Anybody else play trumpet?

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qquake2k

Captain Low-N-Slow
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Anybody else play trumpet? I started playing in 6th grade, and played through middle school. I lost interest after that, and quit playing for several years. Then in the early 80's, someone sold me a silver Bach Strad for $200. It was dirty and tarnished, but when I cleaned and polished it, it was immaculate! It looked brand new! I had always wanted a silver trumpet, and this one sounded amazing. So I started taking lessons, and my teacher talked me into joining a community symphonic band. It was the closest thing to an audition I've ever had. I had to play some long tones and the chromatic scale. That was it. They put me in a third chair.

That was fine with me, though, I was so happy to be playing there. There were some EXCELLENT musicians in that band. They made me a better player. It was brasswinds, woodwinds, and percussion. I remember the lead trumpet player played out of the side of his mouth, and he used a screamer mouthpiece (my teacher's term) sometimes. But man he could vibrate dust out of the ceiling! Along the way I picked up a silver Getzen four button flugelhorn to keep my Strad company. A couple of the other trumpet players also had flugelhorns, and we loved playing them for the few flugelhorn parts there were.

Well, in 1988, the band was invited to go to Australia to play in the Sydney Opera House. That was the year I got married, and I had to choose marriage or Australia. I chose Marriage. Now that I'm divorced, I'm seriously questioning my decision.

The Sydney freaking Opera House. Not that I'm bitter, or anything...

I think I need therapy.
 
Well, there were some positive things that came from your decision to stay home and get married. The name "Joe" comes to mind.

Do you still play in the community band?
 
Well, there were some positive things that came from your decision to stay home and get married. The name "Joe" comes to mind.

Do you still play in the community band?

Oh yeah, forgot about him. :tongue:

No, I stopped playing in the band when they went to Sydney. I guess I lost the hunger. I was practicing up to four hours a day before I got married.
 
Not trumpet, tuba :) First Chair All-North West Honor Orchestra when I was a senior. I started playing bass guitar while still in HS, I couldn't see that many opportunities playing tuba. It's like 1 major position would open every 4 years or so, not much demand for a pro tuba ;) I have looked into joining a community band. I priced a silver tuba, Miraphone out of Germany, over $8000...for the budget grade :p
 
Not trumpet, tuba :) First Chair All-North West Honor Orchestra when I was a senior. I started playing bass guitar while still in HS, I couldn't see that many opportunities playing tuba. It's like 1 major position would open every 4 years or so, not much demand for a pro tuba ;) I have looked into joining a community band. I priced a silver tuba, Miraphone out of Germany, over $8000...for the budget grade :p
YEAH TUBA!!!!!! I'm no pro, but I've been playing for 4.5 years now...
 
Played Horn for about 20 years - even paid my way through college. Haven't played though for about 7 years now and lately I've been itching to start up again. Have a friend who is pestering me to join a community orchestra too. But I have some commitment issues: weekend concerts might interfere with launches.
 
I do, or at least I did. Played for 9 years from middle school up until my second year of college. Along the way I got to play at some pretty cool places (Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Center), but my school load just got to high to keep up with it. It's been a few years since I've picked it up but my wife and I (she played flute) have been kicking around the idea lately of trying to join a community orchestra.
 
I do, or at least I did. Played for 9 years from middle school up until my second year of college. Along the way I got to play at some pretty cool places (Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Center), but my school load just got to high to keep up with it. It's been a few years since I've picked it up but my wife and I (she played flute) have been kicking around the idea lately of trying to join a community orchestra.

Do it, now's the time. Most community orchestra's practice and play during the week. They know most are involved weekends. Here it's Wednesday's in Julia Davis Park bandshell. What's cool is many of the surrounding town's park's also have bandshells and I know of 3 other community bands besides here.
 
YEAH TUBA!!!!!! I'm no pro, but I've been playing for 4.5 years now...

6 years and 42 on bass guitar :) Do you own your horn or rent like I did? I started looking on eBay...again...how about a Bb horn for $450 shipped from India...it's chrome plated :D
 
All you brass players...

Alto Sax, 14 years! Played in the Purdue marching band and marched the Macy's Thanksgiving parade in 2010 :)

Ukulele and bass guitar too!
 
