Posted by glennled on November 21, 2009
Today I went to the Northshore Performing Arts Center (NPAC) in Bothell to hear my 9th grade trumpet student play with his school group in the “Northshore Jazz Festival.” I sat next to his Dad at the end of the row of seats occupied by their family, including his Mom, siblings, and one set of grandparents.
There were 25 jazz ensembles and bands on the program, some traveling from far away places such as Wenatchee, Langley (on Whidbey Island), Bremerton, Arlington, Monroe, and Snoqualmie. They played from 8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Each group played three pieces. During lunch, the jazz ensemble from Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, played a concert. The festival was not a contest. It was a show. Each group got to show how well they’re playing at this stage of the school year, and a group of professional musicians, instructors and conductors critiqued each band. They made written notes and recorded audio comments, as feedback for the band directors and members to consider later.
I started snapping photos with my Blackberry phone camera when my student’s group appeared on stage. They sounded good and were well-rehearsed. Several key players seem to form the core of the group. My student is lead trumpeter. In the middle of the second piece, he improvised a solo! Afterwards, his Dad proudly said to me, “He nailed it!” I gave him thumbs up and a broad smile. Those lessons are paying off. Way to go, man!
Posted in Festivals & Competitions | Tagged: 9th, Arlington, arts, bands, Blackberry, Bothell, Bremerton, center, Central Washington Unversity, concert, contest, critiqued, Ellensburg, ensembles, Festivals & Competitions, grader, improvised, Island, jazz, Langley, lead, lessons, Monroe, nailed, northshore, Northshore Jazz Festival, Northshore Performing Arts Center, NPAC, performing, show, Snoqualmie, solo, trumpeter, Wenatchee, Whidbey | 4 Comments »
Posted by glennled on November 18, 2009
This afternoon during our first private trumpet lesson, I heard my newest student, the 4th of this school year, play the sweetest tones on his trumpet! Trouble is, he cannot yet read music fluently. He’s sort of stuck at that stage where he still has to think about the name of each note and then recall the fingering. But when he finally blows, his attack is clean and his tone is big, solid, full, round and fat! It’s so natural to him.
He’s been thrown into a 6th grade band class, handed a band book, and told to go learn to play Exercise __ or Song __ on pages __ with little or no guidance or instruction about the horn and technique. It’s forced “do it yourself” learning. Well, with this teaching approach, what results does the band director at this north Seattle elementary school expect?! Struggles, frustration, and a probable band drop-out someday.
It is my pleasure to help this gentle boy overcome these obstacles. Let’s give the kid some successes! and who knows? maybe we’ll be listening to him play in the jazz, concert and marching bands soon…maybe in the symphony or opera orchestras someday…maybe on some CDs or in the movies when he’s that good. Let him dream! Help him dream! Help him achieve his potential. Or maybe he’ll simply enjoy playing in the school band with his friends for a few years and never take it any further…that’s fine, too. You find good people in bands. Good memories accumulate with the many events, and lifetime friendships often form–even marriages!
Thanks to his Mom for giving me the opportunity to help him come to love music and the trumpet. Let’s motivate him to practice more. Let’s have fun while we work hard. Let’s see what he can do, if he really wants to.
Posted in New Students - Intro Posts | Tagged: 4th, 6th, attack, band, CDs, concert, director, dream, fingering, grade, grader, jazz, lesson, marching, movies, opera, orchestra, sweet, sweetest, symphony, technique, tone, trumpet | 2 Comments »
Posted by glennled on November 16, 2009
My 3rd student of the new school year got a late start—he just recently signed up for band class, and the other trumpeters have about a two-month head start! They’re all in 6th grade at the same elementary school between Woodinville and Snohomish, so he’s had to get off to a fast start to chase down the leaders. He’s taking weekly one-hour trumpet lessons (instead of half-hour). He’s got the family support, he’s got the interest, he’s got the desire, he’s a quick learner, and he’s a hard worker. If he were a racehorse, I’d say those other horses better watch out! This steed is gaining ground with every stride.
Posted in New Students - Intro Posts | Tagged: 3rd, 6th, band, elementary, lessons, racehorse, school, Snohomish, steed, trumpet, trumpeters, Woodinville | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on October 11, 2009
Husky Alumni Band plays for tailgaters in SE parking lot.
Squad, pre-game huddle, chanting and swaying, getting all fired up!
