Last weekend, J.S. found me on www.TeachStreet.com and enrolled in my class for private trumpet lessons. It turned out that during the holidays he was in New York, where he was raised, visiting his parents who are in their 80’s. A child of the 1960’s, he grew up listening to Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass, and he’s always liked mariachi music. A jazz song, “Minnie the Moocher,” featuring a muted trumpet, is a big favorite of his–it’s the “He-De-Ho” song by Cab Calloway, first recorded in 1931 during the Great Depression–very fun to listen to and sing along with. Try it (free) at www.lala.com. It’s a good example of why I claim that the trumpet is the most expressive of all brass instruments.

J.S. always wanted to play an instrument. Flute, guitar and trumpet appealed most to him. Now, at age 49, he’s making the time and effort to do it–bully-bully for him! And naturally, the trumpet stood the tests of time and imagination and won out. 😉

When he returned to Seattle this week, where he and his wife have lived downtown almost six years, we got together and talked things over. Next week, we start working on the horn and his dream. It’s his goal to play for his parents when he returns to New York for another visit next summer. We’ll see if an adult man can learn trumpet faster than my four other beginning students who are 10 to 12 years old. By next July, if we were to unite them all to form a trumpet quintet, who would be sitting first chair? We’ll see. Now really, they’re only in competition in my own head. It’s a fun mind-game for me. “Become your BEST!” is my slogan. That’s really what I want for every student. And now I want to recruit two more–of any age, at any skill level.