[TPIN] "Leon's reply"

[Leon Merian]

Hi TRENT.....What you say is all true but you are a pro......my "slanted"
view was primarily
                       aimed at the very *young* players just entering the
field.As a classic example
                       I had a wonderful player Richard Holyday, who studied
under me for 7 yrd.
                       Went to Berklee College and got his BA.;[you might
have heard of his bro  Chris
                       Holyday, played lead alto with Maynard for quite a
while] Well to go on
                       I had Richard playing the horn extremely well. Good
sound, great facility,
                       good reader,played fantastic jazz. He made a real
fine album with his bro and
                        also a couple himself for some small
label....thought he was ready for
                        Hollywood ...I told him that trying to break into
the scene in LA was no
                         easy taask...I warned him that he was going to run
into some stiff competition
                        in Calif.....gave him a few nos to contact when he
got out tthere. Wellllll
                        he picked up a few gigs here and there but not
enough to take care of his
                        living expenses so he had to dip into the few
thousand that he had saved up
                        After a year or so, he could see that what I had
told him about making such
                        a "foolish" move  all came true.  He is now married
with a couple of kids
                        and lives in N Carolina working as a computer
analyst and plays a few little
                        gigs here and there and also plays w/ a rehearsal
band.
                             E N D  O F  STORY....I could tell you a few
more but this will suffice
                                to back up my post to Mike Vax.....Regards ,
Leon Merian



when he got to LA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Trent Austin" <trent at trentaustin.com>
To: <tpin at tpin.okcu.edu>
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 11:22 AM
Subject: [TPIN] "Leon's reply"


> Leon,  my fellow trumpeter and elder statesman...  I think you're
> taking a slightly slanted view of the current trumpeting world.
>
> I still keep (too well) fed,  my mortgage paid, my car payments going,
>  and still spend time with my wife.
>
> My idol CT says "there's an ass for every seat".  I'm just working
> hard to make sure when I play there aren't empty seats,  when I teach
> no empty chairs, and when I improvise no empty bars.
>
> I play everything from Mahler,  Brandenburg,  to  Maynard, Woody Shaw,
> and Michael Jackson tunes.   Today's trumpeter has to be able to do
> everything EXTREMELY well.  Competition is fierce but not that
> different than when you were doing all your recordings and gigs.
>
> It beats an "honest" profession any day.
>
>
> Yes, there might be less work,  but I'm still finding some.  Would l
> like more?  Of course!  I want to share my passion of music that I've
> been given through life experiences with guys like Clark,  Ed Carroll,
> Hal Crook,  etc.
>
> I applaud Mike for keeping the fire burning!   Keep on Keepin' on!
>
> -T
>
>
> -- 
> Trent Austin
> 16 Chandler St.
> Salem,  MA 01970
> http://www.trentaustin.com
> Purchase "Two-Toned"  at http://www.cdbaby.com/trentaustin2
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