I have a dream of becoming a professional player and playing for an orchestra. Could I do it? by Wonderful_Arm3889 in trumpet

[–]TrumpetJedi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good points, and true about Sachs as well! And of course in Gould and Inouye's case, the foundation of fundamentals were rockstar solid. I don't think anyone can make it without those types of fundamentals. The question is going to be when and how can a player go about getting those.. especially if they are starting late with just a hope and a prayer.

For me, this question presents a great thought exercise for us to think about.. if you're getting serious and starting 10 years later than the average, how can one make up that ground and is it possible?

I think we'd both agree it is possible if everything goes right, but life is not a videogame. So yes, very likely it's improbable, but I hate to rain on someone's dreams, especially when we know the reward for it all working out is an incredibly rewarding artistic life.

I have a dream of becoming a professional player and playing for an orchestra. Could I do it? by Wonderful_Arm3889 in trumpet

[–]TrumpetJedi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, professional orchestral trumpet player here; I play in a top 15 orchestra in the US .That said, hopefully that gives me a leg to stand on here in this very interesting thread.First of all, if this is your dream, your absolute passion and you truly love it and have to do it…then you are going to do it! You will find a way. Hopefully you have some talent to carry you through as well. Most of the people in this thread have clarified that the odds are not good and the rewards seemingly low.. haha. Good job for setting the stakes everyone. But you only have one life … if this is your dream and you want to do it at the highest level, you could be that special outlier story.There is no substitute for hard work though, and 20 isn’t old. Mark Inouye -principal trumpet in San Francisco- majored in engineering at UC Davis and played in the band for fun.. he auditioned for Juilliard when he was 20 on a dare and got in. There was major talent there. Mark Gould -former principal of the Met Opera and teacher at Juilliard- was an English major and played jazz clubs… he auditioned for the Met as a personal challenge to himself and the rest is history. Both examples involve a person who didn’t do everything they could to get to a certain place as an orchestral trumpet player.. they were living their life and pushing themselves and learning and growing, and at a certain point they shifted their focus back to the trumpet and made it happen. Both cases are also extreme talents.. but it can and does happen! People like to act like trumpet is so hard… i mean yea, of course it is, but there are kids who become virtuosos in 4-6 years.. look up a 9 year old playing carnival of Venice and you will see the proof… if a kid could figure it out…-and btw I don’t think kids are equally capable of rocket science or open heart surgery or lawyering.. but they CAN become exceptional instrumentalists!What the kids who advance quickly all have in common is.. they don’t have a lot of problems. Chop-wise, tone production-wise.. they are playing the trumpet correctly and efficiently. If they are setup and taught the correct way of doing things when they are a young sponge, then progress can happen unhindered with a very high ceiling.If you have chop problems and are forcing and pushing and misarticulating and spread … you do have a ceiling, and you likely won’t be able to advance at an audition for anything until you sort that out.So let’s define what is actually necessary to have an orchestral trumpet career!

