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tomcherv Regular Member
Joined: 10 May 2016 Posts: 33 Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 4:26 am Post subject: Good morning from St. Paul Minnesota |
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First post on forum.
To me, music is such a multi component art. You have the physical, technical, and artistic skills that all come together. I've never stopped playing, but lately it's been mostly the piano. I do, for some strange reason, tap my fingers when I listen to music, but I tap trumpet fingerings (using my pinky or 1-3 for open).
I've only been playing trumpet only 2 or 3 times a year at church for the last 10 years, but I decided I really want to get my chops back in shape. I'm able to get through the entire service, but that's about it. And my high register usually disappears during the last song.
I still play my Bb Benge that my parents purchased for me in 1979 as a freshman in high school. And my birthday present was a Benge piccolo (that I found on ebay - it's in good shape).
My hope is to be able to play the Hayden and Hummel Trumpet concertos once again (First movement on each - my solos for state competition my junior and senior year in high school). I'm also looking at community bands or orchestras in the area to see if there is one I'd like to join - there's a bunch in the area
Lots of great advice on this site - there is a lot of reading to be done here.
Tom _________________ Tom
St. Paul, MN
Benge Bb
Benge Piccolo
Buescher Flugelhorn
Last edited by tomcherv on Wed May 11, 2016 4:41 am; edited 1 time in total |
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tptptp Heavyweight Member
Joined: 25 Oct 2001 Posts: 1411 Location: Georgia
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 4:40 am Post subject: |
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Welcome to Trumpet Herald. There are many comeback players who participate on this site. Don't you just love this rewarding and frustrating pursuit? _________________ Craig Mitchell |
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corsair Veteran Member
Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 135
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 6:44 am Post subject: |
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Welcome, I too, am from St.Paul.
Been in comeback mode for several years now. Where are you located? |
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tomcherv Regular Member
Joined: 10 May 2016 Posts: 33 Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 7:00 am Post subject: |
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I work downtown and live not too far from Como Park. _________________ Tom
St. Paul, MN
Benge Bb
Benge Piccolo
Buescher Flugelhorn |
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rockford Heavyweight Member
Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 2477 Location: Northern VA
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 7:17 am Post subject: |
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Welcome aboard! Lots of folks here with a wide variety of skills and motivations. Hope you enjoy it. _________________ Bill Siegfried
NY/Mt. Vernon Bach trumpets. Yamaha flugelhorn and piccolo A/Bb, Monette and Hammond mouthpieces. Fender and Peavey Cirrus Bass Guitars. Ampeg and Genz-Benz amps. Embraer 170/175/190. |
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gwood66 Veteran Member
Joined: 05 Jan 2016 Posts: 302 Location: South of Chicago
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome to the comeback community. |
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corsair Veteran Member
Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 135
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2016 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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White Bear area for me now. |
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tomcherv Regular Member
Joined: 10 May 2016 Posts: 33 Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 8:14 am Post subject: |
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Well - I contacted a community band.
My younger son is a French horn player, but his high school schedule won't allow him to continue in band anymore. But he still wants to play. I signed him up for his private lessons again, and he would be playing in the community band; he's actually the reason I contacted them.
Looking forward to playing more frequently, and sharing this with my son. _________________ Tom
St. Paul, MN
Benge Bb
Benge Piccolo
Buescher Flugelhorn |
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Grits Burgh Heavyweight Member
Joined: 04 Oct 2015 Posts: 805 Location: South Carolina
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 9:56 am Post subject: |
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Tom,
I graduated from the U of M and lived in St. Paul, just south of Como Park. I doubt that I would recognize the place now. When I was going to school I did not find too many opportunities to play outside of church. I am glad to hear that opportunities have increased. As a winter hobby, playing trumpet beats bicycling hands down.
I started my comeback exactly one year ago. I don't have time yet to practice every day and when I do practice, it is seldom for more than an hour. Still, every now and then there is a spark of hope in what comes out of the bell.
Keep us updated on your progress.
Grits _________________ 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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GeorgeB Heavyweight Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 7:17 am Post subject: |
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Hi, Tom, welcome.
Losing ones range after playing an hour or so isn't too unusual for someone who is only playing the trumpet occasionally, but it seems you want to change that so now the hard work starts: long tones, lip slurs, scales, etc. It will come back to you. It came back to me after a 50 plus year layoff.
Best wishes and good luck on your journey.
George _________________ 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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tomcherv Regular Member
Joined: 10 May 2016 Posts: 33 Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 6:34 am Post subject: |
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I've been to two rehearsals, so far. As I'm new, and need to get back into playing, I took the 3rd part. The band actually sounds pretty good.
