Crediting Those Who Taught Me

[trickg]

I've been here on the forum for a good number of years, and I've always talked about how I was a self-taught trumpet player. I grew up in rural SW Nebraska, and so I didn't really have a trumpet teacher - I had a band director and band class, and in high school I figured out most things with the instrument on my own.

When I got into the Army band program, I had 6 months of worth of private lessons at the Armed Forces School of Music, but my instructor there was no roadmap - I learned some things about musicality and phrasing from him, but we didn't really mesh well, he had his pet students (I was not one of them) and I never felt I got much from him.

And then I went to my first band assignment and started to gig. It's this period of time where I've come to the conclusion that I did have some teachers - they may not have been formal lessons, but they were lessons nonetheless.

The main person is a man named Tom Strayer, a fellow Nebraskan. Tom was a good bit older than me, and in the 1st US Army Band, at the time he was the main legit player - he ran the brass quintet, and was the Defacto trumpet section leader in name, even if officially the duty was another NCO's.

Tom took me under his wing as a player. I wound up playing 2nd with him in the brass quintet, and he arranged the trumpet section so that he was the first 1st cornet part player, and I was the first 2nd cornet part player, seated next to each other.

Looking back, every time I was around Tom it was a lesson. Tom taught me about phrasing, listening, how chords are tempered and how I fit in to that, better ways to approach my practice sessions, how to work on technique, how to work on my sound, sound concepts, articulation concepts, concepts about section playing and playing in an ensemble...

I spent 2 years and 4 months at that assignment, and it was during that time I that I built the foundation for the player I became. Looking back, so much of what I do as a player now started with Tom. I also learned things from the other guys at the unit - Priestly Williams, Rich Levault, Tom Anderson - but Tom Strayer is really the one I owe it to.

From now on, if anyone asks me who I studied with, I'll say with confidence that I studied with Tom Strayer, because I did, and I'm glad that I did. It may not have been formal lessons, but they were lessons, and I received them daily.
_________________
Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler

"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP

[stuartissimo]

That’s a nice sentiment. From what you write he sounds like a great guy. And through you he continues to inspire others.
_________________
1975 Olds Recording trumpet
1997 Getzen 700SP trumpet
1955 Olds Super cornet
1939 Buescher 280 flugelhorn
AR Resonance mpc

[trickg]

[kehaulani]

I guess you're talking about a mentor of sorts.

Mine was Bob Sponholtz. Tenor player who crossed from a Rollins-like player to a Coltrane-like player. Once we were at his apt, listening to records on a very basic, suitcase-styled record player

I said, "Bob, you're such a good musician, why do you have such a crappy record player?"
He just said (a record was playing), "Did you hear that?"
"No"
"Did you hear where he played a wrong change?"
"No."
"Well, if you can't hear that, what do you need a better record player for?"

He taught me so much about using your ears and many other musical and non-musical things. Very soulful guy.

If you're talking formal lessons, Sam Adler, Luigi Zananelli (comp.); Dick Grove (arranging); Sadao Watanabe (sax); John Haynie, Richard Lum (who studied with Renold Schilke), Bob Fleming (long time first-call L.A. studio player), and others.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"Well, even if I could play like Wynton, I wouldn't play like Wynton." Chet Baker

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Selmer K-Modified Light Trumpet (for sale)
Benge 3X Cornet

[Andy Cooper]

Peer mentors can be important in the development of a young player - though that may be in areas other than musicianship.

As a freshman at DePauw I credit Ralph Couervo with a lesson in punctuality. "That's what's called a late entrance. Lucky for you we covered your part so the Old Man (Bob Grocock) will never know." It's a long story - I forgot my bow tie and thought I had time to go back to my room to get it.

Eddie Williams (Ohio Northern University)- taught me the exact time to hold your lighter under the unwary lead trumpet player's mouthpiece to maximize discomfort without inflicting permanent injury. (Oh the story about the time he left his B1 unattended in the practice room - Grocock found it - hid it and let Ed sweat a day or two.)

And Larry Hill - how to tie a Windsor knot and find the cheapest meal at the Double Decker - 3-way salad, grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Thanks guys.

