Anthony Prisk has been the 2nd trumpet in the Philadelphia Orchestra since 2013, after previously spending eleven seasons with the Houston Symphony. Tony is an Ultimate Brass and Yamaha artist, and kindly shares his thoughts with us here:
What first drew you to the trumpet in the early days?
I distinctly remember listening to my Dad’s Star Wars soundtrack over and over again. When I went to my elementary school’s band program I was drawn to the cornet and was successful at making a sound. Then as I went along, I really began to enjoy practicing and hearing improvement and performing for my friends and family. It was the ultimate trill to eventually work with and study with Maurice Murphy and John Williams. It came full circle for me!
Who or what were your early musical influences?
My biggest influence in the early days was my high school band directors, Ross Kellan, Greg Cunnigham and Steve Hoffman. Ross was such a positive and encouraging teacher, he instilled pride and artistry in everything we did. I went to the University of Illinois with the goal to follow in his footsteps and influence students in a positive and inspiring way. Eventually, Ray Sasaki took over with this great influence and encouraged me to pursue a life in musical performance and supported my goals and progress. To this day, he is still supportive and helpful in my development as a player and teacher.
Do you have any particular practice regimes? Does this change a lot depending on what repertoire you are covering in the orchestra?
I am an avid practicer. I have a daily fundamental routine including many concepts from the Sach Daily Fundamentals to Stamp, Schlossberg, Cichowicz, Plog, Vizzutti, Bai Lin, Zauder, Gekker, and more. I do try to stay in shape away from the orchestral repertoire playing etudes and solos from Bousquet, Arban, Concone, Snedecor, Brandt, Charlier, Bitsch, etc…to Bohme, Tomasi, Jolivet, Arutiuinian, etc…If we are playing big rep I will prepare for the week by blowing down Bordogni/Rochut, Brandt, or Smith Top Tones to get ready and then the week of, focus on fundamentals and lighter repertoire to balance my playing. When I am doing a lot of low playing in the orchestra I will turn to playing more piccolo at home and softer solo repertoire. I keep a daily practice log most weeks to keep track of my routines and progress. This also allows me to take notes on what is working and what isn’t. I bring this into my teaching to help students achieve their daily, weekly and life goals.
What do you think are the most important elements of music and trumpet playing that young players should focus on?
First of all, SOUND! Finding a Resonant, Brilliant, Rich, Warm, Complex, Flexible, Dominant, Sweet, Singing sound or tone that moves a listener is most important. Finding an efficient way to do this should be a daily goal. Then, for the music, it’s great TIME! Not just playing the correct rhythm but feeling the music and creating the style out of time feel and pulse. If you have these two things, the others will come. Everyone wants great range and speed and loudness but Sound and Time come first.
How have different teachers through your life shaped the way that you teach?
I have studied with more teachers I can count but every single lesson had something in it that was helpful. I can remember little tips from each lesson from Bud Herseth showing me how he practiced Arban’s and Bobby Shew showing me his wedge breath. There are endless amounts of tools to help students solve issues and achieve their goals. I try to get them to hear the issue, figure out what might be causing it and then create a routine or practice regiment that will nip it in the bud. I also encourage my students to work on their fundamentals to serve the music. For instance, if they are working on Mahler, then play your Concone with a Mahler like sound or work on the Gekker Articulation drills in the tempo and style of Ravel. This all comes from the many teachers that help me along the way. Thanks to Ray Sasaki, Dr. Mike Ewald, John Hagstrom, Paul Merkelo, Charlie Geyer and Barbara Butler, Mike Sachs, Ray Mase, Chris Gekker and so many more.
Can you talk a little about your Ultimate Brass mouthpieces, why you play them, and the process of selecting them?
Sun He and I worked on finding a replacement for my longtime Parke mouthpiece. The mouthpiece was wearing out and I always thought it was leaving something on the table for me and my playing. I needed a mouthpiece that was flexible in sound production in my role as second trumpet but also allowed me to step out of the ensemble and lead at times or play solos with brilliance. The mouthpiece line we came up with takes the mouthpieces I played and improved the playability and resonance by finding a better balance of throat and back bore along with adjusting dimensions of the mouthpiece. They are derived from Bach, Parke and Reeves elements but really are unique to Ultimate Brass. We spent a couple years of testing in the orchestra and sending videos back and forth to land on our final product. We are also continuing to develop better versions and more horn specific sizing.
Can you also tell me a little about your relationship with Yamaha?
Ever since Yamaha introduced the Gen 1 Chicago C trumpet I have been playing Yamaha trumpets. I actually had a Yamaha Piccolo way before but I really switched around 2005 or 2006 cold turkey to mostly Yamaha trumpets. Now I am a Yamaha Artist and I play exclusively Yamaha trumpets. The support you get from Bob Malone, Wayne Tanabe and all the folks at Yamaha are unmatched. They are in constant development of new instruments to serve the needs of their customers and artists. It’s a pleasure to work with and represent Yamaha. And the Ultimate Brass mouthpiece works very well with my Gen 3 instruments.
What are some career highlights to date?
Playing for John Williams was an absolute highlight. I had goose bumps when he walked out on stage the first time. But I really have to say, almost every concert I play with the Philadelphia Orchestra, something special and moving happens on stage. I am absolutely lucky to be playing with so many great and inspiring colleagues, highlights happen every week. I’m looking forward to making more career highlights as we start this new season!
I guess that there were some periods of long lay-off through the pandemic? Is working life starting to get back to normal now? Are there any lessons that you can take out these past 18 months?
The lessons I learned from the past 18 months are many. Mainly, to appreciate your friends and colleagues. Learn from everyone around you. Take the good and leave the bad. Positive influence and encouragement goes a long way to help others rather than negative talk and thoughts. I learned a lot about how to be a better colleague, teacher and friend. On the trumpet side of things, I experimented with different ways of playing, warming up, equipment, etc. It was time to reflect on weakness in my playing and coming up with new ways of tackling those issues. I also created lots of online content that you can see on my Facebook/Instagram and YouTube Channel. I actually didn’t take any time off the trumpet…I looked at the pandemic as an opportunity in the middle of my career to practice like I was in college again and try to develop better habits for second half of my career. It was a productive time for me that helped me to stay in a positive and productive mindset.
Any projects that you have coming up that you would like to talk about?
I continue to work on projects for social media and my YouTube tutorials. I am looking forward to a more regular performance schedule and teaching in person. I get so much energy from teaching, sharing my knowledge and inspiring younger students. My hope is to transition from performing to full time teaching in the next 10 years. So my goals currently are to get the most from my playing experiences and build a great trumpet studio at Peabody and Temple University.
Thank you for asking me to contribute. I enjoy sharing my experiences and stories with the music world. I want people to know I am accessible for questions on social media and look forward to hearing from everyone. Let me know what you think of the Ultimate Brass mouthpieces…I’d love the feedback.
SIGN UP HERE FOR NEW BLOG ARTICLES EMAILED DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX:
Alliance Brass mouthpieces were launched in 2006 by Roger Webster, former principal cornet with Black Dyke and Grimethorpe. Initially these were for the brass band world to accompany Besson instruments but in more recent times, there have been some significant developments with their trumpet range.
Stephen Wick from Alliance Brass and Denis Wick Products was kind enough to send me two different models to put through their paces. Before I let you know what I think, here is what Stephen Wick has to say about them:
“The Alliance trumpet mouthpieces were designed with bodies considerably heavier than the standard Bach shape to create a mouthpiece which delivers a powerful sound and can project well. The mass is carefully distributed to achieve this effect without losing responsiveness. Some mouthpieces with extremely heavy bodies can feel very ‘dead’ and lacking in response. The idea behind the Alliance mouthpieces was to have just the right weight for the power and projection needed, but still be responsiveness enough to be enjoyable to play. The cups, bores and backbores are carefully designed to create a harmonious blend and optimal performance.
The rims are designed to be super comfortable – round enough to be very easy to play but with a gentle curve which is enough to spread the pressure evenly. The mouthpieces are machined using specialist tooling so that minimal polishing is needed before plating. This ensures that the exact contours of the rim are preserved and not altered at all in the polishing process. The taper of the shank is carefully checked so that optimum ‘gap’ is achieved, resulting in a mouthpiece that produces a resonant sound that is immediately noticeable to the player.”
