This blog is to introduce me, Glenn Ledbetter, and share with you my musical experiences, lessons taught, and lessons learned. Here’s an outline of my trumpet activities:

• Member, Texas All-State Concert Band, one year
• Member, Abilene Christian College Marching and Concert Bands, two years
• Member, University of Washington (UW) Husky Marching Band, two years
• Member, trumpet section, brass ensemble and various musical and opera orchestras at UW, two years
• Teacher, beginning trumpet and trombone, Skyview Middle School, Bothell, 10 years
• Private tutor, trumpet and baritone (treble clef), 56 students (of ages 4 to 81) for 15 years
• Hosted annual Trumpet Student Recitals in the spring in my home for 10 years
• Member, Alderwood Community Church Orchestra, Lynnwood, 7 years
• Entertainer twice for my classmates at annual Sinton High School class reunions in South Texas
• Member, University of Washington Alumni Marching Band, 2008 – present
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1040 Bugler, Lynnwood, 2011 – present
• Member, Bugles Across America and Taps for Veterans
• Busker at Veterans Plaza, Edmonds, fundraising for VFW, 2017 – present
• Soloist, one-hour trumpet shows at 32 retirement communities in Greater Seattle area, 2017 – present
• Member, Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band, 2023 – present

Along the way, I marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California and at the Rose Bowl itself during the football game between UW and Minnesota which we won, 17 to 7. In 2009, I started this blog. I have sounded “Taps” more than 240 times at veterans’ funerals and military ceremonies. In addition, I have sounded various other bugle calls almost 90 times. So far, the largest audiences for “Taps” were 1,200 at a sheriff deputy’s funeral service in a church in Bothell and 24,000 at T-Mobile Park prior to a baseball game on Memorial Day. The smallest audience was a family of six aboard the ferry Spokane for a burial-at-sea ceremony during a crossing from Edmonds to Kingston.

Music is so important in everyone’s life, whether or not you play an instrument. I now have five horns: trumpet, cornet (given to me by my parents as a freshman in high school), flugelhorn, field trumpet (bugle), and pocket trumpet. I’ll keep playing them as long as I can! Someday, it may be just for myself. (“Oh, Happy Day!”) And as long as I continue playing, I’ll continue blogging. You can “Read all about it!” here.