Spreading my wings!

One of the things that I love about my career right now is the extra-orchestral things I occasionally get to do.  Next week, I'm going to the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Minneapolis.  Aside from all the trumpet-geeking-out that is going to happen, I get to perform with the professional trumpet ensemble, Tromba Mundi.

Let me just say, these guys are good!  And not only that, they are GREAT guys!  I had the distinct pleasure of performing with them this past January, and I have to say, it was one of the most fun times I've ever had playing the trumpet.  I can't wait to play and hang with them all again.

Which brings me to my point of today's blog.  A lot of us trumpeters have a specific genre that we "belong" to.  For me, it's the "orchestra player" gig that I'm known for.  And I love that job.  Yet, I hate it.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE playing the repertoire, as the orchestral rep is some of the greatest music ever to have been written.  But the business of being an orchestral player has worn me down a bit the last couple of years.  Granted, my situation, with a folding orchestra has certainly magnified things a bit, but I have to say, I've been feeling an urge to "spread my wings" the last couple of years.

Luckily, I've been able to do that the last year and a half.  I've had the pleasure of appearing as a soloist with some great organizations locally, such as Chatter, the Church of Beethoven and the UNM Wind Symphony (Google them, they are some cool groups).  I've played recitals, played with Summit Brass, Tromba Mundi and even went to Brazil to do some teaching and performing.  I'm constantly amazed at some of the great places I get to go as a musician!

I have to say, that these gigs, along with my teaching at UNM, has been what really has gotten my juices flowing recently!  And as I look back at some of the great orchestral Principals, they, too, had some sort of extra-orchestral gigs going.  Roger Voisin, Armando Ghitalla, Thomas Stevens, Charles Schlueter Phil Smith.  All of them did solo projects of some kind and, not surprisingly, all have reputations as being the best of the best.  I'd like to think that they are that way because they chose to pursue other musical opportunities.  That's what I'm trying to do now.

My former teacher, Charles Daval, told me once how he would always prepare to do a recital around the same time that he was preparing to audition for an orchestra.  That way, he would not only keep his musical instincts sharp, but he wouldn't burn out on the excerpts.  I'm now understanding how that works.  I'm more excited about the orchestral rep now because of the solo and chamber rep I've played lately.  I guess that variety is really the spice of life!

I don't want this to sound like a slam on the orchestral gig.  It is a great gig!  And I wish that every musician could feel what I feel when I'm playing a great piece of orchestral literature.  It's a tremendous rush when you finish playing Picture at an Exhibition and the crowd is going bonkers over the orchestra's performance.  But for every Pictures concert, there is a kiddie concert, or Pops concert with awful arrangements, or Baroque orchestra gig where you sit more than you play.  It can be a grind.

That's where the outside gigs come in.  I think that every trumpeter can benefit from going outside their comfort zone.  Are you a classical player?  Go sit in with a big band or transcribe a jazz standard for a recital.  Jazz cat?  Play with a brass quintet and do some baroque transcriptions. Play a broadway show.  Go to a jam session. Play with a reading orchestra.  Organize a trumpet ensemble.  It doesn't matter, as any wing-spreading is GOOD!

Let's be honest.  We all got into music because as young children because we thought it was fun.  Why does that have to change now that we are aspiring or practicing professionals?

I choose to enjoy my job as a trumpet player.  It's the greatest job on earth, and if you're loving it, you never work a day in your life!

"I love this job!" - Mel Broiles, former Principal trumpet, Metropolitan Opera

JM