Meet a Trumpet Player!

NYS recently spoke with Matt about how he came to be a trumpet player.

NYS: Matt, when did you start to learn the trumpet? What age/grade?

Matt: I started playing the trumpet in September 2012, which was the start of third grade for me. When I first looked for places to learn the trumpet, a shop owner said that I was too young and that playing the trumpet could somehow cause brain damage to a young child! After talking to my doctor, it was obvious that that was false. After that, went to a different music shop in Fairfield where I was privately taught for a year.

NYS: Why the trumpet?

Matt: From a very young age, I was fascinated by the trumpet. My parents said that I always talked about wanting to play it and whenever I saw it I would get very excited. So one day, out of the blue without any real thought, I told my parents that I wanted lessons.

NYS: Did you learn another instrument first?

Matt: The trumpet was my first instrument. My dad has been playing the piano since he was a kid, so I developed a love for music just by listening to him play in our house every day.

NYS: Do you have any funny trumpet stories?

Matt: For the two years that I have been at New England Music Camp, I have held the position of the bugler. Every morning and evening, everyone at camp would gather in a circle around our flag. I would go to the middle of the circle next to the flagpole and play the bugle for a minute or so while the flag was being raised or lowered. One day in the summer of 2018, my friend pulled the tuning slide on the bugle all the way out, making every note I played so flat that it was a few whole steps down. Myself and everyone else at the camp were totally thrown off when this happened because every other day of camp I had played the same piece the same way.

Matt playing with Jazz at Lincoln Center Middle School Jazz Academy at the Appel Room

NYS: Is there anything special about your trumpet?

Matt: I currently play on is a Bach Stradivarius 37 silver-plated trumpet. It is one of, if not, the most popular trumpets in the world. It is widely accepted in all varieties of music and is often the number one choice from amateurs to the top professionals. Last weekend, I was also custom fitted with a Gary Radtke mouthpiece. Until last year, I have played a Joseph Marcinkiwitz trumpet since 2015. I don’t know very much about the horn, except that it says “Three designed by Joseph Marcinkiwitz Burbank California 91502.”

NYS: How long have you been with NYS?

Matt: I have been part of NYS since fourth grade (2013). My first year at NYS was also the year Philharmonic Winds was created. I played in Philharmonic Winds for my first two years and then I played in Concert Orchestra during sixth grade and seventh grade. And I have been in Principal Orchestra from eighth grade until now.

With the Brass Ensemble at the November 2018 Concert

NYS: Do you have a favorite NYS memory?

Matt: My favorite NYS memory took place during Brass Ensemble’s first rehearsal in 2016. The first thing we ever played was Fanfare for the Common Man. In this first rehearsal, we tried playing the piece (which is not easy), while stomping our feet in place of the percussion parts. It became a train wreck very quickly and everyone burst into laughter. The failure served as a great ice-breaker and set the stage for a fun year.