Education · Interview

Johnny Thirkell : Horn Camp 2019

Johnny Thirkell is one of the great unsung heroes of the music industry. With a truly prolific recording output, his trumpet features on thousands of hits over the past thirty odd years. To find out more about Johnny, please follow this link to read this great interview (even if I do say so myself!) that… Continue reading Johnny Thirkell : Horn Camp 2019

Advice · Education · Interview

Trumpet Artist Profile: Marvin Stamm

Marvin Stamm is a colossus of the music world, having performed and recorded with many jazz legends throughout his illustrious career. At 79-years-young, he is still going strong and and has many interesting thoughts here on adapting to change, both musically and physiologically over the years. There is sound and compelling advice here for musicians of all instruments and of all ages!

Advice · Education · Interview

Professional Development : Kate Amrine

When I left music college (nearly) 20 years ago, the approach to building a healthy portfolio of freelance work as a trumpeter was rather different to now: ย Face-to-face networking; Being in โ€œthe right place at the right timeโ€ with the right people; Backing up any opportunities by being a โ€œgood guy to have aroundโ€ and a good player. ย This was the limit to oneโ€™s self-marketing. It struck me at the time that even when things were busy, and the diary was booked up a couple of months ahead, there was never a feeling of being in control and having โ€˜ownershipโ€™ (this seems to be the buzz word) of your career.ย  This is what led me to start to explore other things that I could do alongside the trumpet-playing that could bring me more of a sense of control over my own career. Speaking to younger professionals now, I see quite a different picture.ย  The opportunities that the internet has brought are vast, and musicians are quickly learning how to maximise what it has to offer.ย Players now have limitless control over their own image and career. ย This series looks at this in more detail: Next up in 'Part 2' to help me look at this in more depth is Kate Amrine. ย Kate is a trumpet player and educator based in New York City. ย She currently freelances in many different genres from Orchestra to Broadway, and also is an active soloist, currently working on her second album. ย Music entrepreneurship has always been an interest and she recently presented her "Designing your Career in Music" masterclass at New York University where Kate has been an Adjunct Professor since 2013.

Advice · Education · Interview

Professional Development : Becca Toft

When I left music college (nearly) 20 years ago, the approach to building a healthy portfolio of freelance work as a trumpeter was rather different to now:  Face-to-face networking; Being in โ€œthe right place at the right timeโ€ with the right people; Backing up any opportunities by being a โ€œgood guy to have aroundโ€ and… Continue reading Professional Development : Becca Toft

Advice · Education · Interview

Trumpet Artist Profile: Markus Stockhausen

I met up with Markus Stockhausen on a (typically) rainy day at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK on 23rd March 2018. He is a trumpeter at the cutting edge of modern performance, and as I was to find out during the course of this interview, a fascinating one at that! JH:… Continue reading Trumpet Artist Profile: Markus Stockhausen

Advice · Education

1st things 1st…

A new school term is just starting, with thousands of children picking up a trumpet for the first time this month. The purpose of this article is to look at how we as teachers approach these crucial first few weeks, what our priorities are to ensure sustained enthusiasm and a solid technical and musical groundingโ€ฆ and also any tips and tricks that we have learnt that help to achieve this.

Gear · Trumpets

Adams Trumpets in the UK

The past few years has seen some tough times for the Musical Instruments industry in general, with many established manufacturers, distributors and retailers feeling the pinch - this has however left opportunities for a number of smaller companies to diversify and expand, and we have also seen a number of new niche companies spring up.… Continue reading Adams Trumpets in the UK