My Music

The first instrument I ever played was a Clarinet when I joined the school band in 7th grade. I continued to play the Clarinet until the middle of 8th grade when I switched to playing the Bassoon (the horror). Although I love the sound of a Bassoon in some pieces, I did not like playing it. When I entered the 9th grade, I switched to the Tuba. I was in absolute heaven. It was very easy to learn and play. Although during high school I played the Tuba for Marching and Symphonic band, I was still able to play the B flat Clarinet, Alto Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, and even a Valve Trombone (Yuk!) during that time. Afterward, I continued to play the Tuba until my 3rd year of college and never looked back. I’ve always missed playing and certainly loved playing it more than any other instrument.

I loved its deep, brassy tones and the challenge of mastering such a large instrument with demanding physical and air flow requirements. However after college, it simply was not in my budget to purchase my own Tuba. I wouldn’t return to the world of brass until a mere 5 or 6 years ago when I purchased a Yamaha Trumpet off of Ebay.

Although I bought the trumpet, I only played it a couple of times and put it away. However within the last month, I’ve decided to give the trumpet a serious try. I love the sound of a trumpet as much as I love the low, mellow sound of the Tuba. I also found it somewhat comforting that because I played Tuba, switching to the trumpet (mechanically) was very easy. The trumpet is lighter and doesn’t require as much air as a Tuba (and the valves are much easier to manhandle). *Smile*

My biggest challenge right now is my embouchure. It is an area of difficulty for me. Switching from a large Tuba mouthpiece to a small Trumpet mouthpiece is very hard. What I needed for my Tuba embouchure of course does not work for a the Trumpet. I can play the trumpet however I’m having trouble getting the crystal clear, steady, mellow tone that I desire. Instead I’m getting a very airy, brassy, hard to manage tone.

So, what I’d like to do is just post some of my practices and in time hopefully be able to hear myself improve! I’ll be upfront about this now. I sound about as bad as a 7th grader just learning to play right now. I can accept that. No embarrassment here. *Smile* I know in time I will get better and better.