[TPIN] Suggestions for high school trumpet players

[MikeSpengl at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/3/2008 4:41:30 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
Mark at cfotech.net writes:

I agree  with Dave Lee. I'll use me as an example and one of my best students 
from the  past as another.



Same here. 
 
   I started at age 9 with a rental- a not-very-good "Pedler"  trumpet with a 
Bach 6C. Began private lessons with Ed Treutel in 6th grade  at age 12. When 
I was 15, Mr. Treutel told my parents it was time for a better  horn, and he 
had one at hand that a colleague/other student was selling for  $165(!). I've 
told this anecdote before- Treutel was a "Benge" man- his photo  was in one of 
Benge's catalogues. The horn was a Bach- "Normally I don't like  Bachs," he 
said. "They're too heavy and stiff-blowing. But this one is a very  open-blowing 
horn." I still have/use it. 
 
  When I was in 11th grade, the high school band director- Charles  Levine 
who was a low-brass guy, switched me to a Bach 5C mouthpiece. "You need a  
bigger sound."  (Evidently, Treutel agreed). I switched to a 3C when I was  in 
college...
 
  I've only had a small handful of private students myself, but one  stands 
out. A 13-year old who was a piano prodigy but also played trumpet on the  
side. He wanted lessons- and needed a better horn. We went to Dillon Music  and 
tried some used Bachs, Benges, and Yamahas. He seemed to "fit" most  comfortably 
with a Benge 3x, so his parents went for that. I pointed them to a  used 
(they didn't have the dough for a new one) Bach, Benge, or Yamaha at  that time as 
a horn that would; a) Work for him as a "pro" horn in  close to any 
situation, b) Not be prohibitive in cost as a used horn, and  c) would still retain a 
decent re-sale value if he decided trumpet wasn't  for him down the road.
 
(Note: I taught him for about 2 years, then his folks said that his  piano 
studies at Juilliard Prep plus all his extra-curricular stuff at school  just 
didn't give him the time to devote to trumpet studies. After the first time  I 
heard him play piano (a Haydn Sonata), by the way, I couldn't help but agree  
somewhat... We're talking jaw-dropping chops at the keyboard). 
 
   Hope this helps, and I can almost see a consensus on the  subject starting 
to take shape here...
 
   Best to all....      Mike  S  



**************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides.    
  (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016)