Posts Tagged ‘trumpet’
Posted by glennled on April 13, 2015
Chris Botti, trumpeter
Natalie Dungey. trumpeter
“We’re a musical family!” says the Mom of my 22nd trumpet student, a 7th grade student at Skyview Jr. High School in Bothell. His first lesson with me was on 1 July. He plays his Mom’s trumpet, the one her parents bought for her when she was in 10th grade at age 16. (Her Dad played cornet.) She made All-State Band in Texas, and now her son (13), has an even loftier ambition–to become a professional musician and play “awesome” trumpet. His favorite trumpeter is Chris Botti (www.chrisbotti.com/us), and he’s a great admirer of Natalie Dungey (www.nataliedungey.com).
He likes classical music but also plays in the school jazz band, which he says helps him make different sounds and improves his ability to read music. Within the past year, he’s taken up drums (his Dad plays drums) and tinkers around on the piano. He’s started a composition for an ensemble of 2 trumpets, 2 violas, 1 tuba, 1 snare drum, 1 alto sax, and 1 flute. Meanwhile, he also wrestles and plays soccer. And his older sister sings and plays piano, guitar, and clarinet, while his younger sister “sings like a mocking bird,” says her Mom.
Why did he choose trumpet? Because it has such a “powerful sound that it hits you in the face, but at the same time it can make soft sounds that are pure beauty.” Right on!
Posted in New Students - Intro Posts, Skyview Junior High | Tagged: band, Chris Botti, classical, drums, ensemble, jazz, lesson, musical, Natalie Dungey, piano, trumpet, trumpeter | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on June 29, 2014
Two great leaders and positive thinkers who excel, Russell Wilson and Daniel Rowe
The “Year-End Band Concert” by the outstanding four bands from Hamilton International Middle School in Seattle on 12 June brought the audience to its feet for two standing ovations, as the director, Mr. Daniel Rowe, made the stunning announcement that he would be retiring after 35 years of teaching music in public schools. But four days later, after the weekend, he said he had re-thought his plans and announced that he would teach another two years—whew!–the band students and parents must have heaved a huge sigh of relief.
No doubt, three other people did, too: Cindy Waters, HIMS Principal; Angela Babbitt, Director, Beginning Band; and Zari Magness. President, FOMAHI (Friends of Music at Hamilton International), the booster club. They all participated in the concert, held at Lincoln High School Auditorium in the Wallingford neighborhood.
The 49-member Beginning Band played five pieces, including the crowd-pleasing “Slidin’ and Glidin’,” featuring the trombone section. The 93-member Cadet Band played four pieces, concluding with “Fiero.” And the 91-member Concert Band played three pieces, “Into the Storm,” “Shenandoah,” and “Highlights from ‘Frozen.'”
Trumpet trio, Juliana, Aadi, and Colin play “Bugler’s Holiday”
The Symphonic Band began its four-piece set with “Bugler’s Holiday,” by Leroy Anderson, featuring a trio of double-tonguing trumpeters. [Recall from my post of 21 June that a trumpet trio from the Wind Ensemble from Inglemoor High School had played the same piece just one week earlier. And I recall that I’d played it in a college band concert long ago.]
Mr. Rowe has each band vote for three annual awards: Most Inspirational, Most Improved, and Outstanding Musician of the Year. Two trumpeters won such awards: in the Cadet Band, Corinna Sanger was voted Most Inspriational, and in the Symphonic Band, Colin Ovens was voted Outstanding Musician.
After Mr. Rowe made his shocking announcement, he led the band in what he had planned to be his final concert piece–the “Overture to Candide” by Leonard Bernstein, arranged by Clare Grundman. Later, I asked him about the signicance of this music to him. He said that during his first year at HIMS, he’d had his Symphonic Band play it. That was five years ago, and the band had 41 members. He wanted to conclude his career by having his current 88-member band play it, too. Whoever succeeds him in 2016, will inherit a very strong band program.
Please click on any photo to enlarge it.
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Angela Babbitt, Director, HIMS Beginning Band
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Angela Babbitt
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Trumpeters (12), Beginning Band
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Angela Babbitt features her band’s trombonists
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Trombones are “Slidin’ and Glidin'”
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Zari Magness, FOMAHI President, thanks key supporters and volunteers
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Cindy Watters, HMIS Principal, thanks Zari Magness, FOMAHI President
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Daniel Rowe conducts the Cadet Band
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Trumpeters (18), Cadet Band
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The HIMS Concert Band
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Trumpeters (16), HIMS Concert Band
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HIMS Concert Band plays “Highlights from ‘Frozen,'” the Disney movie
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Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl 48 Champions–one of several gifts to Daniel Rowe
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Symphonic Band (88 members) accompanies the trumpet trio in “Bugler’s Holiday”
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Trumpeters (8) in HIMS Symphonic Band
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Stunning retirement announcement–coming in two years
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Benjamin, my first trumpet student, switched to tuba–oh, no, how could he?!