In this play-testing review, I chose to go in blind without knowing anything of the specifications of the two mouthpieces:
Alliance 4 (WAGR11-4) The initial feel on the chops is that this is a nice ‘roomy’ classically orientated mouthpiece, reminiscent of a Bach 11⁄2C in feel, but perhaps with a slightly wider inner rim. There is a very quick response with this, and I find myself having to recalibrate my approach having been sucked into the Bach feel of the rim! Though brightly responsive, there is still a depth to the sound that I really enjoy. And after playing for a minute or so, I discover that I do not need to make as many adjustments to compensate for tricky intonation. I am also struck by the great balance of resistance in this mouthpiece, allowing ease of control in timbre and volume. This is a nice balanced mouthpiece, suitable for classical all-rounders, offering a depth of sound for orchestral playing as well as the flexibility and brightness for chamber or solo contexts.
• Inner cup diameter: 17 mm • Rim: 5.35 mm • Bore: 3.7 mm • Medium deep cup
Alliance 8 (WAGR11-8) Now this immediately has a classic 7C feel. The rim is extremely comfortable with a medium deep cup. My initial reaction is that this would be the perfect mouthpiece for a beginning player as it is so easy to play and make a nice full sound. However, this is clearly not a typical ‘beginner’ mouthpiece. The sound is full, the intonation is even across the range, and there is an ease of flexibility especially in the upper registers. There is a nice character to this mouthpiece, probably offered in part by the extra outer mass compared to a standard beginner mouthpiece. The I tried the model with gold rim, but I will certainly be recommending the slightly cheaper all-silver model to my beginner students!
• Inner cup diameter: 16.25 mm • Rim: 5.63 mm • Bore: 3.7 mm • Medium cup
SIGN UP HERE FOR NEW BLOG ARTICLES EMAILED DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX:
Many top players have already turned to Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets for mouthpieces and trumpets. At the helm is Peter Pickett who has kindly given up his time to answer some questions…
Can you talk a little about the background to getting started on this trumpet craftsmanship journey?
This entire journey to date in hindsight appears elegant and neat when laid out on paper, but rather, has been quite challenging. I’ll look back one day on life and say that all the pieces were laid out and it was such a natural progression, but the truth is that opportunities came and went, but with some luck, I was able to latch onto key ones along the way. For example, when Cliff Blackburn approached me in 2009 on working with him to carry forward Blackburn Trumpets, I happened to have been in the right place at the right time. Having said that, most of the company’s significant forward steps have hinged on being in the right place at the right time, and paying attention to see and take advantage of fortuitous timing. You must always be aware of what’s going on around you and have the imagination to envision the possibilities at all times, even as impossible as it may sound at the moment.
My internal, irrational, and unconscious drive to bring this all to life has been a result of combining the joy of playing trumpet and of my engineering background and manufacturing. What could be a better combination of those interests? So much of the company’s progress and progression has been driven by brute force and pure work ethic, powering through significant inefficiencies and unawareness, to accelerate learning and progress to get ahead of the learning curve and not settling for what was easy or simply sufficient in the moment. We’ve worked through a number of these headwinds, but out of the gate, you just have to execute and work regardless of what it takes to get it done.
When Pickett Brass officially started in 2003, I did not have all the skills necessary to do what we do today. But this didn’t stop me from stepping forth to see if all of this could work. Stumbling through numerous issues having nothing to do with the actual parts in the beginning really woke me up to the sheer number of obstacles that would need to be overcome.
Who or what were your inspirations?
Most of my inspiration comes from wanting to actually make something meaningful, bringing something to life. Being able to create something from raw materials, from almost nothing, that act of creating is what fuels me the most. This coupled with music and creating something that contributes to the creation of music only reinforces the inspiration. The incredible variety of artists that I get to meet and work with is humbling. Ultimately it’s a privilege to be a part of this music making community – which is not something to be taken lightly. When we are actively part of something larger than ourselves, and can contribute to the greater good, it’s not an opportunity to boast or brag, but rather to quietly contribute to the growth of all in the community together, creating community strength.
Did you set out with ideas of how manufacturing could be improved?
Absolutely – when any process becomes elegant and efficient, it is more fun and enjoyable. This applies to any endeavor – for example, we don’t play trumpet because it’s hard, no fun, and produces unpleasant sounds. No – instead, when we become adept and efficient at playing the instrument, it is more fun and enjoyable – and the end product is all that much better. Wanting the business processes, the design processes, and production processes to be elegant and efficient has always been a significant driving force.
How and why did you branch out from valve trim-sets to the excellent custom mouthpieces that you now produce?
When all of this started in 2001, I was only aiming to make 1 set of trumpet buttons for myself. They were made by hand, nothing special, but just made by me, for me. This was followed by stems, top caps, and bottom caps and as far as I could tell at the time, this was all it was going to be. Mouthpieces eventually followed as a natural progression around 2007. I had the machines to do them and as every trumpet player knows, no one mouthpiece is going to be ‘it’ for any player. The unlimited possible variations for brass instrument mouthpieces allows for numerous designers and manufacturers all around the world to take part and participate in this industry. This was exciting to know despite “everything has been invented already”, I could still produce unique mouthpieces that work like no other for players and that had never been made before.
Are there any unexpected challenges that you have met along the way?
Absolutely – seemingly endless and absolutely overwhelming at times. Most people don’t realize what goes into creating and running a complete business. Making actual mouthpieces is only one small aspect and can be challenging into itself, but ultimately it takes so many other steps to get that freshly made mouthpiece out the door to a player. So overcoming the challenges of running a business from the financial processes, to ecommerce development and management, taxes, payment processing, facilities, and numerous others, have all been challenges.
Running a successful manufacturing business takes a lot of time and commitment. How do you balance this with having a life outside of the workshop?!
Running a small business is all life-encompassing and a lifestyle choice. Some say it’s a curse, others a privilege, but there is nearly no time in any day that the business isn’t being worked on or thought about. So life balance in the traditional sense is fleeting and fairly non-existent. The variety of activities that the business offers is one outlet though – from manufacturing to meeting with customers, there is a wide range of involvement and autonomy. For example, trade shows give me a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, hear new music, and see new areas outside of the shop.
Can you talk a little about your work with Cliff and taking on the Blackburn trumpets brand?
Cliff and I have been friends for a long time – starting by meeting him in 2004 at the ITG conference in Denver, Colorado. He probably doesn’t remember that initial introduction, but it was the first opportunity for me to talk to him and his wife, albeit briefly. Since that early introduction, through the years, we’ve seen each other often and talked at conferences, and eventually worked together on manufacturing the Blackburn trumpet mouthpieces. After years of collaborating with Cliff on the manufacturing of various trumpet components for Blackburn Trumpets, he approached me at the ITG Conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 2009 asking if I’d be interested in working with him in carrying the Blackburn Trumpets company forward after his retirement. Of course the answer was yes, but little did I know that it would take an additional 7 years to work through the details.
We worked together through that period on training, learning, and exploring what made the Blackburn Trumpets what they are so well known for. And even after we acquired the company in 2016, we had an incredible amount of learning and work still left to do. It has been an incredibly overwhelming exercise, but has ultimately proven to be worth the work and challenges.
What are your plans and ambitions for the future?
As it turns out, making trumpets from scratch is hard – the entire process of making a trumpet from scratch is mind boggling when you consider all the details along the way. And details matter. So we are working hard towards complete documentation and process improvements so that the Blackburn brand continues well into the future with strength and a strong succession plan.
I would like the Blackburn team to expand as our space continues to expand. By having a solid group of craftsmen that are ingrained with the quality and technical expectations, we can produce like no other. With this solid knowledge base, the Blackburn brand can be expanded into numerous other areas.In regards to the mouthpiece side of the business, we continue to expand our capabilities and improve processes. It may not sound significant, but when you reduce the number of steps you take to accomplish the tasks it takes to produce a mouthpiece or any other product, the entire process becomes better, easier, and much more enjoyable. This type of work is difficult in itself and is hard to do while working through day to day business. However, we strive to take time to study how we do things and to try new approaches, so to maintain our relevance and avoid destructive complacency.
At the moment, the world is in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. How has this affected you?
The Covid-19 pandemic and uncertainty has all but fully consumed everyone. Our business, like many others, has been shut down for a while to stem the spread of the virus, bringing to a halt the production of mouthpieces and trumpets like never before. In addition, the economic fallout from the significant job disruptions and losses worldwide is incredibly disheartening. Despite the day to day challenges facing us, I am optimistic that we will get through this together. This period of time offers an unprecedented opportunity for self reflection and a pause – a universal “time-out” persay. The challenge has been that this has all progressed so quickly and it’s hard to appreciate the sudden change in routines and ‘normal’ and do the self-reflection and evaluation. Herein lies the present challenge – and the chance for the once in a lifetime opportunity.
