| 2007 Wyoming Festival of Trumpets | April 8, 2007 | |||||||||
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The eighth annual Wyoming Festival of Trumpets was held at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming on February 3rd, 2007. It was hosted by Northwest professor Neil Hansen and this year’s guest trumpet artist was Jay Coble from the University of South Florida. 10:00-11:00 am Warm up with the Artist At 10:00 about fifteen participants arrived to go through a warm up session with Jay Coble. Dr. Coble took them through a basic daily maintenance routine that touched on every aspect of playing beginning with breathing and ending with multiple tonguing. Throughout the hour, Coble took the time to explain why particular exercises were included and why they were given in that order. He stressed that it is not necessarily what you do for a routine, but how you do it and on what you are focusing. The imagination of the sound is the key element, followed by the air. Some sheets were passed out to help the participants identify weaknesses in their playing. 11:00 am Exhibits open This year’s main exhibitor was Eckroth Music from Billings, Montana. There was a large display of instruments, mutes, and other trumpet related products. Billings trumpeter Bob Waddingham also brought his large collection of rare and vintage instruments for display. 1:00-3:00 Master classes Three people presented on various topics at this year’s festival. First was guest artist Jay Coble who talked about his philosophy of trumpet performance and pedagogy. He was very adept at melding the philosophies of his teachers, William Adam, Boyde Hood, Joe Phelps, and Roy Poper. He explained that different approaches to trumpet performance do not have to be contradictory, but can complement each other. He answered a number of questions and was very well received. Neil Hansen, the host of the festival, then gave a presentation on the audition process. He discussed strategies to prepare for auditions and recitals. Last was Tom Bibbey from Eckroth Music who gave an excellent presentation on trumpet maintenance. 3:00-5:30 Trumpet Ensemble rehearsal Everyone involved in the festival was invited to perform in the large Trumpet Ensemble which closed the evening concert. Neil Hansen ran the rehearsal and was able to get the ensemble ready to perform six pieces. There were 32 participants and the pieces had anywhere from five to twelve parts. 7:30 Concert The concert opened with a sextet from Northwest College performing Fanfare from La Peri conducted by Dr. Coble. It was a very exciting way to begin the concert. Dr. Coble then took the stage with accompanist Tim Schoessler and performed Three Bagatelles by Fisher Tull. It was a dynamic and powerful performance with a lot of dialogue between the musicians. Next a trio of bass trumpets from the Powell area (Jack Nauman, John Henderson, and Rick Parmer) performed The Flocks Shall Leave the Mountains by Handel. This was a treat to hear a trio comprised of such rare instruments. They also assisted during the second half of the program performing with their soprano cousins. Adam Lambert, assistant professor at Chadron State University then played the first movement of the Eric Ewazen Sonata with his accompanist James Margetts. It was a pleasant performance and a welcome addition to the program. Powell area players Neil Hansen, Robert Rumbolz, Morgan Grover, Antonio Martinez, and Max Harrington were joined by Northwest College drummer Ronnie Bedford in a well-played version of Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a La Turk. One of the highlights of the evening came when Coble and Schoessler came on stage again and performed Mendez’s La Vergen de la Macerena. Not only was the technique and range flawless and seemingly effortless, some things that Coble added to the solo part made it even flashier than what is printed. Cody High School senior Andy Mrozinsky performed the first movement of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto. His performance was impressive for its maturity and musicianship coming from someone so young. The first half ended with Coble, Hansen, and Schoessler giving a wonderful performance of the first movement of the Manfredini Concerto for Two Trumpets. After a brief intermission, the 32-piece Festival Trumpet Ensemble came out and performed six pieces. They were the Hornpipe from Watermusic by Handel, Fanfare from Requiem by Verdi, Men of Harlech which is a traditional Welsh tune, Killer Joe by Benny Golson, De Colores, a traditional Mexican folk tune featuring mariachi duets by Coble and Hansen, and concluding with a traditional South African folksong Siyahamba. The audience was very appreciative of the level of performance, musicianship, and diversity of styles that the trumpet can offer. Everyone participating and in attendance is already looking forward to the Wyoming Trumpet Festival in 2008. The Wyoming Festival of Trumpets is made possible by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council. Links:
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