Why did you “come back”?

[MarkD]

I’ve been reading TH for some time now and am wondering what motivated some of you to come back to playing?

Curious to see if you could?
Wanted to play in some kind of band/ensemble for fun or to socialize with others?
Just thought it would be fun to play for yourself?

Reading about the practice routines of some members makes it sound like they are going to try out for the New York Philharmonics’ or something similar instead of just having fun, lol!

How has your “community” band experience been? I’ve listened to a number of them on YouTube and the music doesn’t sound too challenging which I would expect considering members of varying skill levels.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated!
Mark

[Brassnose]

Stopped playing due to too much work but kept listening and going to concerts. After 12 or 14 years off I just felt like I wanted to play again. Started practicing and joined a soul/pop band relatively quickly. We were playing nice local gigs at weddings and in clubs until some left the band and it fell apart.

I think a lot of us use the term community ensemble rather loosely, some may be quite relaxed while others play pretty challenging music. The one I play in since 2018 plays a wild mixture of musical styles and levels and I quite like that. We also have feature pieces for brass plus by now I’m the only trumpet, so I have to practice

The main reason I practice is that I really enjoy it. It’s my way of winding down at the end of the day plus I feel I have learned so much about playing the trumpet in the last five, six years that I really feel like I’m making progress. Finally, it’s much nicer to be prepared for a rehearsal or a gig than not be prepared (I’m the president of our orchestra — for those in the know of German structures, we are an e.V. — so I also have to be a role model, haha).
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Frate, Klier

[rsfracer]

Graduated from college - got busy with a career. Not a ton of opportunities to play. Slowly it wound up in the closet. 20 years go by - my daughter is in high school and tries out for the musical. My wife was also the volunteer producer and comes home one day and says - I need a 3rd trumpet for the pit. I said - you know that thing in the closet is my trumpet (Conn 38B). Crash course in remembering how to play - but I played the 3rd book for Fiddler - and let me tell you - not the easiest musical to play as your first. Especially the 3rd part - tons of accidentals and key changes. I played various parts in 3 more musicals - and took a few lessons from another school parent who happened to be an associate professor in Trumpet @ Messiah. Kept looking for new places to play. Wound up playing weekly in my church with a small brass ensemble. And then we moved - 45 miles away - commuted for awhile - that it fell apart during covid. I now play in a very good community band. The guy that sat 2nd chair to me in high school is our director. (He was a freshman my senior year - he was and is way better than I am)

[jharris2]

I quit after high school because I had to work full time to be able to pay for college ... kept by horn because it was a gift from my Mom and grandmother.

Graduated college, started my career, got married, and was transferred twice. The horn went with me. I kept telling my wife that one day I would start playing again.

Fast forward to 2003. My wife called my bluff and bought me lessons for Christmas. I started playing again shortly thereafter, and continued to study with the guy she found until he passed away (side note: I played with him at his last performance, 4 days before he died).

Despite several stressful jobs, I haven't put the horn down since.
_________________
John

2014 Flip Oakes Wild Thing flugelhorn (copper bell)
2014 Flip Oakes Celebration trumpet
2005 Flip Oakes Wild Thing trumpet
2002 Flip Oakes Wild Thing short cornet
1976 Getzen Eterna Severinsen trumpet
1951 Olds Ambassador cornet

[MarkD]

[MarkD]

[MarkD]

[cheiden]

Out of high school I played in a dance band through the disco era. When that started to fade I started playing keyboard in the band and the horn got put aside. Eventually the band split and at the time I didn't know of any other gigs so I quit for the balance of a decade.

Eventually got the itch started rebuilding my chops and found my way into a local big band. After a while I was playing in several. A friend recommended me to the local community college where the playing level was considerably higher. That led to all new gear and my very first lessons with a world-class teacher.

I've now been playing pretty consistently for ~30 years and have done just about everything: Orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber music, weddings, Easter, a salsa band,.... I'm most grateful for tripping into several musical theater groups for children's and other nonprofits. I can't count the number of shows I've done.

Going back to why comeback, I suppose that while I liked playing the keyboard, it lacks something visceral that comes from playing a wind instrument. It still kicks my a** on a regular basis and I struggle. But it seems I like the fight, and at this point I can't see stopping.
_________________
"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

[kehaulani]

I "came back" because that is who I am, what I do. My story's a little different.

I have been involved in music from about 12 and just turned 80. I've never not done music but not always as a trumpeter. I started as a trumpeter through school and added French horn in college. I played both professionally for several years in classical ensembles, big bands and pop combos. Then I turned to Composing and Arranging. Then Conducting. Then adding further work playing saxes and flute.