Sign up here for new blog articles emailed direct to your inbox:
Marc Geujon is Principal Trumpet of the Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Paris. As well being a Professor at the Conservatoire de Saint Maur des Fossés, he is growing in reputation as a soloist and educator. September 2018 will also see Marc take up a teaching position at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. I was delighted to be able to catch up with him and also to find out about his latest collaboration with Schilke.
What drew you to the trumpet as a child?
When I was 11, I asked my parents if I could learn music. After one year of learning theory and reading notes, I asked the music school if I could try trombone. The music school director answered, “There are no more trombones available, you will learn the trumpet…!”. I began with a non-professional teacher in my village. One year later, I passed an audition to enter the regional conservatory. The trumpet teacher didn’t want to take me in his class, because my sound and level were so terrible, and he told me to learn the tuba. I refused… He said, “Ok… stop playing during the summer and we will start at the beginning in September. Four years later, I graduated from the conservatory and joined Eric Aubier’s class for 1 and a half years. After, I entered the Paris Conservatoire.
Were there any particular early musical influences, or any musicians now that you particularly admire?
As with a lot of players, my first recordings were of Maurice André. And the CD which persuaded me to become a trumpeter was “Great French Trumpet Concertos” from Eric Aubier.
It was the reason why I asked to study with Aubier. He taught me a lot, especially on stage. When I was around 20, he asked me many times to play some baroque pieces for 2 trumpets or more with him (Vivaldi, Molter…) and also played the second part in Bach Masterpieces with him. It was an incredible experience for me.
Now, I’m a big fan of Reinhold Friedrich, Matthias Höfs, Pacho Flores… As orchestral players, I love Gábor Tarkövi, Peter Masseurs, Frits Damrow, David Bilger, Michael Sachs…
https://youtu.be/Tvua70Ctjfc
Do you have a set practise routine that works for everything, or do you have to change it drastically depending on what gigs you have in your diary? Does your practice change drastically from doing an operatic run, or a recital tour for example?
I have a practice routine that works for most of my days. Basics from Michael Sachs Daily Routine, Plog Program, Stamp, Arban, Clarke… It depends on the time I have to practice. I try to think the trumpet to be as natural and easy as possible… I work every day in that way. The only thing very important is that I need to practice in the morning, every day. I drive my kids to school every morning and begin my warm-up at 8:30am.
How does this change when you are travelling?
The problem is to play in the hotel room, with a practice mute. And also the jet lag… but I try to keep my routine and to do my best despite the hours, places and climate.
When you are teaching, have you found that your emphasis has changed over the years as your own experiences and playing develops and changes? Are there particular ‘schools of thought’ or strict ‘methods’ that you like to use with your students?
Yes, I have evolved a lot in my playing and teaching year after year. I try to be a student in my mind every day. I listen to a lot of music, I practice a lot of new things, I buy a lot of new books… so I try to share all my experiences with my students.
The most important thing I try to teach is “Trumpet playing must be easy”. I have the chance to see most of world’s best singers on stage every evening. The better they are, the easier they sing! It takes a lot of time and practice to play with easiness, but it’s so important and useful…
What are the key things that young aspiring players should concentrate on?
Sound, rhythm, music…and practice!
What has the process been like working on new Trumpets and Mouthpieces with Schilke? Can you tell us a little about how that relationship came about and what the design process was like?
Around 12 years ago, I was in a music shop in Paris to try a Schilke P5-4 piccolo for a colleague. Andrew Naumann, Schilke owner and president, and Phil Baughman, sales manager, were in the upper floors of the shop. They heard me playing the piccolo and offered me a Bb trumpet t try, a B1 anniversary model. I wasn’t a fan of that model, but I tested also a C trumpet (a C3) and it was so much easier to play compare to my Bach C. I bought it, and an X3 Bb one month later.
I met Andrew Naumann and his wife Julie several times after that, and I’m lucky to say that we are good friends now. I have played Schilke for 12 years now (C3, X3, E3L, G1L, P7-4, C5-4, XA-1…). When Schilke created their HD models, Andrew asked me to test them. They were good horns, but too stiff for me. We developed the C3HD, which was a little bit more flexible and brighter. It was better, but I was not completely satisfied for my playing style. Andrew and I discussed a completely new project. A new line which keep the standard qualities of the Schilke trumpets, but with a more orchestral instrument, with a beautiful rich sound, a lot of core, brilliance, and extremely flexible.
After 18 months of design and research, the Soloiste series was born. A new C and a new Bb trumpet, completely new… Not an assembly of existing parts, or small modifications on existing horns… And I can say that these trumpets are the best trumpets I have ever played.
In February, I was at the Schilke factory to finalize the Bb Soloiste with Andrew, and I asked Chris Jones, the Schilke mouthpiece production manager for a mouthpiece which fits perfectly with my Soloiste new trumpets. He made an incredible mouthpiece for me, and the Schilke Soloiste MG mouthpiece was born…
Most enjoyable project or gig?
I can say that it’s Christmas every day for me. I’m a lucky guy! I play in a wonderful orchestra, the Opera National de Paris orchestra, with a very nice and talented brass section. I play chamber music with the Opera brass quintet. I play regularly with piano or organ for recitals, and more and more with orchestra for solo concerts.
Every time I play, it is a good moment for me. And I love to meet other musicians from all over the world to play, discuss and share…
Proudest professional moment?
Perhaps ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ in Vienna Musikverein with the Paris opera orchestra… a wonderful moment with my colleagues. It was a change from our usual work in the pit.
https://youtu.be/W0-lJVmsDXg
What have you got coming up that you are most looking forward to?
I would love to record CDs now. It would be a good time in my life to do that… and I would love to travel more to play and teach French trumpet repertoire.
Thanks for your time Marc, is there anything else that you would like to add?
I would just like to thank very much my family for all the love they give me, Andrew and Julie Naumann with all the Schilke team for all their support and kindness, all the musicians I have met who have taught me something extra, and also, thank you, John for asking me these questions! 😉
Please visit Thompson Music to find out more about the new Schilke Soloiste Trumpets on the links below:
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: Thank you for meeting me here in Manchester Markus! You are in the middle of a tour at the moment I believe?
MS: Yes, last week I was touring with Florian Weber, we had 4 concerts in the UK. And here in Manchester I have a guest professorship at the RNCM, so I come here once or twice a year to either teach or do concerts. This time around I am doing a concert of my compositions with Big Band and String Orchestra. There are some smaller scale pieces in the first half with different instrumentation and lots of different elements including free improvisation. The second half is a piece called “Tanzendes Licht” [Dancing Light], a work that I wrote around 10 years ago for the Swiss Jazz Orchestra together with the Camerata Bern. That was a commission to bring those two ensembles together. I also later adapted it slightly to perform with the Metropole Orkest under Jules Buckley. This is the version that we are performing now in Manchester. I am very happy to come here, and the students, particularly the rhythm section, are excellent. I was so astonished to find such good players here, and all so young too!
Festival Time in Jazz, August 2017 in Ozieri, Sardegna, Italy. Photo: Gerhard Richter
JH: Can I take you back to the beginning of your trumpet experience and ask you what made you choose the trumpet?
MS: My father [Composer, Karlheinz Stockhausen] brought me a small post horn back from England when I was about 8 or 9. I had a blow on that one a few times and somehow, I felt drawn to the trumpet players of the brass section whenever I would go along to hear my father’s works in rehearsals and concerts. I don’t know why, I just found this fascinating! I started on piano when I was age 6, but when I was 12 we had to choose a second instrument at school. I tried the trumpet, and although I don’t think that I was especially gifted at that stage, I loved the sound and also the possibilities of being able to play with other players in small ensembles, wind bands, big bands, dance music, on weddings, funerals! … everything that you can think of! We had a band at school, we started to improvise, I had a small motorbike and with the trumpet on my back I was travelling all over the place going from one rehearsal to another. School wasn’t really that important to me, it was more about making music.
When I was around 15 or 16 we had a lot of good teachers. Jiggs Whigham lived near my home and leant me some important LPs. He also came down to teach our school big band sometimes which was great.
There were 3 main strands to my music making in those early days: The 1st was my classical teacher who took me through the major repertoire – Haydn, Hummel, Telemann, Hindemith etc, and orchestral excerpts and studies. The 2nd was the jazz and improvising that I enjoyed doing. The 3rd was from when I was 17 when I started to work with my father who would take me into orchestras to sit in the trumpet section to play his pieces. And when I was around 18 or 19 I began to take solo roles in some of his projects. He wrote “Sirius” for me which was an incredibly musical and demanding piece, 96 minutes of music we had to perform from memory. I was just 19 at this point! Shortly after, in 1978 he wrote “Michaels Reise um die Erde” as a trumpet concerto for me, which – being part of the Opera cycle “Licht” – in 1981 had its opera premiere at La Scala di Milano.