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Trumpet soloist
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Standing ovation for Mr. Daniel Rowe and HIMS Symphonic Band after the “Overture to Candide”
Posted in School Concerts | Tagged: band, beginning, Bugler's Holiday, cadet, concert, Daniel Rowe, Hamilton International Middle School, symphonic, trumpet, trumpeter | 4 Comments »
Posted by glennled on June 22, 2014
Sarah, Robert, Finn, Glenn Ledbetter, Erik, and Vaughan
Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland was the featured piece on the program on Sunday, 8 June, when my wife and I hosted our fifth annual trumpet recital in our home in Edmonds. Coincidentally, on 25 May, I played the same powerful, dignified piece with the 13-person, brass and percussion ensemble at Alderwood Community Church in Lynnwood (see my post of 18 June 2014).
Copland wrote Fanfare for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1942, shortly after America entered World War II, and it premiered on income tax day, 12 March 1943. As America built up its war effort, the Vice President of the USA called the 20th century the “Century of the Common Man.” Copland borrowed that phrase to entitle his brass ensemble piece.
Aaron Copland, 1900-1990
At the recital, however, we had only the three trumpet parts—no French horns, trombones, tuba, timpany, tam-tam, or bass drum. And the three trumpeters come from different high schools—one at Bothell, one at Juanita, and one at Inglemoor. Later in the program, each played a solo piece. The Bothell High sophomore played “Aire” by Johann Sebastian Bach. The sophomore at Juanita played “Le Tambourin” by Jean Philippe Rameau. And the Inglemoor High junior played “Etude 1” by Sigmund Hering.
In between Fanfare and the older students’ solos, my fifth grader from Morningside Academy played “Ode to Joy” and “Sawmill Creek.” Next came my seventh grader from Hamilton International Middle School, playing “The Victor” by R.M. Endresen and “Riqui Ran,” a Latin-American folk song arranged by James Curnow.
Recitals give parents, relatives and friends proof that private lessons work in helping build musicianship and character.
Various photos were taken by Ping Qian, Leslie Lowell, Nancy MacDonald and Glenn Ledbetter. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.
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The enthusiastic, proud audience
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More of the proud, enthusiastic audience
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Warm-ups downstairs–Finn and Vaughan
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Warm-ups in the rec room–Erik and Robert
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Warm-ups down in the rec room–Sarah and Robert
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Waiting during the welcoming
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Opening performance–“Fanfare for the Common Man,” Copland
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“Fanfare for the Common Man”
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High schoolers play Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man”
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Finn
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Dr. Sean Stitham
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Finn
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Erik
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Erik
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Erik
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Erik
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Sarah
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Sarah
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Vaughan
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Vaughan
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Vaughan
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Robert
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Robert
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Five-Star Trumpeters–Sarah, Robert, Finn, Erik, and Vaughan
Posted in Musical Events at Home | Tagged: Aaron Copland, Alderwood Community Church, brass, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, ensemble, Fanfare for the Common Man, Jean Philippe Rameau, Johnann Sebastian Bach, lessons, Sigmund Hering, trumpet, trumpeters | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on June 21, 2014
On 5 June, the Choral and Instrumental Music Department of Inglemoor High School in Kenmore presented “Pops 2014,” its Grand Finale Concert of the school year, at the nearby Northshore Baptist Church in Kirkland. It was a splendid, fun concert, played to a full house of parents, relatives, and friends. Ted Christensen is Director of Bands, and Jim Rice is Director of the Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band. Both are members of the Hall of Fame of the Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) and Northwest Bandmasters Association. Teresa (Terry) Sullivan is Choir Director and Music Department Chair. This spring, I was the coach of the trumpeters in the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble.
Please click on any photo in the gallery below to enlarge it.
