Vessehune

Since high school my focus has always been on imporving range and jazz trumpet abilities. Now that I have graduated from college, yes I played "legit" music there but only because I had to, I realize that I should have focused more on overall playing whle coming up, but as they say hind sight is 20/20. I would like to start to work on developing a more "legit" soundand much better technique than I curretnly have. Any advice on where to begin? I am in a rural area of Washington as well so I'm not close to a college, or any where that I know of getting decent lessons!! :(

Manny Laureano

You're going to half to travel and do some research on your own before you do. Call up the Symphony and see who teaches. How close is your local university?

These are the the obvious questions that will be basic to your searching.

Good luck,

ML

tpter1

In addition to what Manny just said:
Listen, listen listen. Go hear the symphony if it isn't too far away. Grab some recordings. Get the sound in your head. You have to have a good concept in your head before you can even begin to develop one outside your head.

Vessehune

The symphony is in Seattle or Spokane. Each of whcih is close to 200 miles away. The closest university, 80 miles a little better than 200, has more of a jazz based focus. I'm sure I could still learn plenty from the professor. I guess I will just have to do some more research. Never know whom I may find closer to the area that can help.

Vessehune

Any good segguestions on what to listen? I could tell what to listen to all day for jazz. Orchestral music I know very little besides the 30,000 ft fly over we got in my Music history courses. :(

tpter1

Some of my favorites: Maurice Andre. There's a 2 disc set of trumpet works on the EMI label that is an absolute standard and should be in everyone's library. It's called Concertos Pour Trompette. Ed Carroll. He and the members of the NY Trumpet Ensemble released an album called Maters of Leipzig that has been and continues to be my benchmark for smoothness of style, articulation, graceful playing, sound and musicianship. (It has it all).

Symphonic repertoire:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Mahler: Symphony No. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 (not familiar with 7, 9, and 10)
Shostakovitch: Any symphony, especially 1 and 5
Debussy: Fetes, La Mer
Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms, Petroucka, Firebird (I like the complete version; Charles Dutoit and Montreal have a great recording of it, coupled with Fireworks), the Rite of Spring
Copland: An Outdoor Overture, Billy the Kid, Rodeo, Appalachian Spring
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
Bernstein: Symphony no. 3 (Jeremiah), Concerto for Orchestra (Jubilee Games)
Dvorak: Symphony No. 8 and 9 (From the New World)
Bach: Suite for Orchestra no 2 (try to find the Acadamy of St. Maartin in the Fields..really beautiful sound and phrasing), Magnificat
Strauss: any tone poems

I could go on quite a while. The good orchestras: Chicago, NY, Minnesota (their doing Mahler 1 this week, and it's broadcast online), Berlin, Boston, London, Philadelphia.. far too many to remember. All of them play and sound and approach these works differently.

trumpettrax

Check out this site with many sound clip that may give you an idea of what you like.

http://www.atlantabrassalliance.com/listening.html


I thought it was an awesome find! :)

fundenlight

If you can make it over here, try and get at least one lesson with the professor at CWU. I am sure that he would be willing to meet with you if you could make it. On a related note, have you made it to either our trumpet festival or our jazz festival? I know the professor gives masterclasses at both of those.
If the westside is closer to you, try to get in touch with the principal of Tacoma. He is an incredibly musical and vocal player who went through a similar situation to yours.

tpter1

Wow...what a great site! What a treasure trove for students and musicians. I MUST share that! Thank you.

highbrass

I agree with Glenn that it does help to listen to a lot of recordings (great list, BTW). Hopefully your local library or music store is closer than 200 miles; I'd go and check out recordings and/or videos/DVDs there. If not, there's always really good sound clips on the Internet at many of the websites of the major orchestras listed, as they usually have sample clips that accompany the works they will be performing or have already performed (of the ones not already mentioned, San Francisco Symphony <http://www.sfsymphony.org> also has a great website with examples of these clips). I found that to be helpful if I'm not familiar with some of the pieces. Hope this helps.

Liz