How did you become a trumpet player? Did you play other instruments before
the trumpet? If so, did those instruments inform how you played trumpet?
Or did your view of how music is played change once becoming a trumpeter?
I started playing trumpet aged 8. I came home from school one day with
a letter offering trumpet lessons, I don’t really know why I initially
wanted to play but I’ve played it ever since!
Were there recordings in the beginning and even years into learning the
instrument that drew you into the trumpet’s sound and possibilities?
Yes, Miles Davis live in Europe, Woody Shaw Night Music, Freddie
Hubbard, Clark Terry, Donald Byrd, Wynton Marsalis (his classical and jazz
recordings)
People often talk about how the trumpet is the hardest instrument to play.
Do you feel this is true? What doesn’t the general public understand about
playing the trumpet that you wish people would realize?
Yes I feel it’s one of the hardest instruments. I would like people to
realise the amount of work, daily routines and drills we have to do in
practice every single day just so that we can play the instrument to a
certain standard and make a good enough sound that people might want to
listen to.
If you had to identify with one or two gurus, trumpeters or otherwise, who
had the greatest impact on your musical journey to date, whom would they
be?
As I’m from the UK and have never lived in the US I haven’t really
studied with any of the recognised brass gurus. I would consider myself
self taught, but I have read and practised a lot from the methods and
ideas of Arnold Jacobs, Vincent Chicowicz, Laurie Frink and Carmine
Caruso. I’ve picked a lot of other trumpet players brains when I’ve had
the opportunity too!
Who is your favorite trumpeter today (as in today, the day you are writing
this email) and what recorded song available to the public best
exemplifies why this trumpeter is so badass?
For sound Wallace Roney, I especially love his record ‘The Village’.
For technique Wynton Marsalis, I love his classical recordings. For pure
musicality and feeling it’s hard to beat Tom Harrell, my favourite record
of his is called ‘Form’.