The kind of training that I received through my father really exceeds anything that any other student could possibly have! It was so broad.
JH: With this incredibly broad training that you had, with so many different styles, did you identify mostly with and enjoy one particular kind of playing?
MS: At that age, no, I enjoyed everything. I was ambitious and wanted to develop everything. I entered solo competitions which opened the door for me to perform with orchestras. I was taken on by an agent who helped to develop this side with me. I lost count of the number of times that I performed the Haydn concerto… with my father’s cadenzas of course! I had requests from other composers to perform their works, which I did sometimes, but I favoured working and collaborating with my father.
People told me that I had to decide which direction to take. I also considered conducting which I enjoyed, but ultimately decided not to pursue that as my trumpet playing would suffer. That was a big decision. I made the decision NOT to choose between playing different styles, but to continue pushing myself with classical, jazz etc. It became hard sometimes when a concerto one night would be followed by a jazz club gig the next, followed by a project with my father! I tried to space things out but it was not always possible – it sometimes was difficult and stressful.
JH: And what about now? Do you find that it is difficult to prepare for so many different kinds of projects?
MS: Yes, but in 2001 I took the decision to stop the collaboration with my father and to concentrate more on my own projects. This gives me more space to contemplate and organise. I also no longer take on classical concertos, I think my last Haydn concerto was 2008. There are lots of people that can do that – I think that it is important that I concentrate on what I can do that is unique. I wanted to explore my creative side deeper, and since then I have started various projects, duos, trio, quartet, larger ensembles… I recently started 2 new ensembles with 7 musicians, one is called Wild Life, the other is called Eternal Voyage. Sometimes I composefor them, but Wild Life is completely improvised.
I do not write so much now for larger ensemble. My son is now 25, and when he started to get older I was writing a lot. But when my daughter arrived in 2009, I felt that my energy and time to compose reduced drastically. Part of that creative energy goes into a person rather than into compositions! And it has to be that way.
JH: And are you able now to manage your work schedule pretty much how you want it, around your family life? It is that age-old dilemma for working musicians isn’t it?!
MS: I get complaints from my family that I am not at home enough, but they get used to it of course. It is difficult, but we manage. But if you want to keep the trumpet up at a good level, you have to be performing constantly. So, it is an essential choice for me to be on the road a lot, and away from the family sometimes. You certainly get used to airports and train stations! I try to do mostof my organisational work while I am travelling so that when I am at home, I can be more present. The projects that I do now are all incredibly enjoyable and rewarding, and I am at least able to stay in control of my schedule from this point of view. Sometimes I go on tour with my wife Tara Bouman, our duo MOVING SOUNDS. Then the whole family travels, which is very nice too.
My duo with Florian Weber is particularly busy at the moment, I think as funding gets tighter, a duo is suddenly much more appealing to a promoter than a quartet! And we constantly change our performances and the pieces depending on how we feel. It is incredibly liberating to be able to follow your emotions and state of mind instantlyin a performance.
As an interpreter,preparing a concerto is completely different as you have to train yourself to replicate a state of mind that is particularly suitable to that repertoire. The mental preparation is often the biggest challenge with that. With improvised music, I can just follow my own intuition, emotion and energy levels. “Go with the flow” as you say in English, and ride on the wave of your energy. It is more natural in a way.
Markus Stockhausen in Starnberg, 2016. Photo: Thomas J. Krebs
JH: You talk and teach on the subjects of the emotional, mental and spiritualpreparations towards performance and music making. Do you think that this is an aspect that can be ignored with a lot of ‘traditional’ trumpet teaching?
MS: No, they are as important for traditional performance also. Yet, I would say that it is very personal. From a young age, I was interested in finding better ways for controlling my body, controlling my breathing, and found that yoga was very helpful. I still do it on a daily basis. When I am travelling I will go for a short run every day and also do some meditation which helps me to stay calm, centre myself, and also to connect to something that is much bigger than we are, I call it ‘The Source’. Everything that we are is a manifestation of something vaster than we can possibly comprehend. And yet every one of us is a representation of that, and if we can make that conscious link to that ‘source’, by reducing our mental activity to an open state, we can have access to a much greater wisdom and energy that we can use in our lives. It brings us forward, it inspires us, it gives us ideas, and also good health. It is nothing strange or foreign, it is our deeper nature. Just open up to it.
JH: Would you say that this outlook changes the way that you approach playing and practicing the trumpet?
MS: I just try to listen to my body when I practice, to see what it needs. There is still some ambition there to cover the full range and to play strongly. I usually do some flapping of the lips and a short mouthpiece warm-up to promote blood circulation. I then activate my breathing as I learnt under Carmine Caruso. I have a pdf available to download on my website of my version of some of these exercises, that I find really helpful, I call them “The Basic Caruso”. Then I proceed with gently soft low register exercises for a few minutes before I start to play whatever I want to.
Coming back to Caruso, I studied twice with him having been recommended to him by Marvin Stamm. I was initially irritated that he was not a trumpeter, and there was a sterile system of how to practice… but then I understood, and it opened up something in me and made me understand that activating your breathing is the MOST important thing. I added a little bit myself, where you exhale completely before inhaling. You are then full of breath which gives you much more energy, even to approach simple things. Teaching your body to work in this way takes a lot of the problems away from the lip.
Another thing is that when you play a difficult passage, of course there is tension in the body. The important thing is that once you no longer need the tension, you should release it and move past it. I learnt this from yoga. The balance between contraction and relaxation is key. We have this in trumpet playing all of the time.
Another piece of advice that I would like to offer is not to overdo the practice. Stop as you are beginning to feel tired, do not push on through. I made this mistake too many times in my youth, it is much better to play in smaller units and then take a break. I tend to do 2 or 3 sessions each day, around 40-45 minutes each time. I try to make sure that I really challenge myself in that time, but then take the time to relax afterwards. A lot of my practice involves improvisation, so I like to sometimes use a metronome to train my timing, as well as varying the spaces in which I play – sometimes a dry room, sometimes a big resonant space. It can feel physically very different playing in different rooms as you need to breathe much more deeply in a bigger space in order to fill it. The whole body vibrates differently, as well as your instrument of course. Sometimes I will also change my equipment depending on the space too.
JH: Do you tend to stick to a fairly set routine when practicing, or does it change a lot depending on what projects you are working on?
MS: It is pretty fluid really. The warm up is only 10 to 15 minutes and then I practice whatever I need to be working on, whether it be improvisation, pieces with my small groups, or something else. Usually there is a lot of organisational work to do along with lots of travelling so my practice time is limited. I have to really focus on what is coming up next and make the best possible use of my available practice time. My equipment changes depending on whether or not I will be miked up or not, so that also affects my practice.
Festival Time in Jazz, August 2017 in Ozieri, Sardegna, Italy. Photo: Gerhard Richter
JH: And what equipment are you using mostly?
MS: I mostly play Bb trumpet, Flugelhorns and Piccolo. These are the instruments that I generally travel with. I have a tuning bell, large bore Bach with a lightweight 72 bell. This is my oldest instrument and is the one that I fill has ‘my sound’. I also recently bought a Bach 43B (Mariachi) with a bronze bell. I love the sound of it and I am gradually getting used to having a bit more resistance. I also have an Olds Recording that has been customised, a Callichio with a Bach bell, a Schilke X3 with a beryllium bell and several others! Sometimes I don’t really feel like playing a particular trumpet on one day, so I will change things around and pick something else. On longer tours of course, I have to decide on an instrument to take with me. When I am going to a concert by car, sometimes I may take several instruments with me including perhaps 2 different flugelhorns – I have a very nice Van Laar flugelhorn which is quite heavy – great sound, great projection, but can get tiring playing for long performances. I also have a much lighter instrument, an Adams with a very light copper bell that was made for me by a local maker, Gaertner und Thul. It allows me to play very evenly and in tune in the whole register and does not tire me. I took off all excess weight including the triggers and the regular water-keysto make it as light as possible. At least with the flugelhorn, you can still get the water out quickly and easily by twisting and tipping the instrument. I am quite extreme in the way that I adjust and customise my instruments! My research on flugelhorns lasts about 4 years now …
I also am particular with mouthpieces. I have a wide variety of different styles, cup depths, apertures… but all with the same rim from JBS. These rims were unfortunately discontinued so I made sure that I bought a lot of them! I combine the rims and cups with different Warburton backbores. The difference a small adjustment to throat or backbore can make to the whole response and intonation of your instrument is phenomenal, and I like to experiment until it is as good as it can be.