[trickg]

[dershem]

My "instructor" at the school of music was a waste of skin. He never taught me and never even tried. I never had a formal lesson until there, and barely had one even then, but I got 'hints' from people like Mic, and from Dave Greeno, who was one of the finest players in San Diego for decades.
My first real lesson was when I was taking my shot at L.A. and got a chance to take a few lessons from Red Rodney, who showed me a few things I'd heard about but never been shown. Since then I've taken a few individual lessons from people like Tim Jameson and Mike Bogart and actually spent enough time with Mic for him to realize how half-finished my education was and to fill in the gaps, and with Bill Watrous who showed me new ways to look at things.
Learning, for most people, is a haphazard thing, and I really wish there were a better way.
_________________
BKA! Mic Gillette was my mentor and friend.
Marcinkiewicz Mic G. trumpet, Custom Marcinkiewicz mpc. (Among others)
Marcinkiewicz Rembrandt flugel, Benge 8Z cornet, King 2B, Bach 36, Benge 190, Getzen 3062... many more. All Marc. mouthpieces.

[peanuts56]

I worked with a lot of older guys when I was coming up. Most were pretty good players and good guys. Played with a few who would get loaded and spent all their break time at the bar knocking back free booze.
One guy who was a tenor player influenced me in numerous ways. He had spent time on the road with Woody Herman and was a really fine musician. More than that, he was a total professional. Dressed impeccably, always prepared and the nicest guy. He got more calls for gigs than the others because he was reliable and professional. I learned that if you want to be treated like a pro you need to act like one.

[Seymor B Fudd]

Interesting read! Our brass band leader handed me a cornet, this was 1956, told me to approach the thing with the idea that"try to spit without really doing it", handed me a tiny little book and had me coming back during a year, barely. That was it. Then I was handed a sax horn, went home, making my parent laugh. 1957 I was given a chair in the saxhorn section, part 3, mainly afterbeats.

So I began practicing a lot all by myself and in 1958 I was transferred to the back row section, 3:rd cornet. A Czech horn, heavy as lead, blowing my eyeballs out of their sockets during a half a year making no progress at all, complained to the soprano man who immediatately identified a leak.
So with a new horn,a Regent things began to move on. 1962 I was transferred to to the front row.

And during all these years no lessons. Until my chops broke down 8 years ago. A real pro from the local Symphony Orchestra, sometimes joining the Brass band after his retirement gave me 18 lessons - thereby saving me. His diagnosis was simple: my support of air was inadequate.
It was such a relief to me - after our first meeting I started to cry when driving home - his guidance meant that a lot of tensions finally broke down - he was kind, understanding, supporting, listening, a quite sensitive guy who sadly enough passed away some years ago.

If only I had sought a good teacher during all these years......
Guess that I have been satisfied with the successes I´ve had. But at the same time always wondering what if?
I´ve practiced a lot, probably at may times the wrong stuff or in a wrong way.

I think that we need as much moral support as technical advice from a teacher. A sine non qua is a good 'rapport' between teacher and student.
A whole lot of psychology is going on.....
_________________
Cornets: mp 143D3/ DW Ultra 1,5 C
Getzen 300 series
Yamaha YCRD2330II
Yamaha YCR6330II
Getzen Eterna Eb
Trumpets:
Yamaha 6335 RC Schilke 14B
King Super 20 Symphony DB (1970)
Selmer Eb/D trumpet (1974)

[trickg]

Seymor, that's an interesting thought - "what if...."

I have a number of "what if's" in my life, and one of the big ones is what if I had gone through a collegiate music program rather than going straight to the Army.

I don't know if I'd have become a better player or not, but I suspect I would have. A collegiate program would have insured that I work on myself as a whole player. The way I did it, I tended to shy away from the things that were harder or more pedantic in approach, so I have a lot of holes in what I do as a player. I've got some abilities, but I have to do what I can to showcase my strengths and downplay my weaknesses, and I think going through a collegiate program would have insured that I had fewer weaknesses.

Or not. I've known a lot of people who came through college music programs who don't play as well as I do, so maybe I'm the player I was always going to be regardless.

Getting back to the subject of Tom and his influence on me, he did help me to recognize some of those weaknesses and gave me some strategies to address them, but by that point my goals as a player weren't really academic - I was actively working, so I didn't have the time to stop and break things down in a way a college program might have.
_________________
Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler

"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP

[Seymor B Fudd]

Yes what if......or rather guess what if......Life happened!
Whatever direction we followed this was the way we chose. I have some what ifs too - some still nagging me, now and then.

