. I always try to imagine Doc's sound when I play jazz solos.
Now days I am inspired by great orchestral players like Phil Smith, Bud Herseth and our own Manny. These guys inspire me because they can play so precisely while still sounding very musical and not mechanical.
Kevin |