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In a Weird Place with Trumpet



 
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INTJ
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Joined: 25 Dec 2002
Posts: 1986
Location: Northern Idaho

PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 9:30 pm    Post subject: In a Weird Place with Trumpet Reply with quote

I started playing trumpet in 2001 after a 20+ year layoff. I eventually worked myself into two different lead trumpet positions. The first with a small town community jazz band, where we played 30 minute concerts and stuff from Stan Kenton, Maynard, Buddy Rich, etc. The next was a medium town "professional" community jazz band--we got paid a little bit for gigs, mostly 2 hour dance gigs playing Basie and Ellington. I was stretched to get through all those repeating shout sections.

My last playing gig was Feb 2020, then everything shut down. I had lost my job in Dec of 2019 and wound up moving to Northern Idaho Jan 2021 where I am living now. Currently in an apartment and will move into our new house in Dec.

I kept up with lessons until Dec 2020. They were skype lessons. When I moved I stopped the lessons. I kept up with practicing for a while and slowly tapered down until I stopped all together about three months ago.

I just picked it back up. Still have all the tools. Played a DHC. It will take a couple weeks to get everything back but I'll be right where I was.

I don't have any place to play right now. Perhaps after we get move into our house and settled in I'll find something. Maybe I'll have to start it. I want to play lead in a jazz band again. Maybe I can contact the local HS band directors and they might have some leads. My e-mails to the local college directors were not answered.

I would love to play Christmas and Easter concerts in a church, but evangelical churches seem determined to not have those kind of concerts anymore. I have pretty much given up on churches as a place to play.

This is certainly an weird place to be with trumpet, to have the skills but no place to use them......
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nieuwguyski
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Joined: 06 Feb 2002
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Location: Santa Cruz County, CA

PostPosted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 3:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It may be a question of how far you're willing to drive to play.

I have a trumpet-playing buddy who moved to Sandpoint a few years ago. I haven't heard that he found groups to play in, but I'll reach out to him to see what he may have found.

A high-school friend of mine lived in Colville, WA years ago and he found groups to play trombone in, but he may have been driving down to Spokane, where he now lives.

In general, college towns, even two-year college towns, have a chance of having music groups. North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene lists music as a program, so you might contact the school.
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INTJ
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Joined: 25 Dec 2002
Posts: 1986
Location: Northern Idaho

PostPosted: Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I appreciate the contact. I wouldn't expect much in Sandpoint, but the Couer d'Alene/Post Falls metro area has around 165,000 people so you'd think there be a community jazz band.

I am 45 minutes from Spokane, but I avoid WA as much as possible.
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Brad361
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Joined: 16 Dec 2007
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Location: Houston, TX.

PostPosted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This may not be of any value, but:

In my area, if I assumed that gig opportunities are gone due to covid, I would be in a similar, nowhere to play spot. And understand, I’m not saying that’s the assumption you are making. But where I am (Houston), nothing could be further from the truth. The band I work with has not had a weekend off since April, don’t have another one off until mid October, then straight through the rest of this year. Yes, covid definitely shut down everything early last year, but since April we have been very busy, and Houston is not exactly a small town, nor is it 100% right wing conservative.

Brad
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INTJ
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Joined: 25 Dec 2002
Posts: 1986
Location: Northern Idaho

PostPosted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have no idea on the demand for a big band here. Idaho is a free state and hasn't been shut down for a while now. It's more a matter of actually finding a local big band. If there isn't one then I'll have to find other players who would like to be in a big band. I think it may start with me contacting the local high schools after marching band season and offering to help out their trumpet sections.
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Brad361
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

INTJ wrote:
I have no idea on the demand for a big band here. Idaho is a free state and hasn't been shut down for a while now. It's more a matter of actually finding a local big band. If there isn't one then I'll have to find other players who would like to be in a big band. I think it may start with me contacting the local high schools after marching band season and offering to help out their trumpet sections.


The unfortunate thing is, demand for big bands, generally speaking, in many areas has been poor since long before covid. As much as I love big band playing, if I limited myself to that I would not be playing much.

If that’s your primary interest, hopefully you’ll find something. But if you really want playing opportunities you might need to consider other genres as well.

Best of luck.

Brad
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INTJ
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Joined: 25 Dec 2002
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Location: Northern Idaho

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2021 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got a call yesterday. It was the director of a community college jazz band in Spokane. They are starting up next week. The director of this band--a pro player and composer--directed my last big band just before I started with them. In fact, I even played a gig with him.

This band is exactly what I am looking for. It's a concert jazz orchestra that plays a handful of concerts each year. Looking forward to it!!
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deleted_user_687c31b
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Joined: 03 Apr 1996
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice to read that things worked out for you in the end. Good luck with your new band!
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