Things were looking impossible at the football game last night: the UW Huskies were down 33-21 to the University of Arizona Wildcats with only about four minutes left to play in the game. Suddenly, with hands clasped in front of his face and then raised to the sky, the Husky Alumni Band (HMBAA) trumpet player sitting next to me openly prayed aloud to the “Husky God” for a “miracle in our house.” Sure enough, within the next ~1.5 minutes, the Huskies had scored 15 points and won the game. Actually, the four plays (pass, extra point kick, interception, two-point conversion) which yielded those 15 points took only 18 seconds off the game clock. “Unbelievable!” screamed the 1.5″ headline in the Sunday Seattle Times.
Now it was really fun playing again in the Husky Alumni Band…lotsa good musicians having fun like the college kids we once were. “You Can Call Me Al,” “Louie, Louie,” “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “Johnny Q,” “Celebration” are just a few of the many songs we played before masses of people tailgaiting in various parking lots around Husky Stadium. And of course, “Victory” and “Bow Down to Washington” many times. Three vintage trumpeters, Dave, Dave, and Stan, showed me around and were especially fun to play with. I’ll be back for the Apple Cup against WSU on 28 November (Thanksgiving weekend), God willing!
Posted in HMBAA - Husky Alumni Band | Tagged: Al, alumni, Apple Cup, Arizona, band, Bow Down, Celebration, God, HMBAA, Huskies, Johnny, Louie, Lovin', miracle, Seattle Times, Victory, Washington, WSU. Thanksgiving | 4 Comments »
Posted by glennled on October 5, 2009
My 2nd new trumpet student of the 2009 school year commenced lessons with me this month. He’s a 9th grader in middle school, where he’s already an award-winning musician among his peers, and yet he has never had a private lesson until now. His prime interest is jazz. I can tell he’s going to go far!–just the kind of motivated, talented student every instructor loves to have.
Posted in New Students - Intro Posts | Tagged: 2nd, 9th, Bothell, jazz, lessons, middle school, trumpet | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on September 9, 2009
Recently, I met the highly personable, enthusiastic Dan Niven, manager of the Mills Music Store in Lynnwood. Turns out that he plays trombone in the Husky Alumni Band at UW football games. It’s organized by the Husky Marching Band Alumni Association (HMBAA), www.hmbaa.org. I’m a “Hum’-ba” member, too, and am looking forward to playing at the Arizona game at Husky Stadium on 10 October. “See you at the Horseshoe!” he says to me. At the store, there are studios where instructors teach private lessons. For those students who prefer it, we can meet there for our sessions. It is located at 20505 Highway 99 (east side of the road), telephone 425-775-6500. Great place to rent or buy your instrument, music books, supplies and accessories. It’s one of 11 Mills Music stores. Try them!
Posted in HMBAA - Husky Alumni Band | Tagged: 99, Arizona, band, cornet, Dan, football, games, HMBAA, horseshoe, Husky, instruction, lessons, Lynnwood, marching, Mills, music, Niven, private, stadium, store, studio, trumpet, UW | 2 Comments »
Posted by glennled on August 14, 2009
My first new student for the new school year lives in Ballard and is already on the horn, taking weekly lessons, practicing and having fun learning new techniques and songs! He’s gonna be good, if he keeps it up. He’s a quick learner, has a natural emboucher, likes music, is curious about how his cornet works and should be maintained, and is excited about playing it. Watch out, he’s improving fast!
Remember: wherever you are on the learning curve, you can always improve, and with help, you can improve faster than trying to do it alone. The better you are, the more fun it is. The composers wrote the music, your horn can perform it…now, can you play it? Say yes!
Posted in New Students - Intro Posts | Tagged: Ballard, cornet, first, instruction, lessons, music, school, student, trumpet | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on February 16, 2009
Hi! Welcome to Glenn’s blog about gaining control over your trumpet or cornet…making it do the things you want it to do, making it sound the way you want it to sound, making it play as it is meant to be played. We already know the horn can do it, so we only have to train the player. Be a player! Become your best! Let’s mix in some good work with some fun music. Let’s get together and get started.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: blog, cornet, horn, lessons, music, player, sound, trumpet | Leave a Comment »
Today I went to the Northshore Performing Arts Center (NPAC) in Bothell to hear my 9th grade trumpet student play with his school group in the “Northshore Jazz Festival.” I sat next to his Dad at the end of the row of seats occupied by their family, including his Mom, siblings, and one set of grandparents.
Glenn's Trumpet Notes 