Blog Topic: Live Performance


Warren Luening, R.I.P.

Posted: March 20, 2012 by Eric Sperry

L.A. studio trumpet player Warren Luening passed away March 18th of complications from cancer. He was one of the best “unsung” heroes of the L.A. studio scene, having played on dozens of movie soundtracks, the Lawrence Welk show, Bob Florence, … Continue reading →

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Precision trumpet playing-here’s why we aim for it!

Posted: March 6, 2012 by Eric Sperry

I often stress the importance of playing accurately to my students. Rhythm, timing, pitch, articulation, style, purity of sound, evenness of tone in all registers, etc. all make the difference between a good player and a great player. I found … Continue reading →

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Maurice André, 1933-2012

Posted: February 28, 2012 by Eric Sperry

Another legend in the trumpet world has left us. French trumpeter Maurice André, known for his spectacular piccolo trumpet playing, passed away a few days ago. His sound and musicianship have been an inspiration to trumpet players for decades. Some … Continue reading →

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Mnozil Brass

Posted: February 25, 2012 by Eric Sperry

One of the best brass ensembles in the world, Mnozil Brass (from Austria), is pure entertainment of the highest quality. These guys play with relentless energy and great musicality. There are dozens of videos on YouTube, so I picked a … Continue reading →

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Groove Therapy – The Band website update

Posted: February 20, 2012 by Eric Sperry

. Groove Therapy, the eight-piece horn band (of which I’m a member) has updated their website. It’s not much at this point, but it’s now a place where you can learn about the band, listen to audio clips, contact the … Continue reading →

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Allan Dean and Kevin Dean, trumpet

Posted: January 12, 2012 by Eric Sperry

I recently stumbled across this series of YouTube videos uploaded by a YouTube user named “wideangleman”. Allan is a professor at the Yale School of Music, while Kevin is a professor at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music in the … Continue reading →

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Wayne Bergeron Masterclass!

Posted: December 31, 2011 by Eric Sperry

Wayne is one of my favorite trumpet players and is just a great guy. I credit Wayne for advising me about an important adjustment of my trumpet playing. He’s a wealth of knowledge and a world class player in every … Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas!

Posted: December 24, 2011 by Eric Sperry

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Doc Severinsen!

Posted: December 6, 2011 by Eric Sperry

Doc’s one of the greatest trumpet players, ever. Such a beautiful, ringing, resonant sound that would punch a hole in a brick wall. He still practices 5 hours a day in his mid eighties. ‘Tis the season, so I’ll start … Continue reading →

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Arturo Sandoval plays “A Night in Tunisia”

Posted: November 9, 2011 by Eric Sperry

Arturo still has one of, if not the biggest, most resonant trumpet sounds in the world. Check out his control from the double pedal C all the way to the G above double high C. That’s 5-1/2 octaves!

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