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Fall Tour 2012 is over, and I didn’t write a single post from the road. In the immortal words of Disney employee Han Solo: “It’s not my fault!” This tour was the busiest tour I can remember. We all did our best to stay on top of things and do our jobs as well as […]
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When I was a college freshman, my school’s music department brought in acclaimed jazz trumpeter Marvin Stamm as the guest artist. As an 18-year-old trumpet player who barely knew which end to blow into, hearing Marvin changed my life. One night that week, Marvin hung out with the trumpet studio at a local bar and […]
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A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an essay comparing the art forms of jazz and comic books. I decided I wanted it read by a larger audience than my blog posts usually reach, so I contacted Ron Marz. Ron’s a comic writer of many years, and he also writes a great blog called Shelf […]
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Today was the final day of the Conference. As great as it’s been, I was ready to be back home, soaking in the quiet. The day started with the dress rehearsal for the Festival of Trumpets. The jazz groups decided not to meet until 1:30 (just before the concert) so the rhythm section wouldn’t be […]
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By Day 4 of any trumpet conference, I’m suffering from trumpet hangover. I open the car door at 8 AM, I hear a kid outside the garage playing a trumpet and my heart just sinks. After three consecutive fourteen-hour days of in-your-face trumpets, it takes something pretty special to keep you engaged, let alone get […]
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To make the most out of an ITG Conference, you have to prioritize. Go through your schedule and mark every clinic, masterclass, recital and concert you cannot miss. With the time slots remaining, mark the events you’d love to see. Then, in the margin, make a list of unscheduled priorities (Buying an E-flat trumpet, getting […]
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It seems that every friend I ever had is here at the International Trumpet Guild Conference. Seven of the eight people I played with in the North Texas Wind Symphony trumpet section are here. My first teacher, Kevin Eisensmith, has always been deeply invested in ITG, and can be counted on to attend every year. […]
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As I write this, two of my colleagues and I are driving from the Atlanta International Airport to Columbus, Georgia for the 2012 International Trumpet Guild Conference. Money for these kinds of events is scarce these days. While funding was bountiful, they might have been considered a worthwhile expense; “professional development” or whatever. Now they’re […]
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