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Eddie Jeffries Regular Member
Joined: 13 Feb 2017 Posts: 75 Location: United States
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Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 7:56 pm Post subject: Trumpet Player personality |
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There is allegedly a stereotypical trumpet player personality.
But I have always been impressed with the variety of personalities who play trumpet.
Maynard Ferguson - extroverted, gregarious, funny
Bill Chase - shy, quiet
Doc Severisen - regular guy next door, surpisingly normal
Lin Biviano - skirt chasing, swagger, let 'er rip enthusiasm
So trumpet players come in all sizes and shapes and personalities.
Perhaps the only thing they have in common is their willingness to work their butts off to excel in their craft. _________________ eddiejeffries@hotmail.com
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deleted_user_02066fd New Member
Joined: 03 Apr 1996 Posts: 0
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 9:31 am Post subject: |
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I've met Maynard, Doc and Biviano. I knew someone that grew up in the same neighborhood as Bill Chase and he said Bill was a good guy.
I would agree with the op on Maynard and Biv. I met Maynard many times and he was always gracious and a bit loopy. I think he might have been a few sheets to the wind many of those times. Regardless, he was always fun to meet and talk with. I met Biv once and he was a riot. A bit cocky but friendly to everyone that was in the group of trumpet geeks I was standing with. Doc was a completely different story. he was signing cd's after 2 shows I had gone to. It was pretty obvious that he didn't want to be there. He barely looked up and if you tried to engage him in any small talk he blew you off. He was very rude to my wife when she tried to speak to him. My wife is a quiet, gentle soul and he was a complete ass.
I met Thad Jones two times and he was a real class act. Clark Terry, a really good,kind man. I met Freddie Hubbard at a club date he was playing and he was also a really great guy. Same with Woody Shaw, Jon Faddis and Chuck Mangione. |
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JJMDestino Veteran Member
Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 257 Location: El Paso
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 9:54 am Post subject: |
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I had the complete opposite experience with Doc. He was nothing but kind and generous with his time. He spent about half an hour just talking to a few of my friends, my wife, and myself. He was obviously tired from concert, but was very willing to talk to us, answer questions, joke around, and even apologize to us that he didn't play his best. |
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trumpet.sanity Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Oct 2016 Posts: 763
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 10:23 am Post subject: |
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JJMDestino wrote: | I had the complete opposite experience with Doc. He was nothing but kind and generous with his time. He spent about half an hour just talking to a few of my friends, my wife, and myself. He was obviously tired from concert, but was very willing to talk to us, answer questions, joke around, and even apologize to us that he didn't play his best. |
My experience was similar. I got to hear him warm up backstage at the Kennedy Center about ten years ago. He hung with us before, and after the show. And was nothing but gracious, funny and patient with a dozen trumpet geeks picking his brain and pestering him nonstop.
Doc was very hard on himself with us as well. Saying his high As were thin, or he chipped a note here and there, and his sound was off. Of course there was shock and awe after those statements as we were all blown away with the show, and mesmerized by his otherworldly performance. |
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Turkle Heavyweight Member
Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 2450 Location: New York City
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 11:52 am Post subject: |
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You are darned right there is a proper trumpet player personality.
All trumpet players must be comfortable playing like a gladiator, with bravado, as a leader, setting the pace and musical tone and playing all the most exciting parts in any musical score.
It's not a fanfare without a trumpet, and a trumpet player has to have a fanfare in their soul.
Not everyone can do this!
I used to tell my students: "You'll teach yourself to play the trumpet by playing these exercises and etudes. I'll teach you to be a trumpet player." That means I'd teach them to lead, to play fearlessly, and to be ready to step up to any challenge, no matter how high the note, how soft and exposed the entrance, how tricky the rhythm, how opulent the concert hall, or how dingy the dive bar.
