The fifth annual Atlanta Trumpet Festival was held the weekend of November 13th and 14th on the campus of Emory University, hosted by Kay and David Fairchild (co-conductors of the Atlanta Trumpet Ensemble).  Guest clinicians and performers for this year’s festival included Mark Clodfelter (University of Kentucky), Brandon Craswell (University of Georgia), Thomas Hooten (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra), Kevin Lyons (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra), Jennifer Marotta (Emory University), Brad Ulrich (Western Carolina University), and pianist Rebecca Wilt (Messiah College).

The Atlanta Trumpet Ensemble opened the ceremonies with an arrangement of Herb Alpert’s Spanish Flea, followed by a group morning warm-up led by Brandon Craswell.  Over sixty trumpeters, ranging from middle-schoolers to people over eighty years old, attended the session.  Craswell stressed ease and relaxation of sound production through mouthpiece buzzing, Cichowicz flow studies, and Schlossberg lip slurs. 

The morning warm-up was followed by rehearsals of three different trumpet ensembles: a middle school, high school, and adult group, led by Kay Fairchild, Scott Stewart (Emory University), and Mark Clodfelter, respectively.

Following the trumpet ensemble rehearsals and lunch was a clinic by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Associate Principal Trumpet, Kevin Lyons.  Lyons’ class stressed the need for versatility in different genres.  Some students were curious about the difference between the sounds of the Bb and C trumpet, so Lyons demonstrated some orchestral excerpts on both instruments, including the off-stage solo from Pines of Rome, Leonore 3, the opening Promenade to Pictures at an Exhibition, and an excerpt from Alpine Symphony. 

The afternoon contained another trumpet ensemble rehearsal and a class by the Atlanta Symphony’s Principal Trumpet player, Thomas Hooten, titled “Honesty in Your Practice Session.”  The class was structured around asking the right questions in the practice room.  Hooten explained that he went through a dramatic embouchure change when he began graduate school, and he had to learn how to practice smart and efficiently in order to improve.  He stressed the importance of covering basic fundamentals, including various articulations (including “k” tongue), slurs, etc., through the development of a chart that keeps track of his monthly practice.  Hooten explained that this method is a great way of ensuring that everything is being covered and mentioned Mahler 5 and the confidence he has in the opening through repetition of positive association and visualization. 

The first day concluded with an inspiring recital of trumpet solos beginning with an original composition for trumpet ensemble and organ by William Pitts and performed by the Atlanta Trumpet Ensemble.  Following the ATE’s performance was Mark Clodfelter and Rebecca Wilt performing the 2nd and 3rd movements of David Gillingham’s  Sonata No.1 – The Tempest.  Next on the program was Brad Ulrich, who played Joseph Turrin’s Caprice.  Following Ulrich, Tom Hooten performed the Telemann Concerto in D with Rebecca Wilt on organ.  Hooten then played Verne Reynold’s Calls and Echoes with Jen Marotta.  Duo Trombiana, the newly formed duo of Mark Clodfelter and Rebecca Wilt, returned with Turrin’s arrangement of Someone to Watch Over Me, and Ulrich performed his own arrangement of an Allemande from Bach’s Cello Suite No.6 for unaccompanied flugelhorn.  Hooten concluded the program with a performance of Victorious by Dean Goffin on cornet.

The following day was capped by a trumpet ensemble performance, with all the participants performing in their respective ensembles.  The highlight of this concert was a “side by side” collaboration in which the guest clinicians and performers sat in with the Atlanta Trumpet Ensemble for a performance of John Williams Summon the Heroes, arranged for trumpet ensemble, a few trombones, and percussion.

Pictured: Kay Fairchild, Jennifer Marotta, Mark Clodfelter, Thomas Hooten, Brad Ulrich, Rebecca Wilt, David Fairchild