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IHS Jazz Ensemble, as concert audience arrives
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Chris Dymek, Flugelhorn Soloist, “I Remember Clifford”
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Chris Dymek
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Jim Rice, IHS Jazz Ensemble Director
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IHS Jazz Ensemble, with Orchestra seated behind and audience members at tables
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Ted Christensen conducts IHS Orchestra, “West Side Story”
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Student Guest Conductor, IHS Orchestra, “Molly On the Shore”
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Ted Christensen, IHS Director of Bands and NSD Music Coordinator
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Jim Rice, IHS Orchestra Director, conducts “Fiddler’s Fury”
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Jim Rice receives gift
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Gifts
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IHS Symphonic Band
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Jim Rice conducts IHS Symphonic Band, “The Eighties (A Decade of Hits)”
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IHS Wind Ensemble, Pops 2014 Concert, Ted Christensen conducting “Buglers Holiday”
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Daniel Briggs, Paul-Henry Flynn, and Chris Dymek play “Buglers Holiday” by Leroy Anderson
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Ted Christensen receives gift
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Concert Choir, under direction of Teresa Sullivan, IHS Choir Director and Music Department Chair
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IHS Bella Voci
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IHS Chamber Choir, Men’s Group, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”
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Terry Sullivan, IHS Choir Director, presents the full Chamber Choir
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IHS Combined Choirs sing “Jump”
Posted in School Concerts | Tagged: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, band, Bugler's Holiday, Inglemoor High School, Jim Rice, Leroy Anderson, Northwest Bandmasters Association, symphonic, Ted Christensen, Teresa (Terry) Sullivan, trumpet, trumpeters, Washington Music Educators Association, wind ensemble, WMEA | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on June 18, 2014
Aaron Copland, composer, teacher, writer, conductor, 1900-1990
On Sunday, 25 May, I played trumpet in the Brass Ensemble, conducted by Linda Collins, at Alderwood Community Church in Lynnwood. During the worship service, recognition was given to Memorial Day, which was to be celebrated across the nation the next day.
Our featured piece was the thrilling Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland, written in 1942 and first performed in 1943 during World War II. It’s powerful and brings dignity to every event at which it is played. In America, regardless of status, we are all common—“All men are created equal,” and it’s “One man, one vote.”
Here are some videos of performances by others which pay tribute to the USA and its military men and women: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXytluK9QVk and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGu5Iz_h7Yo.
In the gallery of caricatures below, credit is given where the artist is known to me. Please click on any image to enlarge it.
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Copland by Lenoard Bernstein (1936)
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Copland by Leonard Bernstein (1943)
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Copland by Al Hirschfeld
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Copland by John Minnion
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Copland
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Copland
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Copland
Posted in Ceremonies & Celebrations, Church Music | Tagged: Aaron Copland, Alderwood Community Church, brass, composer, conductor, ensemble, Fanfare for the Common Man, Leonard Bernstein, Linda Collins, trumpet | 2 Comments »
Posted by glennled on June 6, 2014
George and Lucy. Photo by Tracy Martin
My wife and I “opened” our Christmas gift on the 19th of April—that’s when we went to see the musical, “A Room with a View,” at the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle with tickets given to us by our daughter and son-in-law last December. We had great seats on the main floor, mid-way down toward the stage.
The musical is based on the 1908 novel by E. M. Forster, English author of novels, short stories, and essays. He was the author I probably would have concentrated on, had I gone for a post-graduate degree in English literature. To me, he was the academic, the professor, the critic, who tried to do what he studied, reviewed, and taught. That is, he tried to defy the adage, “Those who cannot do, teach.” To me, his novels are excellent but never literary masterpieces.
E. M. Forster, 1879-1970
A Rome with a View, the third of sixth published novels, is said to be his lightest, most optimistic, and popular. Like most of his other works, this one explores the conflicts of propriety and class as Lucy Honeychurch faces the choice of a husband–the free-thinking, high spirited George Emerson or the repressed, snobbish aesthete, Cecil Vyse.
These characters sing all the way through this romantic musical comedy. But it’s a funny thing—none of the 20 songs is easily memorable. I like to come out of a musical humming a great tune. Not here, not this one. Where’s a song like “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'” (Oklahoma!), “Tomorrow” (Annie), “Ya Got Trouble” (The Music Man), “What Do the Simple Folk Do?” (Camelot), “Get Me to the Church on Time” (My Fair Lady), and many more? Come on, guys, write a nice melody for your lyrics!
The 5th Avenue Theatre is renowned for producing and developing new musicals. Nine of the 17 new works which have premiered at The 5th since 2001, have later opened on Broadway. Whether “A Room with a View” will do so is yet to be determined. The 5th has more than 25,000 season subscribers. More than 300,000 audience members attend performances there each year. Incidentally, in The 5th Avenue Theatre Orchestra, the principal trumpet is Brad Allison, and Trumpet 2 is Paul Baron.
The production photos in this post are courtesy of The 5th Avenue Theatre. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.
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Lucy and George. Photo by Tracy Martin.
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The skinny-dip scene for comic relief. Photo by Mark Kitaoka.
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Lucy Honeychurch (Laura Griffith). Photo by Mark Kitaoka.