Rising to the occasion requires a certain personality. That person is a trumpet player. _________________ Yamaha 8310Z trumpet
Yamaha 8310Z flugel
Curry 3. |
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Grits Burgh Heavyweight Member
Joined: 04 Oct 2015 Posts: 805 Location: South Carolina
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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Turkle, loved your post! _________________ Bach Stradivarius 37 (1971)
Schilke HC 1
Getzen 3810 C Cornet
King Master Bb Cornet (1945)
B&S 3145 Challenger I Series Flugelhorn
Life is short; buy every horn you want and die happy. |
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John Mohan Heavyweight Member
Joined: 13 Nov 2001 Posts: 9830 Location: Chicago, Illinois
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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What does a trumpet player use for birth control? |
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John Mohan Heavyweight Member
Joined: 13 Nov 2001 Posts: 9830 Location: Chicago, Illinois
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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His personality. |
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dstdenis Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 May 2013 Posts: 2123 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 2:01 pm Post subject: Re: Trumpet Player personality |
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Eddie Jeffries wrote: | There is allegedly a stereotypical trumpet player personality. But I have always been impressed with the variety of personalities who play trumpet. |
I think that's right. A trumpeter doesn't have to have a heroic personality, but s/he must understand the archetype and be able to play that way. Just like an actor doesn't have to have the personality of the character s/he's playing, but does have to understand the character really well. What if the character is psychotic? Does that mean the casting director needs to find an actor who's crazy?
I think in some ways it's better to have actors and trumpet players who don't have the inherent personality of the part they play but do understand it really well. They can step outside of that narrow role and deliver a wider range of performances. If you ask a trumpeter to back off a bit, it's too loud, the heroic trumpeter might struggle with that because that's who s/he is, while others would find it easier to adapt their playing to whatever the music director wants. _________________ Bb Yamaha Xeno 8335IIS
Cornet Getzen Custom 3850S
Flugelhorn Courtois 155R
Piccolo Stomvi |
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deleted_user_02066fd New Member
Joined: 03 Apr 1996 Posts: 0
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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I should mention that Doc absolutely played his ass off in the two shows I mentioned earlier. He was 83 at the first show and 85 when I saw him last. He sounded better at 85 than he did at 83.
I suppose the only thing he owes an audience is a great performance. He did just that! |
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cheiden Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 8921 Location: Orange County, CA
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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A lot of developing musicians play as if they're asking questions. To succeed on trumpet you can't be shy about making statements. _________________ "I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart |
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TrumpetMD Heavyweight Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2008 Posts: 2420 Location: Maryland
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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I saw Doc a couple years ago, at Chuck Levin's in Maryland. There were six inches of fresh snow on the ground, which for those of us who are familiar with the DC area, is akin to a natural disaster. The room was packed. He played with a quartet, presented a clinic, and took a bunch of questions.
The event went over the scheduled time, and you could tell that the organizers wanted Doc to wind things down. But he kept going, entertaining, taking questions, and talking to the audience.
Once the event was over, Doc offered to sign autographs. I think just everyone there got in line. Doc was there for hours shaking hands, signing autographs, talking, smiling, and laughing.
Mike _________________ Bach Stradivarius 43* Trumpet (1974), Bach 6C Mouthpiece.
Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn (1969), Yamaha 13F4 Mouthpiece.
Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns. |
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Winghorn Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 2165 Location: Olympia, Washington
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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peanuts56-
While Doc is my hero as a trumpet player, there is no excuse for being rude.
I feel bad that he was apparently unkind to your wife.
Steve |
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spitvalve Heavyweight Member
Joined: 11 Mar 2002 Posts: 2164 Location: Little Elm, TX
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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I got to meet Doc about thirty years ago after a concert. I mentioned that when I was fourteen my mom brought one of his albums home and that it motivated me to practice. He said "Well, that makes me feel real good. Practice...yeah, I need to do some more of that."
