[TPIN] Trumpet Playing as a Profession

[David Arndt]

Very good points, Mike.   I especially appreciate this one:
 
"If you're in music because you tell yourself it's a business, you expect a
certain level of lifestyle, income, rewards, etc.. You're in it for the
wrong reason. If you're in music because you don't have the beginning of a
clue what else you could possibly do with your life, you're in it for the
right reason."   and this one (on Soloff):  " He has to do it..." 
 
I think for a lot of us, we start out doing it for the right reasons and end
up chasing the buck.   Maybe this is especially trecherous if you're
successful as a player early on, and get used to the idea that you can (or
should) be making a certain amount of $do-re-mi$.  There's a purity of
thought that gets lost in those dollar signs.
 
Hey, what years did you play Diana Ross?  Where?   We might have been
staring at each others marking in the book quite a bit.  I played her act a
number of times in the 70's.
 
- da
 

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From: MikeSpengl at aol.com [mailto:MikeSpengl at aol.com] 
Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2007 3:38 PM
To: darndt at oriongate.net; mdeaton at ix.netcom.com; tpin at tpin.okcu.edu
Subject: Re: [TPIN] Trumpet Playing as a Profession


   As another life-long full-time player guess I'll add my 2 cents here.
It's a tough question, and what I'm writing borders on platitudes- but
there's some truth there...
 
   First, I wonder if "profession" is the right word. "Calling" might be
better. "Obsession" might not be far off either- at least in my case. My
late teacher Ed Treutel used to say about Lew Soloff (who started out with
Ed and stayed with him through the Blood, Sweat & Tears days): "Lew is
successful because he feels he has no choice. He has to do it..." 
 
  An old friend- a keyboardist- that I toured with once said: "If you're in
music because you tell yourself it's a business, you expect a certain level
of lifestyle, income, rewards, etc.. You're in it for the wrong reason. If
you're in music because you don't have the beginning of a clue what else you
could possibly do with your life, you're in it for the right reason." 
 
  And at age 56, it's been a long, sometimes very rewarding (not just
musically), and sometimes strange life. (I'll quote the late great "Dr."
Hunter S. Thompson here- "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro..."
A quote that has served me well in a good chunk of my freelance work these
days...).  
 
  One never knows what's coming. If you can deal with that, you've got a
good start. I can trace a good chunk of my professional career highlights (2
yrs. w/ Southside Johnny, led to 6 yrs. w/ Diana Ross, culminated in
Springsteen's '88 "Tunnel" Tour & subsequent recordings) in almost a single
line that goes back to the first bar band I worked with when I left college.
Diana's drummer Mel Brown had a good one here: "Play every gig like your
next gig is sitting in the audience..." 
 
  Essentially, if you've got a pleasant upbeat demeanor (without kissing
butt), and are responsible and committed, you may find that your gigs will
come from other musicians- "I want that person on my bandstand..." 
 
  As far as starting out- the late great Nat Adderley gave me a piece of
advice (that also amounts to one of the few "lessons" I took in jazz
playing): "Play as often as you can, and listen to everybody..." 
 
  Don't necessarily think at age 16-17-18 that you'll know what your life's
plan is going to be. Playing trumpet in high school was just "something I
did." The "bug" didn't hit me until after freshman year at Syracuse. So just
play. Study with a teacher who emphasizes sound (another "Treutel-ism here:
"Think of the bell of your horn as the cornucopia with all that
fruit-of-the-land. If good things are coming out, good things will happen").

 
  I'll finish the above Adderley quote that actually had to do with jazz
playing: "... You may find yourself "stealing" licks. That's good. That's
the way it happens. You might steal from Freddie. Or Lee. Or Miles. Or maybe
even me. Just keep playing and doing it, and one day you'll play something
that's all you. (Smiles slyly) "And don't worry. You'll know when it
happens..." 
 
  It applies to any style of playing. For now, just keep playing. Don't
think "profession." Enjoy it. See what challenges on the horn you can meet
(which in many cases is a lifelong thing). 
 
  And if the "bug" hits you, in Nat's words: "Don't worry. You'll know when
it happens..." 
 
  All the best...                        Mike Spengler



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