6 years and 42 on bass guitar :) Do you own your horn or rent like I did? I started looking on eBay...again...how about a Bb horn for $450 shipped from India...it's chrome plated :D

I borrow one from my school... no way I could afford to buy or rent
 
Baritone - 5th Grade through Freshman. I "read" bass cleft, but never learned the notes (I could play it, but I couldn't tell you a B flat from an A sharp). My 5th grade teacher was desperate for kids to "round out the band" so he grabbed three of us midway through the year, rushed our lessons, and had us playing with the regular band within weeks. He didn't guide us too well, because when he indicated a stop at the last note of our song, I was a note behind and still playing... That'll teach him not to rush things.

It was my freshman high school band teacher (Rudolph "Rudy" Domitrovich (aka Mr. D)) who got me hooked on the Cineroc. I bought his Centuri 1971 catalog, the Centuri Saturn V, V2, Mach 10, and the Estes 1971 Catalog (where I discovered the Cineroc) as well as the Trident, when he was cleaning house during his divorce. I still have all of the rockets and the catalogs. The V2, and Trident have been since flown, but the Saturn V was a cluster (3x18mm) and I don't want to risk it, the Mach 10 was damaged and missing some parts. I should look into cloning it someday.
 
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Played trumpet from the 6th grade into high school, then switched over to a tuba.
While my high school band was marching in Vancouver, BC. I had the honor of taking out a TV camera on a crane with the tuba and bent the bell all to hell and rotated it 180 degrees. The camera crane had been dropped down to split the formation as we marched by. The camera operator's face popped out from behind the camera with wide open eyes and he was jestering and screaming to raise the camera crane up! BANG!!! Blood flew and the tuba spun around and the bell bounced off the pavement. Both my lips were split open and I had chipped tooth. The only good thing about the incident was that the female members of the band really comforted me for rest of the trip.
 
All you brass players...

Alto Sax, 14 years! Played in the Purdue marching band and marched the Macy's Thanksgiving parade in 2010 :)

Ukulele and bass guitar too!

Sophmore year in HS we marched a Rams/49er's game halftime. We were one of the very last marching bands to have the entire performance broadcast on Nation wide TV. We only had 285 people on the field :) A good friend of mine learned trombone just so he could go, kinda hard to march with a piano ;)

I borrow one from my school... no way I could afford to buy or rent[/QUOTE/]

It was $15 a year here, don't know what it is now :p
 
I played trumpet from 5th grade to my senior of high school. I played trumpet or baritone depending on the needs of the band. When I was in Jazz band, I also began playing bass guitar. I still play on my trumpet every once in awhile. My oldest daughter was in band for 6th and 7th grade, but gave it up. My youngest is too busy being a cheerleader. So, alas, I will not be able to relive my high school band years through them.......but I love them anyway.... :)
 
Played trumpet for five years in school, eighth grade through twelve. Started taking lessons in fifth grade. My son also played for about three years. And, believe it or not, I did see Carnegie Hall in a photograph one time. ;)
 
I think music and rockets are similar, once you've tried it, it is always in the back of your mind...
I played flute for 3 months and trumpet for 3 months back in elementary school. Bought a trumpet for myself when I was around 20 and started re-learning. Wife #1 pawned it while I was on deployment, so it is gone.

Bought daughter a flute which she played for 2 years before becoming home schooled to escape bullying.
After I bought her's I considered buying myself one to take on my trips and so she & I could play together when I was at home. Haven't done it yet, I suppose mostly because I don't remember any of the fingerings.

I think that what ever you enjoy at any given moment will always be there quietly calling you back later in life. It may be music, camping, hot rods, rockets or gardening. What ever brought you meaningful joy at some point, will always be with you.


Sorry, I guess I'm feeling philosophical this morning....
 
Clarinet/Sax/Piano here... My 12-y-o daughter plays oboe (all-county first chair as a 5th grader), alto sax, and piano. My 10-y-o son plays piano and baritone. The 6 year old is learning piano and will start clarinet soon (the wife is an elementary school music teacher)
 
I played Trombone from fifth grade until I graduated. Somewhere along the line (I think it was the beginning of sophomore year) I also picked up bass guitar.
I don't play much any more (haven't touched the trombone since HS) but I'll occasionally dust off the bass and fool around.
 
Started on trumpet from fifth grade to junior high, then played baritone, Eb horn, or Mellophone, whatever the band director needed. In high school they bought eight shiny new tubas and needed people to play them, so I switched again... at least for marching band. Baritone was always my instrument for concert band season.

My wife was a clarinet player as is our daughter, but our sons play trombone and tuba (among other things).

