Trumpet Teacher Talk

Episode 32: Stay in the Moment - A Conversation with James Thompson of the Eastman School of Music

James Thompson is currently Professor of Trumpet at the renowned Eastman School of Music. He came to this position after having played Principal Trumpet in the Atlanta and Montreal Symphony Orchestras.

He has performed as soloist with orchestras in North and South America as well as Europe. He has made recital tours of Asia, North and South America as well as most of Europe.

Since joining the faculty of the Eastman School he has performed as guest Principal Trumpet with orchestras that include the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as the Baltimore, Seattle, and Boston Symphonys.

Mr. Thompson can be heard on CDs with the Montreal and Atlanta Symphonys, as well as solo and chamber projects. His recordings of the Shoshtakovitch Concerto #1 for Piano, Trumpet and Strings and Mahler Symphony #5 were Stereo Review’s records of the Month.

Mr. Thompson is a Yamaha Performing Artist.

[email protected]

Episode 31: "First, Be a Musician" a conversation with Dr. J. Peyden Shelton

A current resident of the greater Washington D.C. and Baltimore area, Dr. J. Peyden Shelton has gained a rapidly growing reputation as an active clinician and performer throughout the United States and Canada.  Dr. Shelton has served on the faculties at both the University of Rochester and Cornell University as an Instructor of Trumpet.  In these positions he recruited and maintained two studios of both undergraduate and graduate students.  He also served as chamber ensemble coach for numerous student ensembles.  While pursuing his doctorate in Trumpet Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music, Peyden served as the head teaching assistant for the Eastman School's trumpet studio under Professors James Thompson and Douglas Prosser. 

In March of 2014, Peyden was awarded 1st place in the Graduate Solo Division at the National Trumpet Competition in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.   Since that time, Peyden has been featured as a soloist with several ensembles throughout the East Coast.   His most recent performances include Alexandra Pakhmutova's Concerto for Trumpet, Duke Ellington's Concerto for Cootie, Bruce Broughton's Excursions for Trumpet and Band, as well as Donald Hunsberger's famous arrangement for Wynton Marsalis of J.B. Arban's Fantasie Brillante.   Peyden has performed as a soloist with a wide variety of ensembles including The Winds of the Blue Ridge, Southwest Virginia's premiere wind band, Cornell University's Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and the Reston Symphony Orchestra.   He has been featured as soloist in chamber music settings including the Eastman School's Tuba Miram, and the Eastman Brass Guild. 

Episode 30: "Be an Artist" a conversation with Larry Meregillano. 

Larry Meregillano is a Bach artist/clinician. He started his professional career playing in big bands in San Diego in the early 1970’s. In 1976, he was hired to play in Tom Ranier’s Show band at Disneyland.

A year later, Mr. Meregillano joined the gospel group Truth and soon after went on to perform and tour with The Bill Gaither Trio. While traveling and recording with The Bill Gaither Trio, he also recorded with Sandi Patti, David T, Clydsdale, Ron Huff, Don Marsh and many others.

In 1980, Larry returned to California and became the lead trumpet player for the world-famous Disneyland Band. In the late 1980’s, Larry was hired to play in the PTL Television Orchestra with Jim and Tammy Faye Baker. From there he joined Princess Cruise lines as Musical Director.

After many years, Mr. Meregillano moved to Orlando, Florida, where he performed with many bands at Walt Disney World, MGM Studios, Epcot Center, Universal Studios and Pleasure Island. He has also been the Musical Director and performer for many cruise lines including the world-famous Queen Elizabeth 2.

Larry has toured with the Temptations and The Four Tops, and has been a sideman for Rosemary Clooney, Joe Williams, Jack Jones, Bob Hope, Celia Cruz, Frankie Avalon and many, many others. Mr. Meregillano has recorded with many artists including Hubert Laws, Latoya Jackson, and Rick Dees.

Mr. Meregillano can often be seen playing with The Tom Kubis GWC Big Band and is a busy freelance musician playing recording dates, theater and stage shows in the Los Angeles area and around the country.

