South Texas Trumpet Workshop

On May 4, 2019, Dr. Kyle Millsap and the Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Trumpet Guild hosted the 2019 South Texas Trumpet Workshop (STTW). This year's guest artist was Jens Lindemann, trumpet professor at the University of California-Los Angeles. Attendees included middle and high school students, college students, and trumpet-playing band directors.

Jens Lindemann Master Class

The workshop opened with a master class by Lindemann for TAMUK Trumpet Guild members. Students performed prepared works, including Hummel’s Concerto for Trumpet, Erik Morales’ Concerto for Trumpet, and Jules Pennequin's Morceau de Concert. For other participants, the morning began with a warm-up session led by Millsap, emphasizing utilization of the the warm-up as both a system check to be able to accomplish the day’s playing needs, and ensuring notes are always played in the center of the pitch to make overall playing simpler. This was followed by a master class by Lindemann for all participants where addressed playing fundamentals such as air flow between high and low registers, improving posture to improve resonance, experimenting with different types of practice techniques, how to be passionate about one’s musical development, and worked with student performers. The morning concluded with a rehearsal for the mass trumpet ensemble, led by Millsap, on James Olcott’s Trumpets Take Texas.

Lindemann gave another masterclass in the afternoon where he answered questions about his life and career, how he got started, and what possibilities there are in the music world. Throughout the day, there were performances by the TAMUK Trumpet Ensemble, Jazz Trumpet Ensembles, and Jazz Combo I. The workshop concluded with a recital featuring Lindemann. It opened with the mass ensemble performance and Millsap performing Alien Loop de Loops by Howard J. Buss. Lindemann performed the remainder of the recital, accompanied by Dr. Sehee Lee, with works including Claude Debussy’s Girl With the Flaxen Hair, Georges Enesco’s Legend, Pavanne from Morton Gould’s American Symphonette No. 2, and Piazzolla’s Oblivion.

The STTW, having now completed its fifth year, was created to bring together trumpeters of all ages and abilities from the South Texas region with the mission of furthering study of trumpet performance and pedagogy. Mr. Lindemann’s appearance was supported with funding from the Yamaha Corporation.

Lindemann works with a student

(Source: Kyle Millsap, assistant professor of trumpet, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX)