OKC conference to feature HORNS OF PLENTY
Trumpeters will descend on Oklahoma City’s Wanda L. Bass School of Music this week for the International Trumpet Guild’s first regional conference.
Professional and hobby trumpet players from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Mexico and Colorado are expected for two days of concerts, recitals, clinics, master classes and jam sessions.
Michael Anderson, conference director and trumpet professor at OCU, said the pilot symposium will be a boon for Oklahoma City bringing world renown trumpeters to town and highlighting local talent.
OKC Philharmonic Brass, a 10-piece ensemble brought together for the conference, will perform at the opening ceremony, and OKC’s Jazz Orchestra and Edmondbased Frontier Brass Band are featured during concerts that are open to the public Friday and Saturday nights. Jam sessions at Saint’s Pub, 1715 NW 16, following the performances also are open to the public while daytime sessions are limited to registered attendees.
“The conference promotes brass playing in general and allows us to play in front of some of the best trumpet players in this part of country and the world,” said Ryan Sharp, artistic director and principal cornet player for Frontier Brass Band. “That’s huge for our band and great deal exposure for us.”
Anderson is on the board of directors for the International Trumpet Guild, which hosts an international conference every year. This week’s marks the first regional conference sponsored by the 46-year-old group aimed at growing membership.
The guild has more than 5,000 members in 56 countries, according to the website trumpetguild.org. Information put out in the group’s journals and newsletters drove membership in a pre-internet world, and Anderson hopes community events like regional conferences will entice new members.
“It’s an idea I’ve been pushing for years and several other organizations, the french horns, tubas and others, are already doing it,” Anderson said.
The pilot program could set the tone for future regional trumpet conferences if all goes well.
“It’s no secret that education is taking huge hits across the country, financially, so the burden is put onto the students now which means they have fewer financial means to go to big international conferences,” Sharp said. “Certainly for students near OKC, this is a huge opportunity for students who can just drive down the road or even from Texas, Kansas, Arkansas and other nearby states. It’s a really big benefit to these students in the area.”
‘King’s instrument’
Dubbed “the king’s instrument,” the trumpet announced royalty in medieval times and is still recognized today for the dramatic effect from its metallic and stately sound.
“The trumpet is one of most important and best instruments in a band or orchestra because it’s often given the most important music,” Anderson said. “When there is dramatic music in a movie, it’s often the trumpet. It’s the one to deliver the goods.”
Anderson has been delivering the goods for almost 50 years. He launched the oldest and most active internet discussion list dedicated to the trumpet, is a member of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, The Norman Philharmonic, The OCU Faculty Brass Quintet and the Lyric Theatre Orchestra. Anderson is a founder and executive director of the Oklahoma City Jazz Orchestra.
Guest artist and guide board member Vince DiMartino will perform at both concerts and teach a master class Friday morning. DiMartino’s accolades abound from professor, distinguished artist in residence, lead and solo trumpet in the Lionel Hampton Band, the Chuck Mangione Band, the Clark Terry Band and The Eastman Arranger’s Holiday Orchestra, and soloist with symphony orchestras in New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Florida and more.
For a schedule of events, pricing and registration, go to trumpet guild.org/events/2018regional-conference.