Originally Posted by TrumpetEd

Tony,

With 35+ years of playing trumpet, I am one of Roger Ingram's students. I began studying with him in September 2006 and I get in a lesson with him every chance possible. His way of playing does work, but as he will tell you, you're not going to want to play like that in a symphony orchestra. Like you, I have been playing the way orchestral players have been teaching for so many years and I made a good living at it, but I could never get above a high "G". Now Gs and A-flats are solid. High A was always a breaking point for me and I had the hardest time hitting it. Now I can hit the A and am working on the B-flat, B and Double C. I'm hitting them, but they aren't notes I could use on a gig right now, but hopefully in time. I truly believe in Roger's way of playing as he has proven that it works. I have also spoken with Bobby Shew and Marvin Stamm and they speak highly of him. You can't ask for better testimonials than that. Roger doesn't say that his way is the only way, just another way, but he firmly believes in it as I do. I just wish one of my teachers could have turned me onto this way years ago. I too play a medium large bore trumpet. He actually likes my horn, but said he still has to work harder than on his. By the way, the gentleman he is working with on his trumpet is Steve Winans (aka Doctor Valve). Steve worked many years for Schilke under Renold Schilke, not the new management. I had some big time problems with my valves and after Steve overlapped them, I haven't had a problem since. He really knows his stuff. I am really excited to see what he and Roger come up with.

Ed