Apparently at least one of my neighbors looked it when I play the trumpet early in the morning. It used to be a daily morning ritual, I’d play right off the back porch. I didn’t really think anything of it, didn’t really think anyone heard or even cared because we stay out in the country. Well when I checked the mail this morning, I had a lovely note from one of my neighbors, written in this delicate fine handwriting. “I haven’t heard you playing the last week or so, so I wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay. Depression is a serious thing, and I could tell the last few days you played you’ve been feeling a bit depressed. It’s okay, we all go through it sometimes. I just miss the playing, and I don’t know how to help but if it makes you feel better I love hearing you play. Loved it since the first day you moved in and started playing.”
There's no 'like' buttons in this section, but I 'like'. So, what're you going to play in the morning?
Well I’m working on arrangements of a couple things for the band in the fall. But I absolutely love “You Raise Me Up” played on trumpet. And Hallelujah always has a special place in my heart.
Way to go! I was hoping to get my horn out and play during this Rona hometime, hasnt happened yet as partner's working from home and we live in tiny big-city apartment.... Im envious of anyone with space right now. I hope you can make the most of it!
Heh! Space out here is not an issue. Our house sits on 13 acres, which is part of a much larger 81 acre plot of land. The rest is mostly trees, there’s pond back there and probably miles of trains going everywhere. But the part the house sits on is closer to the road and to our neighbors. By road I mean dirt suggested path.
I could listen to 2 instruments and really enjoy them. A tenor sax or a trumpet with a mute. To me, two of the most beautiful sounds.in music.
Do you like jazz/big band music? Or even 20th classical music? The use of a mute, of course lowers the volume of the instrument. Which we often use because we’re playing in smaller ensembles with instruments/vocalists who are going to struggle to be heard. The use of mutes is fairly popular with jazz/big band music, especially when paired with a saxophonist. Namely because 1 trumpet player easily out powers 1 saxophone player because of the way the instruments work (brass instruments are almost always louder than woodwind or string instruments by default). Which we won’t get into that because that’s a whole sub-science of audio. It also changes the timbre of the instrument, which is the tone quality or how the tone “feels” based on the harmonics it produces. Typically with jazz music, using a straight mute results in the trumpet sounding duller like saxophone, or as “bright” saxophone — somewhere in that general range. Because of it being pressed into the bell or over the bell of the instrument, it changes the vibrations from the metal, producing the different tone that you enjoy.
*sighs* I wish my neighbors played music in the morning. Although, knowing them, they'd probably butcher it.
This is an awesome story! I’m glad to hear that your neighbor recognized that. Thank you for sharing this. I was given the music for my symphony orchestra’s 2020-2021 season, and thankfully, I’ve had a lot of time to practice which has been lovely. I typically practice with the window open so I can get some fresh air, and occasionally I’ll get comments about my playing. Unfortunately, no one has picked up on the fact that I am in fact playing a clarinet, not a flute.
Very nice! I could never produce very much desirable sound on a clarinet. I struggle with woodwind instruments — always have — although I do decently enough on bassoon, oddly enough.