Once upon a time, during my during my first time at the university, I worked during a summer as a garbage collector in my home town; driving big trucks in company with another guy. At one time, still very vivid in my mind, I asked him "how many years have you been doing this?" "20 years" he answered adding "but if I had become aware of what this meant already from the start I would have chosen another path in life..". "But it´s never too late" I said trying to cheer him up "far too late"
he said, rather resigned.

His words made a deep impact on me! 20 years to the rats, or collecting things that attracted rats......

Nevertheless I did at some occasions choose the wrong path. Or I didn´t ???
How are we to know?

So just be happy with what you´ve got or: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6e3ITsjLRI

I have never enjoyed playing as much as now!
_________________
Cornets: mp 143D3/ DW Ultra 1,5 C
Getzen 300 series
Yamaha YCRD2330II
Yamaha YCR6330II
Getzen Eterna Eb
Trumpets:
Yamaha 6335 RC Schilke 14B
King Super 20 Symphony DB (1970)
Selmer Eb/D trumpet (1974)

[trickg]

Your story reminds me of my brother-in-law.

He was really into cars in high school, and after he graduated from high school he worked in a body shop for a year or so.

One night he was hanging out with the guys from the shop, and he found himself seated across the table from a guy who was 20-30 years older, doing essentially the same job as he was. He had an epiphany in that moment, and he decided that he didn't want to be the guy across the table in 30 years.

It was at that point he joined the National Guard to garner money for college, but even that wasn't the end of it.

He graduated college near the top of his class, but couldn't get a job in his field, which was journalism and marketing, so he applied for OCS to any service that would take him. After multiple attempts, he was accepted to Marine Corps OCS.

He graduated either 1 or 2 from every course he was in all through his military career. He wound up flying Harrier jets for the Marine Corps, but ended his active duty military career on a partnership program with the Air Force where he was flying F-16s.

He left active duty Air Force to fly passenger jets for American Airlines, and finished his military career, retiring as a full-bird Colonel in the Air National Guard. He's still flying passenger jets for American Airlines.

All because he had an epiphany when he was 20-21 years old, hanging out with his work buddies.
_________________
Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler

"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP

[Seymor B Fudd]

What a career, he really made it with flying colors!

Yes,single decisive, moments of epiphany in life may have a tremendous impact!

And single persons too! When I finished what might be called "secondary school I didn´t make it to enter college (last level before university) so I had to study French in order to get additional points. Did it all by myself during a year, had to quit a Maritime corps for youths (many later entered the Navy), and finally I had to pass an examination by a teacher, together with other guys having the same problem. I had to reach level 5 but got only 4. So I went home, sadder than ever, feeling my life was in shambles.
Then our phone rang. Since I was alone at home I rushed to answer, only to find this very teacher at the other end - telling me "I looked at your marks and realized that you did need a 5 so I changed my decision, you now have a 5, you knew it all and I understand that just listening to a disc (vinyl discs with a French speaking person)isn´t that good if you want to get it right".
Here I am almost 65 years later, Ph D and a life long successful career within my profession. So he saved my life! Or rather enabled me to begin flying, sort of!
_________________
Cornets: mp 143D3/ DW Ultra 1,5 C
Getzen 300 series
Yamaha YCRD2330II
Yamaha YCR6330II
Getzen Eterna Eb
Trumpets:
Yamaha 6335 RC Schilke 14B
King Super 20 Symphony DB (1970)
Selmer Eb/D trumpet (1974)

[tptptp]

Here's a nice way to view our beloved teachers. Excerpted from the Hippocratic Oath.

"To hold him who taught me this art equally dear to me as my parents, to be a partner in life with him, and to fulfill his needs when required; to look upon his offspring as equals to my own siblings, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or contract...."
_________________
Craig Mitchell

[stuartissimo]

To honor the trumpet players I knew personally that taught or inspired me, I had one of my mouthpieces inscribed with their names. But most of all, I try to be like them. The lengths some of them went through for me is more than I deserve, and I’m grateful to them all.
_________________
1975 Olds Recording trumpet
1997 Getzen 700SP trumpet
1955 Olds Super cornet
1939 Buescher 280 flugelhorn
AR Resonance mpc

[bamajazzlady]

All of you have some intriguing stories. I'll personally never know the joy of trumpet playing as I had to cut mine short a long while back.
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"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." - Maria Robinson