Piano Lessons in Lubbock, TX

Instruments: Trumpet

What do you think is the hardest thing to master on your instrument?
I believe the hardest thing to master is being a complete musician. There are many technical elements that go into mastering our instruments, and it is a lifelong process. However, with the right information, the right attitude, a willingness to work hard and work intelligently, I believe success is only a matter of time. Mastering instrument takes a life long pursuit of working hard, asking questions, listening to music, and having fun. Well I have many accolades and many successes at a very young age, I don’t believe I’ve mastered my instrument at all. I still feel that I have lots and lots of room to grow. I hope that is an inspiration to any student who is interested in becoming a better musician. If you always remember that you are a musician first, and a trumpet player second, then I believe that you can become well I have many accolades in many successes and a very young age, I don’t believe I’ve mastered my instrument at all. I still feel that I have lots and lots of room to grow. I hope that is an inspiration to any student who is interested in becoming a better musician. If you always remember that you are a musician first, and a trumpet player second, then I believe that you can become the complete musician that you have always dreamed of being.

What musical accomplishments are you most proud of?
I am a member of the Jackson Symphony in Jackson Tennessee. I started playing with this orchestra when I was 22 and I was the youngest brass player in the orchestra at the time. I was very lucky to have been given this opportunity. I also have been featured as soloist with collegiate ensembles and a high school-age youth orchestra. I was featured as a guest artist in April 2018 at the Tennessee Technological University School of Music at the end of their spring guest artist series. I’ve had a lot of success as a musician at a very young age and I feel very blessed and lucky.

When will I start to see results?
You can begin to see results immediately. Progress is very relative to the student because they may or may not progress as fast as another student for any number of reasons. This is not a bad thing. Development takes time, and we live in a culture where people want immediate results and instant success. Being a musician means we probably won’t have instant success every time we pick up our instruments to play. It means that over time, if a student does what his or her teacher says to do, then they will improve. I can promise you will see results, but for some students it may take longer.

Why did you choose your primary instrument?
I chose trumpet because my first teacher was an inspiration to me. I remember sitting in band one day and listening to him practice and I thought to myself I want to play like him. So he allowed me to switch from percussion to trumpet and I’ve not regretted it since. I also began listening to a lot of recordings of great trumpet players and orchestras and realized I wanted to be a classical trumpet player. I love being a musician and I hope I can inspire my students to be musicians, too.

What advice do you have about practicing effectively?
Practice slowly and softly in small segments. Don’t practice too much material in a single session. One example would be to use a stop watch and set a timer for five minutes and work slowly on a measure of music. Understand what needs work, why that would need work, and then practice slowly so you ingrain good habits. Don’t play things too fast because it can create bad mistakes and habits. Always strive for quality practice over quantity. An hour of fast, unfocused practice is a waste of time compared to ten minutes of highly focused practice.

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