I must say that in the last 20 years or so, the quality of mouthpiece manufacture around the world has drastically improved and there are so many makers that can produce consistent products. Even the Bach mouthpieces tend to be very consistent now! Thanks to the new digital technology.
Young players now have such an advantage having access to fantastic craftsmanship with instruments and mouthpieces. The only question is making sure that you have opportunities to try them.
JH: Would you say that things have changed in the past 20 or 30 years to make it even more important for students to be developing versatility in their playing and being open to trying lots of musical styles?
MS: The possibilities are there more than before, and maybe also the necessity to be a versatile player. I you go down the route of being a freelance player, I think that versatility is an absolute ‘must’. From early on I would encourage students to be good readers, to have orchestral experience, to have big band experience, and also some small group experience including improvisation.
But this is one answer only… The alternative answer to this question is, in the end you must realise yourself. Find out whatyou love, who you really are, and try to find situations which match your satisfaction and musical desires and instincts. Or else, you might be unhappy. In the end, we live our lives for ourselves, not for the money, not for anyone else. Through music we have incredible opportunities to express ourselves. It is worth saying that not many of us know at a young age exactly what we want to do, so perhaps a combination of both of these answers is the correct approach, try out many things and distillate your taste, style, abilities and thus find yourself.
JH: What are your plans looking ahead?
MS: Right now, I want to concentrate on the projects that I currently have going on, including my duo with Florian Weber called ‘Inside Out’, our CD ‘Alba’ on ECM has been doing really well. I have a new recording coming out in July with an ensemble that I have got going again called ‘Eternal Voyage’, on Sony Records. There are a lot more ‘world music’ elements in this and it is a bringing together of East and West. I like the name and concept of ‘one world music’ as a way of describing this group, but it is sometimes difficult to get engagements for this ensemble, because we are many players. I also have a new improvising group that includes my brother Simon again – we hadn’t worked together for about 15 years. The project is called Wild Life and we have just had a beautiful festival appearance, which has been filmed for the prestigious arte tv.
The ‘Moving Sounds’ duo with my wife Tara Bouman on clarinets also has some concerts coming up later in the year. We perform together since 2002 and have steadily developed our playing. It is maybe the most spiritual music of all my projects. My quartet ‘Quadrivium’ had a CD release with Sony last August that has been successful. Because of this recording I am nominated for the German ‘Echo Jazz Prize’. We will promote this group still further. We have to put a lot of energy into developing these projects, but I am pleased that we are getting a lot back now as a result of the hard work.
I am also continuing my seminars which give me occasional moments of rest from the touring and concerts. This is almost a second life in parallel with everything else, where everyone can come and participate. We do introspection, singing, voice improvisation and silence – this has the purpose of relaxing and finding your own centre in a more spiritual environment. I find that music is such a perfect means to dive into silence and meditation and expand yourself and relax. I found some beautiful places where I can run these seminars throughout the year and for me it is a really good mix.
MS: We are in a world with more possibilities than ever before, of course also with more competition. Have trust in yourself, don’t compare yourself in a judging way, follow your inner vocation, and if you pursue you ambitions, they willmaterialise. Follow your inner conviction and your desires, and in the long run you will succeed. And above all: enjoy your life. It is the only thing you have, and you will only ever live NOW.
JH: Thank you for your time Markus, and I am looking forward to hearing you perform at the ITG Conference in San Antonio, TX in May!
Italian readers will most likely need no introduction to Fabrizio Bosso. He is already a jazz superstar in his native Italy, and is now in demand on the international circuit with his various groups. Born in Turin in 1973, his fluency both musically and technically has brought him award upon award for his numerous albums, and Fabrizio’s post-bop style continues to develop to the delight of his listeners.
What made you want to learn the trumpet?
My father Gianni is an amateur trumpeter. He still plays in a big band, and it was him that guided me towards the trumpet, and also to jazz. I started to play at age 5, but I never had to be pushed, it was always my wish, and my family supported me from the beginning.
Who were your main musical influences?
I have two names in answering this question: Clifford Brown is the master that I look to in the past, and Wynton Marsalis is my favourite current player.
Are there any particular routines that you follow to keep yourself in shape for performance?
I play a lot of concerts each year and I am always travelling – this makes it difficult to find enough time to practice! Almost every day I work on basics including exercises and techniques from Clarke and Arban.
What do the next few months hold for you?
I am really happy that I am touring with my quartet, not just in Italy but also abroad. In June I will be in the USA – in Chicago, North Carolina, Washington and New York I very much hope that readers will come see us and listen to our music!
What can you tell us about choosing your Frate Precision mouthpiece?
I met Dario Frate some time and I have tested many of his mouthpieces over the years. Around one year ago, I found the perfect size for me that gives exactly the response that I want, and also gives me complete satisfaction in the sound quality in all ranges and all dynamics!
The full range of Frate Precision trumpet mouthpieces is available from our Online Store.
Frate Precision and Thompson Music will both be at the ITG Conference 2018 (San Antonio TX, 29th May-2nd June) where you can have the opportunity to try out a huge variety of mouthpieces. See you there!
Sign up here for new blog articles emailed direct to your inbox:
Jerry Hey is one of the most prolifically recorded trumpet players around. His style, sound and musicality made him the go-to guy on the LA scene, and as a horn arranger he is second to none. His collaborative projects with the great Quincy Jones are now legendary, and even now, after 40 years at the very top of the business, Jerry is still the man to go to for scintillating horns.
From a personal perspective, Jerry is the reason that I picked up a trumpet as a child after hearing those early Michael Jackson albums, so I was delighted that he could spare me some time to answer a few questions:
Jerry playing with Seawind in the ’70s
My reason for first picking up a trumpet was hearing you on those Michael Jackson tracks! What was yours?
My father was a trombone player and my 10-year older brother had a bugle he played in the Boy Scouts that I picked up as a child.
Who would you say was your biggest musical influence in those early days?
Clifford Brown – my father heard him live in Chicago and bought his first record.
Your time in Hawaii in the early days sounded huge in terms of your development as a player and arranger. How did that move to LA come about and how was that transition?
Hawaii was pivotal in my development with forming Seawind and meeting Gary Grant. Seawind moved to LA to record and Gary had moved from Hawaii a year earlier. Seawind played at the Baked Potato in North Hollywood at least once a week for a couple of years. A lot of musicians came to hear us so that helped get my start in the studio scene, but Gary Grant was instrumental in getting me on many sessions. Also, having met Chuck Findlay and Dalton Smith in Hawaii, they also recommended me for sessions.
Gary Grant, Jerry Hey, Bill Reichenbach, Larry Williams
Did you have any regular practise routines to keep you in shape during busy periods?
I did the daily routine that evolved under Mr. Adam’s teaching and that Larry Hall and I adapted.
What are the priorities for young and aspiring players hoping to have a long and successful career?
What trumpets and mouthpieces have you used over the years?
Bach 37 and Bach 3C were my standards throughout, but I played a Calicchio for a while and a had a Bob Reeves mouthpiece which was a copy of a NYC Bach 3C rim.
This is a guest question from Johnny Thirkell, who I interviewed a few weeks ago! [you can read it here] “In the lesson that you gave me, you had me blowing super loud through everything. Much louder than I would ordinarily practise. Is there a specific reason for that or is it just that I am a wimp?!”
It is mainly to get the sound concept that Mr. Adam was trying to impress upon us all. And also to keep the air moving at all times. But once that is established it doesn’t have to be at full volume all the time, like when playing Arban or Charlier for example.
Your horn sections have always had a trademark sound and style that have set the benchmark that producers and engineers now aspire to. Where did that rich, bright and intense sound come from?
It all starts with the players and everyone having a concept of how to make the section sound the best. Then the writing and engineering also play a big part in the sound. Fortunately, I started with Bruce Swedien and Quincy, who both knew exactly how the horn section should be recorded and what the section should sound like. It was a big learning experience for me with both of them.
Jerry with Quincy Jones
What are your favourite microphones for recording trumpet?
Bruce Swedien has an incredible array of mikes he used on us, and any mike he used was amazing. My general favourites are Neumann U47, Neumann KM54, Neumann FET47, Neumann U67, and most recently the Royer 121 and 122.
What are the horn sections that you like to listen to that you have not been involved with?!
Tower of Power, Brecker Brothers, Edgar Winter White Trash, Stevie Wonder, Snooky Young with Count Basie and Thad Jones.
Is there a particular project that you can say has been your most enjoyable?
Too many to single out just one! Any Quincy projects, Al Jarreau, Earth Wind and Fire, David Foster Projects, and George Duke.
Do you have proudest professional moment?
