WORK WITH TOM
Musicians are not born; they’re made.
I didn’t start my musical life as a “natural” trumpet player. Through hard work and creative research, I turned myself into the player I am today.
I love working with musicians who are curious, dedicated, and resourceful. Together, we work to create an environment where innovation, progress, and mutual respect flourish.
2023
Trumpet Mastery Course
(TMC)
An exclusive experience for trumpet players who are serious about improvement. Some people act as if successful musicians never worry about things like endurance, practice strategy, or potential.
I’m here to tell you—that kind of thinking is totally, completely backwards. And I can help you find the answers that work for you.
My journey as a musician started when I was 12 years old. I played trumpet in band and immediately loved the challenge and joy that came from playing my instrument. I didn’t formally start taking trumpet lessons until I was a senior in high school.
Unfortunately, I developed some bad habits, including a poor embouchure and lots of tension. It became clear to me that I needed major changes in my approach. I started to become very passionate about the idea of improving at something and what that actually meant.
Before grad school, I completely changed my embouchure and started over on the trumpet. I went through a period of nine months where I could hardly play. It was by far the most challenging and difficult time for me in my development, yet it was also the beginning of a more open-minded and less ego-driven approach to improving.
I learned the most important lesson of my musical life:
I’M NOT A TRUMPET PLAYER. I’M A MUSICIAN WHO PLAYS THE TRUMPET.
This simple realization allowed me to question everything about my trumpet playing without feeling bad about who I was as a person.
This is one of the reason why I love teaching and helping people through music. If we as musicians can learn to let the music and the challenge of being the best we can on our instrument show us how to improve as people, then we will surely grow and become authentic results of our intentions.
