ITG 2005

Gary Mortenson, reporter

Michael Anderson, trumpet professor at Oklahoma City University’s Wanda L. Bass School of Music, led an informative session on the power and possibilities of the Internet. He opened his session by stating that he is an “evangelist with an agenda “regarding his beliefs as applied to this growing field. Anderson believes that the Internet can develop a sense of community on a global level. He has made life-long friendships and has been able to share valuable experiences and knowledge with an ever-growing constituency that knows no bounds. The benefit of pursuing knowledge in this way is virtually limitless and can include information in the areas of pedagogy, repertoire, equipment/technologies, recordings, employment information, concerts and master classes, and finally an exchange of ideas and opinions that is unprecedented in any other medium.

Anderson’s presentation went on to discuss, from a historical perspective, some of the most important web locations for trumpeters today. Discussion forums, like Trumpet Player’s International Network (TPIN), Trumpet Corner, ITG Youth Web Site (Ask the Teacher), Trumpet Herald, and Trumpet Master (Herald and Master sites are both examples of Bulletin Board System BBS) are excellent examples of discussion forums. Anderson related what he regards as the “good, the bad, and the ugly” with regard to the Internet, including the development of filtering skills, understanding the limitations of the Internet, and realizing how easy miscommunication is by this medium. Most web sites are un-moderated, and this often leads to a lot of garbage being posted on them.

The session continued its exploration of what amounted to the “tip of the iceberg” with regard to the Internet and its ability to influence our accumulation of knowledge via this relatively new form of communication. For more on the Internet and its application within the trumpet community read Michael Anderson’s column Web Site Reviews in every issue of the ITG Journal and visit the ITG Web Site www.trumpetguild.org where you can access his frequently up-dated “Top 25 Online Trumpet Resources” at www.trumpetguild.org/top25/html