Personally, I think that lessons with non-trumpet-players is essential to one's development as a complete musician. No matter what your career path or what style of music you play, you'll be playing with non-trumpet-playing musicians, and so having your perspective checked is absolutely necessary.
I take regular lessons in improvisation with a guy named Vinny Golia (
www.ninewinds.com). Firstly, I think this guy is a genious improviser. But one thing that makes him stand out even more is that he plays 58 different wind instruments...that's right 58! And what's more, he plays them all ridiculously well, basically because he doesn't think about what instrument he's playing...just the music he's making. So we get together and just free improvise duos...he'll pull some indigenous flute and ask me to blend with that, and then pull out a bass sax and go buck wild with it...it really keeps me on my toes in a way I'm never asked to do in an orchestral, jazz, or rock setting. Very very enlightening as far as exposing weaknesses is concerned. And it gives you a whole context for trumpet that you generally don't consider in the practice room.
Anyway, I think that working with wind players, string players, vocalists, pianists, drummers, conductors, composers, etc. are invaluable perspective checks that we can give ourselves. Good thread...
Dan Rosenboom
www.danielrosenboom.com www.plotzmusic.com www.myspace.com/thebloodiermeanson