This weekend I, along with the son who plays tuba and several others from the school tuba section, are headed to Akron to play in the annual "Tuba Christmas." Last year there were over a hundred tubas, baritones and euphoniums on stage playing Christmas carols.

Tons of fun.
 
I play viarciously through my kids. ;)

2nd son plays flute, alto sax and bari sax
3rd son plays trombone

Me? I know how to buy horns and chase the marching band all over creation, helping out with stuff. Oh, and take pictures of them. Roughly 10,000 of them this past year....

-Kevin
 
I think music and rockets are similar, once you've tried it, it is always in the back of your mind...
I played flute for 3 months and trumpet for 3 months back in elementary school. Bought a trumpet for myself when I was around 20 and started re-learning. Wife #1 pawned it while I was on deployment, so it is gone.

Bought daughter a flute which she played for 2 years before becoming home schooled to escape bullying.
After I bought her's I considered buying myself one to take on my trips and so she & I could play together when I was at home. Haven't done it yet, I suppose mostly because I don't remember any of the fingerings.

I think that what ever you enjoy at any given moment will always be there quietly calling you back later in life. It may be music, camping, hot rods, rockets or gardening. What ever brought you meaningful joy at some point, will always be with you.


Sorry, I guess I'm feeling philosophical this morning....

I have to agree. Trumpets and rockets are always in the back of my mind. 26 years later I'm still kicking myself for selling the Bach and the Getzen. I have a silver Blessing trumpet now that isn't too bad, and a Blessing flugelhorn with rose brass bell that has a nice mellow sound. I haven't played much since I played Taps at my father's funeral (he was a WW2 Navy veteran). I'll tell you, that was the most bittersweet performance one can imagine. It was only by the grace of God that I was able to get through it. My dad is the reason I chose the trumpet in 6th grade. He played cornet when he was in school. That and it only had three buttons which looked a lot easier than all the keys on a clarinet! :lol:

taps.jpg
 
My son played cornet for one year in high school. He picked it up amazingly well, but after the class was over, he just wasn't interested. We got a decent Getzen cornet for him off Ebay, but he trashed it. Too bad, it was a nice horn.

When I went from 6th to 7th grade (new school), I didn't have my own trumpet, I had always played a school loaner. The new school was out of loaner trumpets, so the teacher talked me into trying the oboe. I tried it for two weeks and hated it. I went to him and said either find me a trumpet to play, or I'm quitting band. He went and dug around in the storeroom and came out with a beat up flugelhorn. I played that for a while and liked it a lot. When my father had saved up enough money, he gave me two choices: I could either get a brand new trumpet from the Sears catalog, or get a used one from the music store. Being a 12 year old kid, I chose the new one from Sears. On retrospect, a used horn for the same price would have been much higher quality. But I played that Sears trumpet through 9th grade, and had a lot of fun with it. When I went into high school (our middle school was 7th, 8th, and 9th grades - they called it "junior high"), I could have joined the marching band, but didn't have the desire, for some reason.

I took piano lessons for a while, and even played the trumpet and piano at the same time a few times. But that didn't last either. I didn't really play again until I bought the Bach in the 80's. Lately, for some reason, I've really had the desire to play. I guess I'll have to dig out the Blessing and toot on it a bit. Maybe I'll see if I can find my duet music books and see if my son will play with me. That should be a hoot!
 
I've been eyeing a slide trumpet for a while now.
(That's all I need is another instrument)
It's a small (seven slide position) trombone with a trumpet sized bell and mouthpiece.
I produced a trombone band a Sea World with Bass, Alto Tenor and Soprano Trombones.
You should have heard four trombones glissing up into four part harmony.

slide_trumpet_02_2.jpg
 
This cracks me up. My dad played tuba in the National Guard band (he had some funny stories about that). At our school, in the 2nd grade, we were able to start taking music lessons (I'm sure budget cuts killed that years ago), and my dad said we could take any instrument we wanted, but he could only help us with something like the trumpet, so I took trumpet...we had a piano, but since my sister played that, I didn't want any part of that (now, I'm kicking myself, I love listening to piano pieces).

Anyway, I took trumpet and played in the school band all the way up until high school...I didn't have any interest in marching band (still don't), so I stopped as that seemed to be the only band going on at high school.

We also had the "Tubby the Tuba" LP in our record collection, but I don't recall ever listening to that! I bring that up because I just was watching the 1935 version of "A Midsummer's Night Dream," with James Cagney, and one of the actors (Victor Jory) narrated it, which I discovered via Wikipedia (so it may be true, or it may not be...).
 
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