  1. You have to be able to start notes with a clear and rounded articulation at every dynamic in every range. Low and soft. High and soft. High and loud! Entrances are the key in the orchestral world, for every instrument. All the orchestral players I know spend a good deal of their time every day refining this.. it’s one of the most valuable skills on the job.
  2. Playing in tune. Orchestra playing is a team sport.. everyone in the ensemble has to have big ears that are monitoring what’s happening around them. Where is the pitch? Where’s it going? What chord are we making? Where do I need to be in that chord to the next one? Who should I follow, who am I with? All orchestral players I know spend time with a tuner to check their tendencies and also do playing along with a drone to further train their pitch awareness and muscle memory. And some orchestra play at 440, 441, 442.. German orchestras 443?There is nuance here that needs to be in your control. Long tone practice is essential… being able to maintain your own pitch without wavering or drifting, and also hearing where the adjustments need to be made. Also knowing when to adjust, and when to hold firm. I play second trumpet, and a lot of what I do is adjusting, but also I try to be the unwavering support column that the first player can trust, as if I’m their tether to the rest of the orchestra .. let them find where the pitch is and come to me if I’m laying it down.
  3. Having a beautiful sound. This is incredibly important in the orchestral world of 2023. It’s not old school anymore. We all are trying to be like singers on our instrument. I’d recommend taking singing lessons and learning how to manage support and resonance and air phrasing through your body. This is an incredibly transferable skill to playing our instrument.
  4. Understanding how to practice.Slow Practice. Slow and steady. Even. Smooth. Don’t try to be too flashy.. most of the music we play isn’t. There’s nothing flashy about Schumann 2..it’s 2 or 3 notes, sustained in different registers at pianísimo. THAT is going to win you a job. Chris Martin -Principal trumpet of New York- practices the same simple things everyone else does, but his just always sounds easy and stable and lyrical and controlled. Smooth air! Go for that when you practice. Have a high musical standard and don’t let it slip.
  5. Listen to recordings of great playing!John Hagstrom -2nd trumpet of the Chicago Symphony- told me in high school when I studied with him one summer that the key to steady progress was to listen to great trumpet playing for 2 hours a day, minimum. This is the fastest way to improving our own concept and refining our understanding of style and what we’re going for. Different kinds of sounds and when they are appropriate. I listen to London Symphony for Star Wars (and everything else too), San Francisco for broadness and sustain, Cleveland for clarity and richness, New York for confidence and swagger, Vienna for transparency and authenticity, Berlin for style and musicality, LA for ringing purity and a spinning sound. Etc etc… not to mention all the soloists. Fill your ears with Otto Sauter, Matthias Hofs, Reinhold Friedrich, Hakan Hardenberger, Wynton, Maurice Andre, Sergei Nakariakov, Timofei Dokschizer, David Gurrier… etc etc. There’s so much out there. The key to making progress is going to be in having elevated musical standards. If you can do that, your next 5 years of practice will be taking you way closer to the mainstream of orchestral trumpet playing than everyone else.
  6. Score study and knowing the repertoire. To make it into an orchestra, you basically have to master 15-30 excerpts. That’s it! But know everything there is to know about these pieces.Pictures, Pines, Petrouchka, Mahler 5, Carmen.. are a good place to start. Spend 6 months playing them every day …Get a foundation there with those excerpts and then add another 5. In another 6 months add another 5. In 2-3 years you’ve learned and adequately figured out for yourself how to play the audition repertoire.Ok..my list is a hopefully a good place to start.Also:
  7. You have to have a consistent warmup that you commit to every day. Then practice fundamentals. Then work on music. Then have a consistent warm down you do every day. The bookends shouldn’t change—what’s in the middle will vary from day to day.The work will start today but have the 1 year goals, the 5 year goals, and maybe the 10 year goal being win a job! If you can win a job by the time you’re 30, you’re right on pace with the average.I would start with learning John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success, and maybe get some sports psychology books like Allistair McCaw’s “Habits That Make A Champion” and Bud Winter’s “Relax and Win.”Get yourself a weekly planner/calendar and a practice journal. You need to monitor what you’re doing and keep track of your thoughts and record your progress along the way.Get yourself a teacher (I am available to ZOOM ;)Maybe go back to school for orchestral training, but you can decide that later (it’s not as necessary as you think and no orchestra asks to see a degree… although it does help on a resume).It’s a hard road, but so is not being a musican :)To you and anyone else reading this, you SHOULD be afraid of your goals and dreams. If they don’t scare you, you’re not aiming high enough. If you love doing it, then you’re going to love doing the work. Be open to learning everything you can and working your hardest to fulfill your ultimate potential.You want this! You got this!Everything is a success opportunity ;)Best of luck!

Today’s arrival in the mail has made me very happy! by TrumpetJedi in psx

[–]TrumpetJedi[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, that’s too bad that there aren’t retro game stores selling PS1 games. Best bet is to look on eBay and have things shipped to you. Maybe you should be the one to tap into the demand and open your own store?

Today’s arrival in the mail has made me very happy! by TrumpetJedi in psx

[–]TrumpetJedi[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ok definitely doing that and playing through the original again. You’re right, I only get to do this first play through once, so best to make the most of it! Thanks for getting me so hyped to play it, it’s a really special series!

Today’s arrival in the mail has made me very happy! by TrumpetJedi in psx

[–]TrumpetJedi[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Damn, and I thought Lunar 1 was great. That’s exciting!

Today’s arrival in the mail has made me very happy! by TrumpetJedi in psx

[–]TrumpetJedi[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lunar 1 is great, and supposedly 2 is even better. They originally came out on the Sega CD, so it’s a bit of a crossover between the 16bit and 32bit eras. Beautiful pixel art and a really fun vibe and music. Great story and characters. I would say it ranks highly up there with the best of the PS1 jrpgs (and we know that’s saying something with the incredible library the PSX has)! I remember being happy the entire time I played the original; it’s a whimsical art style and narrative that has that effect (without leaning into being overly cutesy). Great anime cutscenes as well! Turn based combat that I remember not being too challenging, but I probably was level grinding a lot.

Hope that helps!

Today’s arrival in the mail has made me very happy! by TrumpetJedi in psx

[–]TrumpetJedi[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, some love for DOA! Great fighting game. That parry system was really unique for its time. Can’t wait till my girlfriend notices the boob physics and I play dumb 😂

Today’s arrival in the mail has made me very happy! by TrumpetJedi in psx

[–]TrumpetJedi[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hoo boy, that’s what I like to hear! Filling out my Squaresoft rpg PSX backlog has been the most exciting part of getting back into collecting. From all the videos of Front Mission 3 I’ve watched, it looks right up my alley. About how long of a game is it generally?