He was a perfect gentleman and was kind to all of my trumpet students who were lined up behind me (I cut in front of them!). _________________ Bryan Fields
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1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
1999 Getzen Eterna 700S
1977 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
1995 UMI Benge 4PSP piccolo trumpet
Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces |
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markp Heavyweight Member
Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 2815 Location: Coarsegold, CA
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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John Mohan wrote: | His personality. |
TRumpet player handshake:
EXtend your hand to fellow trumpet player as you say, "Hi, I'm better than you." |
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Trumpetingbynurture Heavyweight Member
Joined: 18 Nov 2015 Posts: 898
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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Winghorn wrote: | peanuts56-
While Doc is my hero as a trumpet player, there is no excuse for being rude.
I feel bad that he was apparently unkind to your wife.
Steve |
Honestly, sometimes there are excuses for being rude. Humans are only humans. There are times when great people are rude not because they're rude people but because they just don't have the energy to be around people.
There's a hundred forgivable reasons why someone might sometimes be rude. If it's a consistent thing, then that's not excusable, but if someone's having a crappy day and are so caught up in the mess of their own life that they can't be graceful around other people, then that's just being human. It happens to us all. |
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Turkle Heavyweight Member
Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 2450 Location: New York City
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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markp wrote: | John Mohan wrote: | His personality. |
TRumpet player handshake:
EXtend your hand to fellow trumpet player as you say, "Hi, I'm better than you." |
Traditionally followed with, "got any valve oil?" _________________ Yamaha 8310Z trumpet
Yamaha 8310Z flugel
Curry 3. |
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solo soprano Heavyweight Member
Joined: 26 Jan 2012 Posts: 856 Location: Point O' Woods / Old Lyme, Connecticut
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 3:29 am Post subject: |
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"There are two sides to a trumpeter's personality.
There is the one that lives only to lay waste to woodwinds, strings, french horns, percussionists, and trombones, leaving them lying blue and lifeless alongside the swath of destruction that is the trumpeter's fury. And then.....
there is the dark side."
Michael Stewart DMA _________________ Bill Knevitt, who taught me the seven basic physical elements and the ten principles of physical trumpet playing and how to develop them.
https://qpress.ca/product-category/trumpet/?filter_publisher=la-torre-music
Last edited by solo soprano on Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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GeorgeB Heavyweight Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 4:19 am Post subject: |
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I was fortunate enough to meet two trumpet greats:
Louis Armstrong and Al Hirt.
My wife and I met Satchmo after a local concert where he received a long line of fans and signed autographs. He was gracious and down to earth. And even though he must have been tired after a long concert, he didn't rush anyone. The rest of his band was the same, especially Trummy Young who was looking to party on.
While at a newspaper publisher's convention in New Orleans I discovered that Al Hirt and Pete Fountain were playing at a nearby night club ( I believe it was owned by Hirt ). It was crowded but during one of the breaks Al walked around and talked to patrons at various tables. When he stopped at my table I almost fainted. I was a big fan and had all of his albums. He was laid back and funny as hell. I left loving the big guy even more _________________ GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet |
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Proteus Veteran Member
Joined: 23 Sep 2010 Posts: 130 Location: Ottawa, Canada
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 4:54 am Post subject: |
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About four decades ago, while I was studying music at McGill University in Montreal, I recall reading a wonderful book entitled "To Speak For Ourselves". It was all about the musicians in the Boston Symphony, their personalities and the personalities & characteristics of their instruments...and how a person's personality tends to lead them to choose a particular instrument - or how the instrument's character and the demands of playing a particular instrument end up changing their personality.
Violinists were characterized as 'high-strung' (pun intended?) and akin to racehorses; bassoonists were hobbyists, always whittling away on reeds; oboeists were a little neurotic (the backpressure?); trombone & tuba players were the jokers and the life of the party; and trumpeters were the dapper, well-respected gentlemen of the orchestra. Hmmm...
It's no doubt long out of print, but definitely worth looking for in your local (music) library. _________________ Bach 239 C
Kanstul 700
Getzen Proteus 907S Bb
Bach Strad 37 Bb (70s)
ACB Doubler flugel
Getzen Capri cornet |
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