My son was able to make the last rehearsal and he enjoyed himself. He was by himself last week, but I know there are two other FHorn players, and possibly four.
I'm one of 6(?) trumpets.
Each rehearsal is 90 minutes and I've made it all the way through so far.
Looking forward to seeing how this goes. _________________ Tom
St. Paul, MN
Benge Bb
Benge Piccolo
Buescher Flugelhorn |
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GeorgeB Heavyweight Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:53 am Post subject: |
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Good for you. _________________ 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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tomcherv Regular Member
Joined: 10 May 2016 Posts: 33 Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 4:47 am Post subject: |
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Had the first concert yesterday. It was a one hour concert at an assisted living complex, 10 songs.
At 5 minutes to the start, I was still the only trumpet. In my head I'm going "Oh s**t - am I going to have to play first?" Fortunately, one other player came who was familiar with the 1st parts.
Still, I had never played nor even heard three of the songs. And I ended up sight reading the second part on everything.
Still, it was a lot of my. My son enjoyed playing his French horn. He had it worse than I - he was playing about five songs for the first time. _________________ Tom
St. Paul, MN
Benge Bb
Benge Piccolo
Buescher Flugelhorn |
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WxJeff Heavyweight Member
Joined: 10 Dec 2002 Posts: 2488 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 5:50 am Post subject: |
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Glad you had fun.
Acoustics can be interesting in the "big room" that many places like this use for activities. A friend played in a similar setting and shared that one of the residents (possibly dealing with dementia, or possibly not) spent the entire performance yelling over and over "Too loud!! Too loud!!" _________________ Kanstul F Besson International 800 Bb
Jupiter SCR-520 |
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tomcherv Regular Member
Joined: 10 May 2016 Posts: 33 Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 8:46 am Post subject: |
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I'm well aware of acoustical challenges.
We were actually outside. They placed in a court yard. We played toward the connecting section between two wings while behind us wild turkeys were roaming just outside the woods next to the train tracks. (No trains during the concert.) _________________ Tom
St. Paul, MN
Benge Bb
Benge Piccolo
Buescher Flugelhorn |
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WxJeff Heavyweight Member
Joined: 10 Dec 2002 Posts: 2488 Location: Atlanta GA
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Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:44 am Post subject: |
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Excellent! Anybody happen to grab a picture or two? Sounds like a fun playing environment. |
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tomcherv Regular Member
Joined: 10 May 2016 Posts: 33 Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:15 am Post subject: |
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So, several months in, now.
Even though I'm still not playing every day, my endurance and range is coming back. The band rehearses 90 minutes once a week with about 1 concert a month.
Christmas at church was much easier - I felt comfortable through the entire service, and my upper register was not only present the entire time, it was controlled in volume, pitch, etc.
I've added another challenge: starting tomorrow, pit orchestra rehearsals start for "Wizard of Oz" - our church does a major musical every year, and I decided to return to the pit. (I played for "Joseph and . . . Dreamcoat" about 11 years ago.
For those in the Saint Paul area, Sunday April 30 is BandWidth Music Festival, a showcase of community bands from the area. There are currently six scheduled to play. Last year featured three new pieces, and the band I'm in has commissioned a new piece for their 25th anniversary.
(http://www.lexhamarts.org/band/BandWidth/BandWidth.htm)
Lots of fun, and new challenges, but I've really been enjoying playing my horn more frequently. _________________ Tom
St. Paul, MN
Benge Bb
Benge Piccolo
Buescher Flugelhorn |
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GeorgeB Heavyweight Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:04 am Post subject: |
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Great news. Congratulations. _________________ 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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tomcherv Regular Member
Joined: 10 May 2016 Posts: 33 Location: Saint Paul, MN
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Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 2:15 pm Post subject: A Year (almost) later |
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I've continued to play and have been having lots of fun.
Just finished playing in the pit orchestra this year at the church for "The Borrowed Tomb".
OK - this part was high. High, as in half the notes were F at the top of the staff or above. Never did get the high E, but managed the C#s and Ds.
It was fun music and I'm still humming the music to myself.
My son also played his horn for the musical, and on those songs/parts of songs where trumpets did not play, I took one of the horn parts with my Flugel.
I like this music thing. _________________ Tom
St. Paul, MN
Benge Bb
Benge Piccolo
Buescher Flugelhorn |
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starkadder Heavyweight Member
Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 542
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Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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Word of advice if you live in MSP: if you leave you horn overnight in your car, warm the mouthpiece before you put it to your chops. |
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