There are so many recordings that I am very proud of, but maybe the proudest moment was the first time I worked with my son, Andrew, when he recorded the horn section. We were doing our usual recording when I said, “Let’s double that!” Andrew talked back through the phones and said, “maybe we should do one more”. “Play that back for me Andrew. Wow, OK, you’re right. Let’s do one more take!” And from that very point on, I knew he had some really amazing ears and I go with his suggestion every time. I’m a proud father!”
Gary Grant, Wayne Bergeron, Andrew Hey, Jerry Hey, Bill Reichenbach, Dan Higgins
If you are interested to read more from Jerry, please give Michael Davis’ Hip-BoneMusic a visit. There is a great interview covering all sorts, from ‘Arranging Techniques’ to ‘Wine Recommendations’!
Sign up here for new blog articles emailed direct to your inbox:
Winston Byrd has made a career out of drawing on many different styles including classical, blues, pop, jazz and improvisation. One of Winston’s big breaks at a young age was to become a member of the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, and he has gone on to have a career working with a ‘who’s who’ of the music business.
Derek Saidak at Legends Brass has very kindly put me in touch with Winston so that we can learn more!…
What drew you to the trumpet as a child?
Well… It was a combination of things. I first saw Dizzy Gillespie on The Tonight Show, then I saw Chuck Mangione on Don Kirshner’s Midnight Special, and the one that sealed the deal was seeing and hearing Alan Rubin, in The Blues Brothers. It was seeing all these great men, doing what they do, that lit the fire under me, so by the time I got to the point in elementary school, where they ask you, “What do YOU want to play?”, it was a done deal.
Did you have any particular early musical influences or heroes?
PLENTY!!! Of course, John Birks ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie, that’s where we’ll start, because be it, The Tonight Show, Sesame Street, etc… because when I was a kid, he was everywhere and to a child, his trumpet just had your attention… It was the coolest thing to me. It didn’t look like everyone else’s trumpet, and that’s what made Dizzy so cool to me… He was an individual and unique, no on equaled him!
As I went on, I would check people out, and I would say, going forth, Jon Faddis, who not only is a hero to me, but also a friend and mentor. I never got to meet Dizzy, because right when I was about to get on the scene, he had passed by then, but being around Jon is being around Dizzy’s spirit and I’d like to say that I did meet Dizzy through Jon.
Clark Terry… who really helped EVERYBODY and took a liking to me when I was a teenager.
He too was basically family! He and my Dad would have a drink together, when ever I had a gig with him. He was so good to me and my family. I spoke with him, two days before his passing and he asked about my Mom, Dad and Brother… Brings tears to my eyes thinking about it… He was my friend, my musical grandpa and my hero…
Randy Brecker, who’s style is like no one else and his approach to improvisation, has always stuck with me. I just love the way Randy thinks! Don Ellis, who made me learn different time signatures (which made it easier because I’m a drummer as well!), Lew Soloff, cause he could play just about anything. I particularly like to go back in history and check out the elders, A LOT, like Roy Eldridge, Charlie Shavers, Joe Newman, Joe Wilder… Those gentlemen were beyond incredible and really did pave the way for us generations to come.
Can you pick out a few career highlights to date?
Oh… let’s see… There’s the 27 years of traveling the world, the TV stuff, here, there and abroad, the movies I’ve played on, played for Her Majesty, The Queen, last summer… John, I can hardly keep up with myself and to be honest, when I conquer one mountain, I’m usually sprinting down the downgrade of it to take on the next one that I’m about to climb. I never rest on my laurels and I’m ALWAYS up for the next challenge/adventure, whatever it is, but to list them all here… We’d need a MUCH bigger interview!
What projects have you got coming up?
Well, I’m in the middle of my fourth album and this is a special one, because as I said above, I’m always looking for the next challenge. I wish I could say more about it, but around the camp, “Mums” the word, but I can assure you, it’s going to surprise EVERYBODY!!!
As a top performer, are there any particular routines that you follow to keep yourself in good shape for performance? How do keep on top of your trumpet playing, particularly while you are travelling?
For one thing, it was vigorously exciting to be hitting the road at 17, now I’m 45 and you HAVE to take care of yourself, if you want to continue the longevity of your craft.
1.) REST!!!!! You gotta get rest on the road! It never hurts to hang out, here and there, but you have to remember, this instrument is just as physical as a sport, so proper rest is a must!
2.) Warm-Up… I don’t care how old or young you are, again, this is a physical instrument that combines cardio and muscular activities. If you don’t warm up, one day IT WILL catch up with you! Doc Severinsen is in his 90’s and he’s does a long warm up! Whether you take an hour (I do an hour to ninety minutes) or 4 or whatever, you gotta warm up!!!!!
3.) Listen… Listen to music at every chance. Doesn’t matter what genre, keep music in your ear. When I’m on the road, I got volumes to choose from. If I can’t get too much practice done in travels, I’m listening and within that listening, my brain is inhaling all those licks, patterns and nuances that are definitely gonna come out in my playing. My mind is a steel trap, John!
4.) Relax… When I’m on the road for long periods of time, I try to work in a golf game or two. Now, I’ll be the first to say, I ain’t that great at the game, but I enjoy for the scenery, the peacefulness and it takes my mind off the music, so that when I go back to it, it’s all fresh and new to me… (I’m not admitting any past golf scores, either…)
5.) Have fun… John, I have MAJOR fun out on the road. Life is too short to deal with mess. There’s a whole world that’s beautiful and exciting out here to see, and I’m thankful to God that He’s given me the opportunity to see all the sides of His Wonderful Creation, Our Planet. The different people, creeds, colors, religions, foods, cultures, etc… I really enjoy going to other places and partaking into THEIR culture, rather staying within mine, in a foreign country…
I tell young musicians ALL the time… I was 17 when I had my chance, and if you get yours…
SEE THE WORLD!!!!
Can you tell us a little about the current relationships that you have with manufacturers? What was the process like, working with Legends Brass on new mouthpieces?
My relationships are just like family…
The longest relationship out of all my endorsements, is Cannonball Musical Instruments. Tevis and Sheryl Laukat are my ‘second in command’ parents, when my own parents can’t make it to an event or something, that’s how close we are and I love them dearly, and Derek Saidak is like my big brother, who takes very special care of me!
Working with Derek… He’s a smart guy! He knows his stuff on mouthpieces and he’s a very fine player himself! I don’t get to Tennessee as much as I’d like to, but I’m gonna get there more now, as my schedule is taking me there, in the near future, but I say that to say this…
Derek is so knowledgeable and on top of his game, that, when I want to make a change or alter anything within my own line of mouthpieces, he can do it with just my explaining it to him over the phone! That’s how genius this guy is, and I am mighty, mighty proud to be playing his mouthpieces, because they are that great AND MORE!!!!!
Have I forgotten anything?! Is there anything else?!
I’d just like to say Thank You and that it was an honor and a pleasure to talk with you, John! I hope we get to do it again sometime soon!
To find out more about Winston Byrd including current projects and recordings, visit www.winstonbyrd.com
The Legends Brass mouthpieces that Winston plays on can be viewed here
Sign up here for new blog articles emailed direct to your inbox:
Vince DiMartino is sought after as both a trumpet performer and educator. His vast wealth of performance experience includes lead and solo work with the Lionel Hampton Band, Chuck Mangione Band and Clark Terry Band. Vince has appeared as soloist with top orchestras and bands throughout the USA and also has numerous solo recording projects. He has played an important part for the International Trumpet Guild over the years, and is a regular teacher, clinician and artist at specialist seminars and courses around the world.
Through Vince’s relationship with Pickett Brass, I was delighted to be able to put a few questions to him:
What drew you to the trumpet as a child?
I really was interested in drums but they said they had enough so I tried trumpet! I liked it and stuck with it.
Did you have any particular early musical influences or heroes?
Yes! I met Louis Armstrong in my first year of playing. He talked to me and was so nice to me. I also met Maynard Ferguson the same night! My neighbor was a bass player and told me to get a few records-Miles Davis, Maynard, Rafael Mendez and Billy Butterfield. Lucky me!
Career highlights to date?
So many…but I try to love every day, concert, rehearsal or practicing. I must say there is nothing like playing with my son Gabriel. I love Greece and my friends, Australia and my friends there, Asia….etc. Every place in the world especially home is great!
As a leading educator and clinician, have you found that your approach to playing and teaching the trumpet has changed over the years? How and why?!
Of course! My attention to the basics of producing a consistent sound are always in my mind. My teaching has become more simple. Every school of trumpet thought eventually reaches that same conclusion.
As a top performer, are there any particular routines that you follow to keep yourself in good shape for performance?
I try to keep my fundamentals higher than what is required to play most works.
