Guitar Lessons in Tucson, AZ

Instruments: Trumpet Music

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Trumpet players cannot sit down and practice for hours every day. It can be painful and often enforces bas habits instead of good ones! I feel that setting small, realistic goals and having short, focused practice sessions makes for more efficient progress on the trumpet.

How do I know if my child is ready to start lessons?
If your child loves music and is drawn to a loud, melody driven instrument, then they are ready to start the trumpet! Typically, it is best to wait until the student's primary teeth begin replacing their temporary teeth. Due to this, waiting until 4th or 5th grade to start trumpet is best.

When will I start to see results?
With a focused practice journal and small goals, progress will be made shockingly quickly! Paying due attention to fundamentals is a sure way to encourage rapid growth on the trumpet.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you to go into music? How did they inspire you?
I became a musician because of my high school band director, who was also a trumpet player. Since then, my professors at the undergraduate and graduate levels have been wonderful mentors to me and helped launch me into my professional music career.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
Honestly, I wanted to play the trombone when I was in 7th grade. But, I was riding the bus to school at the time, so my mom got me a trumpet instead because it "fit on the bus seat better!"

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I think I am proudest of being a diverse trumpet player. It might seem like musicians have to pick what genre they belong in, but all of my mentors have encouraged me to be well-versed in every style. Nothing else could have allowed me to perform professionally with so many different groups.

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
The best thing to strive for on the trumpet is simply having a good sound. That might seem like a "duh" statement, but focusing on that will solve a lot of other problems on the instrument without having to think about them.

Do you use specific teaching methods or books? (Ex: Alfred, Bastion, Suzuki, Hal Leonard) Why did you choose them if you did?
I typically stick with Arban, Clarke, and Bai Lin for fundamentals; these are part of my daily routines. For etudes, I love Brandt, Charlier, Getchell, and Bosquet.

What does a normal practice session look like for you?
A normal practice session begins with a few deep breaths, a clear visualization of what I want to accomplish before I begin playing, and a few long tones with lip bends to warm up the face before digging in.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have degrees in performance, education and theory. I wanted to make myself as diverse of a musician as possible to best serve both myself and my students.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
Any Shostakovich or Mahler symphony. I love their work and they nearly all have incredible music written for not only the trumpet, but every other instrument as well.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I would still be a teacher! I actually started college as a physics major with the intention of teaching high school science. I made this choice because someone told me that I couldn't make a career out of music. However, upon arriving at the University of Idaho I decided to follow my heart and become a professional musician. Not only is a career extremely viable, but I have been nothing but happy since.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
I love orchestral music and big band jazz primarily. However, music is music and as long as I am getting to perform with people I love, I am happy.

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
My aunt was a musical theatre performer and was actually in the original LA production of Cats. One of my favorite gigs to do is pit orchestra playing for this reason, I love being a part of the story-telling process!

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
I didn't become serious about music until my sophomore year of high school. When I made the decision to pursue music full-time in college, it was truly a defining moment that would guide the rest of my life.

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