Glenn’s Trumpet Notes

He’s a precocious 8 year old, and I was his second trumpet teacher—for one lesson only! He’s had two years of piano lessons (which continue) and just recently took up trumpet. After making a thorough study, online for months, of numerous instruments, he chose trumpet because of its sound. He likes Wynton Marsalis and Miles Davis. His parents rented him a Yahoo trumpet from Ted Brown Music in the University District of Seattle. The trips to his first tutor’s studio proved to be too far a commute for the mom, so he dropped after two lessons. Then she found me at http://www.lessonsinyourhome.com. I drove to his home on 21 February with high hopes despite his youth.

He already knows the fingerings of the notes in the C-major scale within his range, which is two octaves–truly exceptional for his age and the very short time that he’s been playing. His tone is solid. He’s rolling his lips inward toward his teeth as he climbs into the upper register—something that many fifth graders find unnatural and difficult. He is eager to learn more and does so quickly. To me, he’s an ideal student.

For the next lesson, I asked him to practice two pages in his instruction book (Standard of Excellence by Bruce Pearson) and improve on three things: tonguing, lip placement, and breathing. He was making an “H” sound into the mouthpiece and needs to change to a “T” sound. In the lower register, he was letting his lower lip creep out of the mouthpiece so that he could make the buzz with the inside of his lips. Indeed, he should roll his lips outward in the lower register, but both lips need to remain inside the mouthpiece cup. He was breathing through his nose and needs to breathe through the corners of his mouth. When we parted, I told him he is going to be a star. Smiles, shining eyes.

He’s very bright, self-motivated and disciplined. His mom says he practices piano often and on his own initiative, sometimes for up to two hours. He’s played in four piano recitals. In addition, he sings in a choir and loves it. He’s a happy boy. His two older siblings play piano and drums. His father studied voice at the famed Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois.

But alas, his mom says they now need to stop these lessons for budgetary concerns. Oh, ah, hmmm…well, no worries. He’s a musician, just finding his way. Godspeed.