How do keep on top of your trumpet playing while you are travelling?
Keep doing what you do every day the same as best you can. Try to play three times a day. I usually do that at home too.
Can you tell us a little about the current relationships that you have with manufacturers? What was the process like, working with Pickett Brass on new mouthpieces?
We are lucky to have so many wonderful industry people! I know most of them by name, product and reputation. I have been fortunate to have worked pretty closely with many of them.
As far as working with Peter Pickett and Eric Murine, it is wonderful! They have helped me develop a set of mouthpieces for all my trumpets, cornets and flugelhorn. I am lucky to live close to Lexington and can visit frequently. Peter is always willing to listen to me about my “ideas”. He lets me try some things and then we go on, working together hand in hand. I always feel like I am part of the process. As a result, I have felt that many of the things we have to do with a trumpet are more confident and feel good. Eric is a fine player too and usually comes very close to picking what I need to start with. Great team work from all sides.
Pickett Brass offer a huge range of trumpet mouthpieces – their experience in trumpet playing and manufacturing gives a broad range that is immaculately designed and produced. As well as Vince, they have an incredible roster of artists including Allen Vizzutti, Rex Richardson, Doc Severinsen and Jens Lindemann. Visit their website to find out more.
Thompson Music stock a great range of Pickett Brass mouthpieces – you can click here to view the full range.
The Vince DiMartino Signature mouthpieces are all available here
Vince is also a Shires Performing Artist: You can view these trumpets here
Sign up here for new blog articles emailed direct to your inbox:
D.H. Lawrence writes: “Never set a child afloat on the flat sea of life with only one sail to catch the wind.” The same could easily be said about trumpet students and the importance of developing versatility in not only their playing but also their outlook on life.
To discuss how we achieve this, I have been fortunate to have the thoughts and experience of 2 fantastic trumpet players who have both made careers out of crossing musical boundaries, genres and pigeon holes.
Mike Lovatt is primarily a commercial player (John Wilson Orchestra, BBC Big Band and session and show extraordinaire) although classically trained, who is often asked to guest on principal trumpet with the major orchestras. www.mikelovatt.co.uk
Shaun Hooke is a classically trained player, now Principal Trumpet with the RTE Concert Orchestra in Dublin and regularly also plays lead trumpet with the RTE Big Band. www.dublintrumpetacademy.com
They both have some fascinating insights into approaching very similar problems and challenges, but from different perspectives.
Can you tell us a little about your background as a player, and what you got you into the trumpet in the first place?
Mike: I was born into a musical family. My Dad was head of music at a secondary school and my Mum was a fine amateur singer with the local choral society. Early in his career my Dad began to collect instruments and taught himself to play them. There were no peripatetic teachers in those days and he wanted to be able to teach well enough to form a youth orchestra within the school. By the time he retired he was conducting an orchestra of about 70 children! The trumpet was one of the many instruments lying around the house. I really wanted to play the trombone but at the age of eight my arms weren’t long enough.
Around that age on a shopping trip to the local supermarket, I was drawn to the record carousel and saw a record with a picture of a trumpet player on the front. It was Eddie Calvert ‘The Man with the Golden Trumpet’ I immediately asked if I could have it and after listening to the album I tried to play along with it using an old Selmer. I was hooked! Trumpet playing was all I wanted to do.
I began to play in my Dad’s youth orchestra and eventually the Staffordshire youth orchestra. I really wanted to be a professional and every day I would rush from school to try to play along to all sorts of records. I would pretend I was doing a concert with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra or that I was Maurice Murphy with the London Symphony Orchestra or a member of the PJBE, or the great Kenny Baker. This developed my ear not only for pitch but also for sound, style, articulation, placement of time and phrasing.
Disaster struck when aged 14; I was involved in a serious cycling accident. I lacerated my top lip and lost several front teeth. I thought my playing days were over. Thanks to the skills of the plastic surgeons of the North Staffs hospital I healed and began to try to play again. At first it was terrible, I could not produce a sound. Eventually I got it working again enough to do my grade 8 and I then auditioned for the music colleges. The range I previously had didn’t come back however and it wasn’t until I discovered the Maggio system some 10 years later that finally my chops came together.
I was fortunate to study at Trinity College of Music in the 80’s. My teacher was Norman Burgess, formally principal trumpet of the BBC concert orchestra, and later co-principal in the BBC Symphony. He taught me to be as versatile as possible with a view to being employable in the future. He also encouraged me to attend the extra-curricular college big band rehearsals run by the great Bobby Lamb. There were no Jazz courses available at music colleges back then, so I was lucky to be able to learn from these two great musicians who between them had a wealth of experience from all sides of the profession. I quickly realized that whatever style you play, a good solid technique on the instrument is essential. With a strong technical foundation and embouchure, it is possible to cope with the demands of all styles of playing.
Shaun: I grew up in Leicestershire in England. I was enormously lucky to be able to avail of free trumpet lessons provided by our County Music Service. Particularly Don Blakeson, who was taught by David Mason who in turn apparently could trace back teacher to teacher all the way back to Handel’s time! I’m doing the Messiah next week so hopefully something has worn off on me. I was also heavily involved with Enderby Silver Band. I started with them as they reformed in ’77 when I was a nipper and enjoyed many happy years growing up with so many wonderful people to mentor me.
I decided to do Chemistry at Oxford University rather than going on to music college, but I had the trumpet bug and after completing a doctorate I knew I wanted to at least give pro trumpet playing a go. Jon Holland and Wes Warren at the CBSO taught me orchestral skills and still now I put myself back in their presence the moment before I play something. What did Jon say to do here? What was Wes’s trick for this?…
Quite quickly I was appointed to Principal Trumpet in the RTE Concert Orchestra but to this day I’m still thinking about how these guys coached me and I’m passing it on to my own students.
Your job involves you constantly switching styles – do you have a regular practise routine that encompasses everything, and what are the most important things to concentrate on?
Mike: I believe production is key across all types of trumpet playing. In commercial music, big bands and some Jazz playing the style requires a more defined articulation and sometimes brightness and sizzle in the sound. I always maintain that under that brightness there should be a full broad tone across the entire register. High notes are expected in lead trumpet playing and some areas of commercial music and so should be developed. However, they must never be the be all and end all at the expense of a good sound and considered playing. Super C is almost normal range these days but it’s important to have a full rich centered sound. You should always use your ears and listen to all types of music… try playing along with the music you listen to and copy it. You could also record yourself playing different styles and listen back and compare. For a particular style to come across to the listener, it needs to be exaggerated.
Shaun: I don’t really have a set practice routine. As a full time performer, I think it’s important to have some time away from the trumpet. I try to have one day a week where I’m neither playing or studying repertoire to help clear the head and relax the muscles. My emphasis on preparation is looking after the basics. Generally, I always have plenty of strength, stamina and range because I’m working pretty constantly. There are skills however that might not be required week in week out, and these are the ones that I’m careful to maintain at home. Flexibilities and double and triple tonguing can get rusty pretty quickly if you don’t end up being asked to produce them, particularly valve/tongue coordination so these are the things I always make sure stay sharp. The other golden rule is “practice what you’re NOT doing currently.” If I’ve been doing lead big band charts at work I try to make sure I play something at home on my regular orchestral mouthpiece and something on the piccolo trumpet – choose something for my own pleasure rather than something coming up in the schedule. Vice versa, I always try to do 15-20 minutes on my lead mouthpiece, 2-3 days before I start a project that is going to need that. Other than that, I try to listen to recordings of stuff I have coming up. Not really to familiarise or learn repertoire but more to guard from getting “stuck in your ways”.
It’s nice to be inspired by others and try to do repertoire differently the next time it comes around. I listen to lots of players from the 20s,30s and 40s and try to emulate their styles. There are lots of transcriptions of their solos and I like to collect the original recordings.
Do you have a basic instrument and mouthpiece setup that covers most things, or is it very different depending on what the schedule brings?
Mike: My basic trumpet and mouthpiece set up is the same for most of the works I perform. I play my own signature model Mike Lovatt Smith-Watkins Bb Trumpet exclusively. It is a 460 bore. The bell is similar in size to a Bach 37 except that is a heavy weight. I have two gold plated instruments and one that is silver-plated. I use my own range of signature mouthpieces of which there are three models: Studio, Lead and Classical.