Posted in Professional Concerts | Tagged: 5th, A Room With a View, Brad Allison, E.M. Forster, Fifth Avenue Theatre, Laura Griffith, lyrics, melody, musical, Paul Baron, song, trumpet, tune | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on June 3, 2014
On 1 April, four bands from Skyview Jr. High School in Bothell gathered before a gym-full of parents, relatives, and friends to present their “Skyview Spring with Tunes and Swing” concert in the SJHS gymnasium.
Glenn Ledbetter prepares to conduct Skyview Jr. High School’s second-year band, 1 April 2014
On Fridays, I rehearse the second-year band, and Mr. Shawn McGinn, Director of Instrumental Music, graciously let me conduct one piece (“Front and Center”) that night. It was the first time I ever conducted a band in public–what fun! The feeling was kind of like playing with a wind-up toy–first you practice, practice, practice to acquire the skill, and then on concert night, you just let it go and it does its own thing, automatically, perfectly! I was so proud of the kids.
The first-year elementary band (mostly 5th graders) played “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “Eye of the Tiger.” The second-year elementary band (mostly 6th graders) played “Front and Center,” “Clarinet Boogie,” and “I’m a Believer.” Then came the 7th-grade band from SJHS, playing “The Tempest,” “A Song for Friends,” and “Furioso.” And finally, the Skyview Jazz Band played “Dorian Journey,” “Moanin’,” “Work Song,” and “Mr. PC.”
Please click on any photo to enlarge it.
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Shawn McGinn conducts SJHS Elementary 1st-year Band
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Shawn McGinn conducts SJHS Elementary 2nd-year Band
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Skyview Jazz Band, 4-1-2014
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Posted in School Concerts | Tagged: band, Bothell, jazz, music, Shawn McGinn, Skyview Jr. High School, solo, trio, trumpet, trumpeter | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on June 1, 2014
On 31 January 2014, as a para-professional, I taught my first music classes at Inglemoor High School. Several trumpet ensembles from two IHS bands, the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, were in the final week of practice for the regional competition to be held on Saturday, 8 February. Winners advanced to the state competition.
On my first day, I critiqued their practice sessions, and for the remainder of this school year, I will continue to teach their sectional sessions. I work with the Symphonic Band trumpeters (8) on Mondays and the Wind Ensemble trumpeters (7) on Fridays. Mr. Ted Christensen is IHS Band Director and Northshore School District Music Coordinator. He conducts the Wind Ensemble. Mr. Jim Rice is Director of the IHS Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band.
Posted in Inglemoor High School, Student Competitions, Honors & Awards | Tagged: band, Christensen, Inglemoor High School, jazz, orchestra, Rice, sectionals, trumpet, trumpeters, wind ensemble | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on May 28, 2014
On 6 November 2013, at his home, my 21st trumpet student had his first lesson with me. He’s a fifth grader who recently turned 11 years old. He attends the Morningside Academy, a private, non-profit school founded in 1980. It’s located in Seattle and has a typical enrollment of 70-100 students. However, the school has no music program. His parents play the piano and flute, so they encouraged him to choose an instrument, too. Like most of us trumpeters, he likes the strong sound of the trumpet.
For our instruction book, we’re using “Standard of Excellence” by Bruce Pearson–the same book used by my brass students in the 5th and 6th grade elementary school bands which meet for practice at Skyview Jr. High School in Bothell. The plan is to have him ready to transition into band classes once he transfers into a school that offers music instruction. Meanwhile, he’s memorized “Happy Birthday” and plays it for his family members on their birthdays.
Posted in New Students - Intro Posts | Tagged: band, brass, Bruce Pearson, lesson, Morningstar Academy, music, Standard of Excellence, trumpet, trumpeters | 2 Comments »
Posted by glennled on May 26, 2014
Skyview Jr. High School, Bothell, WA
On 16 September 2013, I resumed teaching beginning brass at Skyview Jr. High School (SJHS). Students from three elementary schools come to SJHS for classes from 7:55-8:35 a.m. The three elementary schools are Canyon Creek, Fernwood, and Crystal Springs. A few students from other nearby schools also attend.
First-year band students come on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for sectional classes, and second-year band students come on Mondays and Wednesdays. Then on Fridays, I conduct a class for the whole second-year band. Mr. Shawn McGinn has been Director of Instrumental Music at SJHS since 1999, and has taught over 10,000 students! His students feed into Bothell High School.
There are numerous other posts, with photos, on this blog about the many band concerts that have been held at Skyview and at the Northshore Performing Arts Center in Bothell since I’ve been been teaching trumpet and other brass instruments here.
Posted in Skyview Junior High | Tagged: band, brass, Canyon Creek, Crystal Springs, elementary, Fernwood, music, Northshore Performing Arts Center, Shawn McGinn, Skyview Jr. High, trumpet | Leave a Comment »
Glenn's Trumpet Notes 