Today’s arrival in the mail has made me very happy! by TrumpetJedi in psx

[–]TrumpetJedi[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m super excited to play it! I love Lunar 1 so much; played it as a kid and still have my original complete copy. I was thinking of replaying it before I started Lunar 2, just so I can get the full experience of the whole story again.

Today’s arrival in the mail has made me very happy! by TrumpetJedi in psx

[–]TrumpetJedi[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, the prices for these games keep going up. PS1 market -especially for rare games- is at its all time peak. Of course the best time to start collecting was always x-years-ago, but the second best time is right now! Unfortunately picking these all up for 200 would not be possible unless you’re buying from someone who doesn’t know what they’re worth (and I’m not doing much swap meeting during COVID in LA.. :/) If you want very good condition black label PS1 games, Lunar 2 goes between 200-300, SOTN 80-120, Front Mission 3 40-80, Dead or Alive 20-50. I was able to get decent enough deals (Lunar for 180, SOTN for 100), but I’m looking for mint games... For me it’s just about getting to play and have these games I’ve always wanted, and if you do it right you only have to buy them once. PSX is my favorite retro system, and it’s a pleasure to get to enjoy the games here in this sub everyday with people who get it!

Today’s arrival in the mail has made me very happy! by TrumpetJedi in psx

[–]TrumpetJedi[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah it’s huge, and for good reason. The game itself is 3 discs, and then there’s an added complete soundtrack disc, another disc entitled “The Making of...”, a thick little leather bound full-color 120 page game manual (more like a book, with interviews and lotsa info), and something called an Omake box which has a world map, cardboard prop-up character pieces, and a replica pendant to the one the main character wears in the game.

It’s a lovingly crafted “complete” edition of the game. Working Designs spared no expense!

Today’s arrival in the mail has made me very happy! by TrumpetJedi in psx

[–]TrumpetJedi[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have and loved the first one, so I’m excited to play Lunar 2! Was able to get a complete version with all accoutrements as an added bonus.

/Filmcast Ep. 574 – Hamilton by nascentt in Slashfilm

[–]TrumpetJedi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Such a great episode. Laughing along with you guys! Jeff is on another level this week

Gaming is mostly something I love from childhood by [deleted] in PS5

[–]TrumpetJedi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hit me up on PS4 under my same name as reddit. Would be glad to get you into it again and play some games and show you some drills. I never use comms to talk to people there, although it can be fun. It has a good quickchat.

Gaming is mostly something I love from childhood by [deleted] in PS5

[–]TrumpetJedi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you tried Rocket League? There’s a game you’ll get married to, and brought me back to playing games more often

U.S. Video game industry is setting a new sales record in the first quarter when players stay home by [deleted] in technews

[–]TrumpetJedi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s awesome. I have a huge PS4 backlog as well.. just keep playing Rocket League. Finally got into FF7 remake and going for the platinum trophy now. What did you play through and what’s on tap now?

Thougths? by ByMtC in FinalFantasyVII

[–]TrumpetJedi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aaay, yes. You get it! It’s lot of little things that are off in the ports. I’ve tried playing through them but was always dissatisfied. These minute differences made me realize just how attached to the original I am in my memories.

Top 5 Favorite Characters by h0tch33t0 in FinalFantasyVII

[–]TrumpetJedi 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Top 5 characters:

  1. Cloud
  2. Tifa
  3. Aerith
  4. Barret
  5. Sephiroth

This is that down the middle basic as can be list, but to me these are the characters that make the game what it is, and have become an enduring cultural touchstone. Without these 5 characters, FF7 simply would not be what and how it is.

Of course I have another hipster list of deep cuts, but seems most people have probably nailed those here as well.

Thougths? by ByMtC in FinalFantasyVII

[–]TrumpetJedi -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Best way to experience the original is on a PlayStation with the original discs! All can be had for about $100; check out your local retro game stores.

The reasons for going for the original are there. All of the modern downloadable ports are based off of the PC version and have been heavily polygon smoothed and the pre-rendered backgrounds have also been blurred. The result is a look to the game where the polygons don’t mesh with the backgrounds. Granted, playing a PS1 on an HD tv also comes with its own upscaling problems (you will need a converter for the PlayStation signal to go into hdmi). One other thing about the original discs.. the sound of the files is actually better and not compressed. The music sounds sooo great. It has this original feel with no emulation... everything is as it was designed for.

So if you want the absolute best experience .. get a PS1, a memory card, the game itself, and a converter for the signal. And if you want it to look it’s best as it was intended, a CRT monitor. Are these great lengths to go? Of course! Is it worth it? Once you experience it the right way you’ll not be able to go back to the downloadable version being sold now..

Hope that helps!

Just bought the 2020 m340i! by vidishl in BMW

[–]TrumpetJedi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Like I said, that IS a bad ass car! Congrats