ITG Youth Day
Jon Lewis Master Class
Joseph Bowman, reporter

ITG Youth Day participants who attended the master class given by Jon Lewis got a rare glimpse into the world of serious studio trumpet playing. Lewis, considered to be one of the premier studio players in Los Angeles, spent time talking about his career, the recording industry, and how the trumpet player fits into this unique world.

Lewis began his talk by describing the players he got to meet during his college days at the University of Kansas. West coast trumpeters Tony Plog and Allen Vizzutti had a strong influence on him, to the point where he moved to LA upon completion of his degree in 1981. Lewis spent time talking about his experience gigging, playing all types of jobs, and meeting the important people on the LA musical scene.

Lewis described the recording industry, beginning with the musicians who played for silent movies, through the golden age of television recording in the seventies. He also described the different types of media musician’s record for: commercial jingles, television, and motion pictures. Hearing a man with such a wealth of knowledge discuss an area of trumpet playing most students in the audience had no understanding of was rewarding to all in attendance. After his talk, Lewis took questions from the audience concerning the responsibilities of the studio trumpeter, studio playing, and college degrees, the number of trumpet players currently in the business, etc. Wrapping up the session, an audience member asked Lewis to play his favorite lick. Lewis played the piece that he credited with really propelling his career, the opening solo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The performance sent chills through many in the audience, and Lewis’s playing was incomparable.