"Sing your heart out" - A conversation with Frank Gabriel Campos.

Frank Gabriel Campos is a renowned classical and jazz soloist and the author of Trumpet Technique (Oxford University Press, 2005), regarded the best single source on the subject. His popular 'Clinic' column in the International Trumpet Guild Journal has been an important pedagogical voice to thousands of trumpeters around the world since 1995. Currently professor of trumpet at Ithaca College’s Whalen Center for Music, Campos earned his bachelor’s degree from California State University Fresno and did graduate work at the University of North Texas where he won the Outstanding Masters and Outstanding Doctoral Student Awards, as well as the Hexter Prize for Outstanding Graduate. His primary teachers include John James Haynie, Leonard Candelaria, Don Jacoby, James Stamp, W. Ritchie Clendenin, Carole Klein, and his father. 

Mr Campos has been principal trumpet of the Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Texas Baroque Ensemble, Bear Valley Festival Orchestra, and Madera Symphony Orchestra, and he has been a member of the Fort Worth Symphony, the Fresno Philharmonic, and the Monterey County Symphony. He is a former member of the University of North Texas One O’clock Lab Band, the Dallas Cowboys Band, and he has been a featured soloist at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Sacramento Jazz Festival, and others. He has played or toured with such artists as Natalie Cole, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bob Hope, and has performed at Constitution Hall, New York’s Town Hall, and on the stages of the Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center.  

Episode 28: Keeping Perspective - A conversation with Chris Gekker

Chris Gekker is Professor of Trumpet at the University of Maryland, School of Music and currently lives in the Washington, DC area. He has been featured as soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Chris was a member of the American Brass Quintet for eighteen years, and on the faculties of the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, and Columbia University. He was principal trumpet with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, frequently performed and recorded as principal with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and often a guest with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has been a guest principal with the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Santa Fe Opera. Chris has performed and recorded with many jazz and contemporary artists, and often for television and movies. In 2009 he was invited to record and perform with Sting, and is featured on the dvd “A Winter’s Night” which was recorded live at Durham Cathedral in Durham, England.

Many of his former students occupy orchestral positions in major symphonies throughout the world, as well as being prominent in jazz, chamber, and commercial music. His Articulation Studies, 44 Duos, Endurance Drills, Piccolo Trumpet Studies, and 24 Etudes are available from Colin Publications and are sold worldwide.

Episode 27: Creating Lifelong Music Lovers - A Conversation with Adam Fisher. Adam is a freelance trumpeter and teacher in the Milwaukee area. His career includes lots of performing, teaching trumpet and working with...area marching bands.

www.adamfishertrumpet.com

Episode 26: Exploring History - A conversation with Dr. Edward Tarr. 

Dr. Ed Tarr is a world renown trumpeter, teacher and musicologist. His career has spanned more than 5 decades including some of the best known recordings of early music and brass ensemble music with the Edward Tarr Brass Ensemble. 

http://www.tarr-online.de

Episode 25: Dreams are good...Goals are better! A Conversation with William Campbell of the University of Michigan. If you have listen to many of the earlier episodes you will be familiar with the name William Campbell. He was named as on of the most influential teachers by a number of my previous guests, and it's not hard to see why. 

[email protected]

Episode 24: Keep it Simple - A conversation with Bert Truax. Bert performed over twenty years with the Dallas Symphony before deciding to teach full time. A master teacher with a wealth of experience to draw on, Bert offers great insights several aspects of trumpet performance and teaching. He is the host for the Bert Truax School of Trumpet Camp held in Dallas each year that features many of the world's great trumpet guest artists such as David Bilger, Marvin Stamm, Jon Lewis, Phillip Smith, and Joey Tartell.

www.berttruax.net

Episode 23: Creativity in Teaching-Michael Blutman. Michael Blutman is a New York based freelance musician and teacher. In this conversation he talks about how he uses creative ways to engage his students (and himself) in the learning process. He also has a music publishing business that produces "Festival Sight-Reading" a fantastic tool for all music teachers.

pinmusicpress.com