I will talk more about where I am now once I've spent at least a little time documenting from where I've come. After all, it's difficult to really understand one's progress during a comeback if there is no basis for comparison. To begin, I'll answer the inevitable question that all musicians frequently hear, even when he or she is an absolute beginner: "What [kind/brand/model] of horn do you play?" At the top of my blog is a link to the "My Gear" page which I will keep updated if/when things change. However, things are going to be static for a while as I am fairly happy with my current setup.
My first trumpet was a used (probably late 1960s or early '70s era) student model King Cleveland 600 in lacquer which my parents rented and then subsequently purchased. I played it for roughly five years before I seemed to outgrow it. I don't have any particularly fond memories of this trumpet; it was just a "tool" to me. I particularly remember struggling with sticky valves. As I was beginning to start my freshman year of high school, I asked my parents if I could look for something better.
We took a trip to Maschinot's Music in Newport, Kentucky, a mom-and-pop place which sadly closed its doors around 2005 due to the boom of the mega-music stores. (I think they may have ultimately relocated to Alexandria, Kentucky.) I don't remember the name of the salesman, but it may have actually been the owner. Regardless, he also played trumpet. I remember him bringing me a selection of trumpets to try and I remember being underwhelmed with them all after looking at them and playing them a bit. It must have shown on my face, as he looked at me and said, "You know, there's one other I have that you might like better." He wandered off and came back a few minutes later with a case marked with a Getzen label. I opened it up and saw a beautiful silver Eterna Severinsen Model marked "LB" on the valve casing for "large bore". I fluttered the valves up and down and was shocked: they seemed to move faster than my fingers could! Time to give it a try...
It was simply love at first play -- it felt like an old friend from the moment the first note emerged from the bell. My mother looked at the salesman, both with shock at how good it sounded and with apprehension that this was likely going to cost too much money. I played for a bit while they chatted and I overheard him say that it was his personal trumpet. Somehow, they came to terms on my King trade-in and a price for the Sev, and I went home with what I felt was a treasure and a partner.
My playing ability and sound maturity took a dramatic leap as a result of that trumpet. Was I playing more because I liked it? Was it just better? Did the large bore suit my physiology more? Magic? Whatever the reason, I ascended to first chair of the trumpet section (usually about 10 of us) by my sophomore year and kept it until I graduated. I wish I could thank that salesman again now, just as I did then.
I absolutely adored that horn until around 2000 when I discovered the leadpipe had developed a bad case of red rot. I stopped playing it at that point since the model had long been discontinued and replacing the leadpipe would likely have been a disappointment since Getzen didn't manufacture anything else like it at the time. I've recently emailed Charlie Melk of Charlie's Brass Works in Georgia about him performing restoration on her now that similar leadpipes are available.
My first trumpet was a used (probably late 1960s or early '70s era) student model King Cleveland 600 in lacquer which my parents rented and then subsequently purchased. I played it for roughly five years before I seemed to outgrow it. I don't have any particularly fond memories of this trumpet; it was just a "tool" to me. I particularly remember struggling with sticky valves. As I was beginning to start my freshman year of high school, I asked my parents if I could look for something better.
We took a trip to Maschinot's Music in Newport, Kentucky, a mom-and-pop place which sadly closed its doors around 2005 due to the boom of the mega-music stores. (I think they may have ultimately relocated to Alexandria, Kentucky.) I don't remember the name of the salesman, but it may have actually been the owner. Regardless, he also played trumpet. I remember him bringing me a selection of trumpets to try and I remember being underwhelmed with them all after looking at them and playing them a bit. It must have shown on my face, as he looked at me and said, "You know, there's one other I have that you might like better." He wandered off and came back a few minutes later with a case marked with a Getzen label. I opened it up and saw a beautiful silver Eterna Severinsen Model marked "LB" on the valve casing for "large bore". I fluttered the valves up and down and was shocked: they seemed to move faster than my fingers could! Time to give it a try...
It was simply love at first play -- it felt like an old friend from the moment the first note emerged from the bell. My mother looked at the salesman, both with shock at how good it sounded and with apprehension that this was likely going to cost too much money. I played for a bit while they chatted and I overheard him say that it was his personal trumpet. Somehow, they came to terms on my King trade-in and a price for the Sev, and I went home with what I felt was a treasure and a partner.
My playing ability and sound maturity took a dramatic leap as a result of that trumpet. Was I playing more because I liked it? Was it just better? Did the large bore suit my physiology more? Magic? Whatever the reason, I ascended to first chair of the trumpet section (usually about 10 of us) by my sophomore year and kept it until I graduated. I wish I could thank that salesman again now, just as I did then.
I absolutely adored that horn until around 2000 when I discovered the leadpipe had developed a bad case of red rot. I stopped playing it at that point since the model had long been discontinued and replacing the leadpipe would likely have been a disappointment since Getzen didn't manufacture anything else like it at the time. I've recently emailed Charlie Melk of Charlie's Brass Works in Georgia about him performing restoration on her now that similar leadpipes are available.
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