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Thursday, May 22 – 7:30am Gary Mortenson, reporter About fifty players of all ages and ability levels set their alarms and got up for the first early morning warm-up session (7:30 am) on Thursday in the Moudy building. James West Participants used their mouthpieces to buzz exercises and then repeated the same patterns with the on the instrument. Each track made slightly greater demands extending range, volume, and control. West explained how Thompson gradually increases these demands to take the player to the highest registers of the trumpet. West also distributed two handouts that gave information on materials that can assist all aspects of playing. In addition to the Thompson book, the list included the exercises and etudes of such pedagogues as William Adam, Renold Schilke, J. B. Arban, H. L. Clarke, Vincent Cichowicz, Allen Vizzutti, Ernest Williams, and others. |
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guided participants through the first six tracks on the James Thompson buzzing CD. One might think that 50 trumpeters warming-up together at such and early hour might test the ears, but this was not the case. The repetitious nature of the tracks (working up or down chromatically through the harmonics) could be compared to dancers stretching for technique class, or even monks meditating on a single line of chant. It was therapy for the lips, ears, and mind! 