The majority of my playing is done on the Studio mouthpiece. On this set up I play first Trumpet in the John Wilson Orchestra, perform lead on the West End show 42nd Street and the BBC big band, and when on first trumpet in Studio sessions. Mouthpieces are very personal and what works for me may not work for someone else. Lip formation and lip thickness determine what might work and feel comfortable to the individual. My mouthpieces are perfect for the various styles required of me. It seems other players like their ability to be used in different settings. When playing in the high register, I find the Lead with its large back bore, medium shallow cup and the comfy 5ish Bach diameter rim enables me to produce a bright sound I need, and stamina is helped by the resistance being transferred to the trumpet through the large back bore. I use my classical piece (more or less a Bach 3C) for studio sessions sitting down the line, my practice and occasionally on first trumpet if I require a broader darker sound.
My instruments have different qualities because of the plating. The silver ML Smith Watkins trumpet enables me to produce a cutting bright sound not only useful in Lead but also certain styles of orchestral music too. I don’t change lead pipes for different styles of playing. I could if I wanted, as the trumpet features an interchangeable leadpipe system. However, I like to keep the feel (resistance) of the instrument the same regardless of the genre of the music I am playing to help me with my production and familiarity in supporting the notes and sound. I use the ML designed pipe that comes with the trumpet as it balances perfectly with the 37-size bell and the bore size of the instrument. The most important thing here is sound quality whether it is classical, jazz, lead in a big band, pop horn section or solo.
Shaun: To be honest, kit is everything in my job. We try of course to perform in the correct style, but the range of sounds and timbres required is so varied that it really means you need some different equipment to achieve that. At the beginning of my career I did that mostly by playing on my beloved Bach (then later Yamaha) B-flat and using quite a variety of mouthpieces. It had a degree of success, but it is hard work on the embouchure, chopping and changing rims, cup depths, throats, backbores etc… and I certainly felt that my tuning and accuracy suffered.
For the past number of years I have had a different approach. My responsibilities at RTE were putting more emphasis on my role as lead trumpet in the RTE Big Band and I felt I needed a dedicated lead instrument. I tried great gear from Shires, Smith-Watkins and Schilke but I fell in love with B&S’s JBX trumpet. When I’d decided to buy this, the store asked if I’d like to try the B&S Challenger II trumpet (their standard classical model). Well I loved it. So now I have two B flat trumpets, one for classical work and one for light repertoire. The huge advantage for me is that the reverse leadpipe is almost the same on both, the bore is the same, the bell profile is the same, so the tuning slots and the way it “blows” feels entirely similar, making it so easy to switch back and forth.
But the JBX bell is lightweight and has a French bead giving it a really exciting live fizzing sound. Whilst the Challenger II bell (a 43) is much more solid and rounded sound much like the Bachs I’d been playing for the previous 30 years. Since then I have B&S C and E-flat trumpets both light and heavyweight bells. As to mouthpieces I use a Bach 1 1/4c on both of my B-flats for orchestral (Challenger II) and “Show” work (JBX). For lead work I use a Marcinkiewitz 3/3C. I turned up at work once without my old lead mouthpiece and was loaned this by my excellent co-principal Eoin Daly – I liked it so much I bought 2 so I could keep one at home and one at work and therefore wouldn’t be caught out again. I have a Schilke piccolo that I use for recording work but have recently just bought a Scherzer rotary valve piccolo for baroque and orchestral repertoire. Again, it’s all about making the right sound. I use a Marcinkievitz 7s mouthpiece on the piccolo. I found one in 1989 in an “odds and sods” box at a band competition thinking it would be a good “screamer” mouthpiece but it didn’t work for that. It got me through a tour of Brandenburg 2 though so I’ve stuck with it.
How has the versatility that you require affected the way that you approach teaching? Do you recommend that advancing students work on a wide variety of playing styles or concentrate on fundamentals?
Mike: The versatility that I have developed over the years is something I try to pass on to my students. I encourage listening to all types of music. This is essential for stylistic development. Occasionally this is done in lessons but I encourage listening to be done on a regular basis to keep ones ear in tune with different styles. A couple of years ago I gave a trumpet class at a major conservatoire in London and when I asked if anyone had listened to any music recordings or attended concerts recently, not one of the 12 classical trumpet students had. One of them admitted to listening to Bruno Mars three days previously!
I teach fundamental trumpet techniques. First and foremost, I make sure the student has a solid embouchure formation and can make a good basic sound. I’m a stickler for note production and articulation so there are exercises based around those techniques using Arban and Schlossberg. I use Caruso, Stamp, Maggio and my own ideas to develop the embouchure. I try to instill playing with reverence for the music. Long notes are important to develop resonance and to find the ‘soul’ of the note and the core of ones playing. When you have control of the sound, this can be adapted and applied to whatever style you are playing. I teach different vibrato techniques and ways to help note projection whether at the back of an orchestra, in a west end pit or in a studio microphone technique to record well.
Shaun: The music business is hard and getting harder. I always encourage my students to be flexible even if you’re pretty sure that you will be going in one particular direction. Make sure you have the skills to be able to say ‘yes’ to the next call and go in and do a good job. It is a wonderful way to earn a living but at the outset, you need to be out there making contacts and proving your professional credentials. One of my colleagues in the RTE CO was a regular in a German Beer band to put money on the table while he was trying to break into the orchestral scene. Work hard but don’t be over focused is my advice.
What is easier, a classically trained player playing light music or a commercial player playing in a classical orchestra section?
Mike: As someone who has dipped my toe into both sides of the profession, I am inclined to say that both styles are as difficult as the other to play convincingly. You need to apply yourself honestly to the style and exaggerate it enough to come across to the listener. I have always had the view that trumpet playing is trumpet playing and that the most important quality to have is solid musicianship built from listening. Always listen carefully to your sound and the music going on around you. If you’re playing third trumpet in a classical section on a film soundtrack recording, you then respect that and whoever is on first trumpet. Try to blend with them and above all support the sound style they are playing. The same goes for an orchestral player playing big band repertoire on a symphonic pops date. I have played with orchestras from San Francisco Symphony, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, CBSO, BBC Symphony, LSO, LPO, Philharmonia, BBC Scottish, BBC Philharmonic, RTE Concert, Gothenburg Symphony, BBC Concert and many more. On many of these occasions my role is to help shape and lead classical players into becoming commercial big band section players in a three-hour rehearsal followed by a concert. Some seem more capable of giving up to the music and using their ears more than others. If they have a solid technique and command of their instrument, then they are more able to adapt successfully.
To quote John Wilson “anyone who can play good lead trumpet in a dance band can play first trumpet in a symphony orchestra”.
I think it can be difficult for ‘classical’ players to get used to playing swing quavers, combined with the way in which articulation changes in commercial playing. I always try to help by singing the phrasing to them and making them feel confident they can do it. It’s also important to tell the players to articulate and play the shorts and longs accurately.
Shaun: I think that it is not always right to pigeon hole people like that, but there are people who specialise of course. I remember taking the chance to have Tony Fisher come over to cover a James Bond concert for me when my wife was about to pop with our first child. Of course, I waxed lyrical to our management – he was interviewed for RTE radio about the very first Bond sessions including of course the original theme track – it was a brilliant week. Then the baby was born, and I was gone for a few weeks and they asked him to come and do a week of Mendelsohn… he gracefully declined – although it would have been interesting I expect!
I come from a classical background, trained over the years and “on the job” to do light repertoire, and I have local guys here that slot in well in the RTECO and RTE Big Band, but similarly we have guys who mostly do commercial work who are fine sitting down the line on orchestral repertoire. We have lots of mixed programmes where this is required. All the “classical” guys have plenty of “light” experience and the commercial guys are for the most part classical trained so have orchestral skills and can TRANSPOSE. That is the key!
What challenges and projects have you got coming up?
Mike: I’m so happy I’ve managed to carry on doing many varied projects, gigs and recordings with orchestras, bands, groups and big bands all over the world. My future projects include my first solo album with the amazing Fodens Brass Band, directing the Stockholm Radio Symphony Brass in a concert of Billy May’s Big Fat Brass music, big band lead trumpet sessions for Gary Barlow, UK jazz festivals this summer with the Skelton Skinner all-stars, concerts with the John Wilson Orchestra, concerts and broadcasts on lead trumpet with the BBC Big Band, continuing on lead trumpet for 42nd street and as guest first trumpet for the Symphony in Antwerp. I am fortunate to be looking forward to such a stylistically varied schedule.
Shaun: A few highlights of upcoming stuff are: The Classical Series at the National Concert Hall featuring Mozart, Mendelssohn and Beethoven; studio work with Irish singer/songwriters for rock station RTE2FM; Giselle with visiting English National Ballet, Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle with the Irish National Opera. Up to our summer holidays we are also doing 4 sell-out shows at the Donnybrook Dublin Rugby Stadium and The Marquee in Cork with RTE2FM of 90s dance anthems! Hopefully we will tour this show in Australia in the autumn.
