TrumpetMaster - View Single Post - Taps for Non-Military

bob latorre · 03-25-2007, 09:57 PM

Interesting you should mention the pressure. It's one of those situations where you just HAVE to play perfectly, and for some reason that takes the pressure off for me! Just relax and play it! Last Memorial Day I was hired to play taps at a military service where about 400 people attended. I stood in back and waited through the hour-plus ceremony for my cue. It turned out that there was a "gold-star" family there (of a recently-fallen Iraq vet) standing right in front of me. When my cue came up right after the 21-gun salute, I stepped up right next to the family, raised my horn and played out. Everyone rose as one, and the emotions really started to flow! Instead of thinking, okay guy don't blow it, I was just focused on the patriotism and honor of the moment. All the notes came out good. Gotta be careful not to let emotions carry you away though.

On the subject of payment for taps, I always donate whatever I'm paid to a worthy cause. Patriotic duty and all that.

03-25-2007, 09:57 PM	#13 (permalink)
bob latorre New Friend Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3	Re: Taps for Non-Military Interesting you should mention the pressure. It's one of those situations where you just HAVE to play perfectly, and for some reason that takes the pressure off for me! Just relax and play it! Last Memorial Day I was hired to play taps at a military service where about 400 people attended. I stood in back and waited through the hour-plus ceremony for my cue. It turned out that there was a "gold-star" family there (of a recently-fallen Iraq vet) standing right in front of me. When my cue came up right after the 21-gun salute, I stepped up right next to the family, raised my horn and played out. Everyone rose as one, and the emotions really started to flow! Instead of thinking, okay guy don't blow it, I was just focused on the patriotism and honor of the moment. All the notes came out good. Gotta be careful not to let emotions carry you away though. On the subject of payment for taps, I always donate whatever I'm paid to a worthy cause. Patriotic duty and all that.