When I went into semi-retirement, I played in a very good civic wind ensemble, first on alto sax, then French horn and, finally, back on trumpet. I also played in a semi-professional big band, first on tenor sax then trumpet. All was going well then - two major strokes and, after I was recovering, another period of several months, sightless. That was scary.

Since then, I have my sight back and much muscular control but only enough to hold the lightest trumpet I can find. I still don't have enough dexterity to play French horn or woodwinds (left hand).

A bad thing is that, for the first time in my life, I don't have an audience to play for or a band to play in. That makes the self-discipline to practice difficult. Yet, I keep on keeping on.
_________________
"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

Adams A-9 Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Getzen Capri Cornet (for sale).

[Bethmike]

[Subtropical and Subpar]

Honestly? It started out as a way to network and meet people in a new part of the globe. Slowly but surely, it took over my free time.
_________________
1932 King Silvertone cornet
1936 King Liberty No. 2 trumpet
1958 Reynolds Contempora 44-M "Renascence" C
1962 Reynolds Argenta LB trumpet
1965 Conn 38A
1995 Bach LR18072
2003 Kanstul 991
2011 Schilke P5-4 B/G
2021 Manchester Brass flugel

[MarkD]

[MarkD]

[MarkD]

[MarkD]

[CaptPat]

I stopped playing after High School, I was not good enough to play in any of the college bands plus there wasn't enough time as I was on the traveling debate team. I attempted a brief comeback in the mid-90s that was short-lived, just too many other demands on my time with two kids in HS. This most recent comeback started last November and I'm pretty happy with my progress. Progress comes in fits and starts, at a bit of a plateau now, but I'll keep grinding away. I found a community band to play with that stresses aspects of play that are harder to replicate practicing along. It was strange coming back to a band room after a 50-year hiatus. I came back because I like it and now that I have the time to practice routinely I'll likely stick with it.
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Bach Stradivarius 180S37
Getzen Custom Series 3895
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I play trumpet because I like it, not because I'm good at it.

[cbtj51]

After many years, the 3 hour commute every weekend to play with a popular Rock band where I had once lived starting working on me, and after a 2000 New Year Millennium Cruise gig, I started making plans to wind down my playing. A few weeks later after playing at Brett Favre's brother Scott's wedding and just before my 50th birthday, it was time. Having zero contacts in my new digs, I packed my horns away for an undetermined period. Time seemed to fly by... then I began getting calls from a new Music Intern at my church to come to rehearsal with the newly formed Brass Ensemble. I reluctantly agreed (with much prompting from my wife) and embarked on a fresh adventure after 14 years away. Coming back at the very beginning of a necessary early retirement from my day gig provided a much needed daily dose of positive energy as my wife slowly succumbed to a terminal condition that finally took her life in January of 2021.

I met a much younger trumpet player at a symphony orchestra gig just outside of Memphis the week after Easter 2022. Living a couple of hours apart made us focus on the very often difficult challenge of connecting between performances as our romance blossomed! We managed!! She and I were married the day before another Symphony concert in Tupelo a year later. She has become a driving force in our daily practice routines as we prepare for many performances throughout the year with several groups! It all makes sense now, I must be destined to play trumpet duets for the rest of my life!

Nothing changes if nothing changes!

Life is Short, find the Joy in it!

Mike
_________________
'71 LA Benge 5X Bb
'72 LA Benge D/Eb
'76 Bach CL 229/25A C
‘92 Bach 37 Bb
'98 Getzen 895S Flugelhorn
'00 Bach 184 Cornet
'02 Yamaha 8335RGS
'16 Bach NY 7
'16 XO 1700RS Piccolo
Reeves 41 Rimmed Mouthpieces

[MLGaudet]

I kept my Selmer Radial 2 all these years and would pull it out every now and then. My spouse always bugged me about pulling out the horn. A college rock band was my last performances, then my Engineering curriculum became my focus.

As I now near retirement, the itch to play and perform again became a reality. Started with a teacher about a year ago and quickly joined the local community band. I must say, playing with others and performing is quite a thrill. Our music is not too difficult but challenging enough.

I've done a few recitals as well and was more nervous then I thought I would be.

My brother, also a former trumpet player, sent me his Bach Strad. Which I refurbished. It is my main player now and I really like the ease of playing it and it's fantastic sound. Not that the Selmer didn't have a good tone too.

Music and trumpet playing in particular, good for the soul and fun, including practicing, which I usually do each day of the week.
_________________
1973 Bb Selmer Paris Radial 2
1978 Bb Bach Strad Model 37
1980 G DEG Dynasty II 2 valve bugle w/ 1st valve slide spring
Bach 1.5C
Schilke 14A4A
Eastrock 3C

[MarkD]

[MarkD]