Top 10 Reasons To Play Trumpet (contributed by Laura):


10. Everyone hears you.
9. You can hit people in the knees if they don't walk fast enough at school.
8. Get the best parts.
7. Easy to tune.
6. Tons of solos (if you have first part).
5. Easy and fast to set-up.
4. Get to play really, really loud.
3. Over powering the woodwinds.
2. No reeds.
1. (If you're a girl) ALL THE REALLY HOT GUYS!



Ok, you know Trumpets are a special breed of our own. Here is a little collection of sayings and truths( come on, you know they are right!)

"When it absolutely must be destroyed in the least amount of time, hand it to a trumpet player."

"The problem with taking the easy way out is that the band director already knows"

"I trust a trumpet with a drum just as much as I trust a drummer with explosives...which that's not a compliment.

"The impossible is done with the Lord's help and a few good trumpets."

"Trumpets: Delivering more chaos overnight than those that deliever overnight."

"Show me a trumpet with no ego and I'll show you a drummer that can stop drumming."

"Heaven doesn't take trumpets and hell is afraid we'll take over!"

"Heaven doesn't take trumpets and hell sent us back with a return slip."

"There are only 2 types of people: Those that are trumpets and those that wish they were."

"I love the smell of valve oil in the morning!"

"What part of TRUMPET do you not understand?!"

"If you can't be God, be a trumpet player. It's the next best thing and you don't have to abide by all the rules."

THE OFFICAL TRUMPET HANDBOOK OF LAW

1. Thou Shalt Have No Other Instruments Before Thy Own.
2. The Only Graven Image Thou Shall Want Shalt Be 1st Place.
3. Thou Shalt Not Use The Term Screaming In Vain.
4. Thou Shalt Keep Thy Trumpet Sectionals Holy And Refrain From Work Therein.
5. Honor Thy Section Leader And Thy Band Director That Thy Days May Be Long In The Bandroom.
6. Thou Shalt Not Kill (Without The Express Written Permission Of Thy Section Leader).
7. Thou Shalt Not Be Late…Unless Dragonball Z Is On.
8. Thou Shalt Not Attempt To Steal The Title Of "Section Leader.”
9. Thou Shalt Not Bare False Witness Against Thy Section Leader.
10. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Trumpet, Nor his/her Girlfriend/Boyfriend, Nor His/Her Solo And Especially Not His/Her Mouthpiece.
11. Thou Shalt Learn To Count To Four.
12. Thou Shalt Not Suck.
13. Thou Shalt Not Be Stupid.
14. Thou Shalt Learn How To Count Rests And To Count Them Correctly.
15. Thou Shalt Never Diss The Marine Corps.
16. Thou Shall Understand That Drum Corps Beat Us And Any Marching Band Indefinitely
17. Thou Shall Work All Required Tag Day Shifts.
18. Thou Shalt Learn Directions To The Holy Place Of Trumpets.
19. Thou Shall Not Make The Director Angry Unless Thou Wants To Die.


The Order of Command: The events in the band are handled by an orderly and bureaucratic system of power and rule. The ranks of this chain of command are listed below. In a given section, the order of command goes from the highest chair to lowest. In this way, there shall always be a backup plan for any problems, which may occur.

Graduated Trumpet Section Leaders The Order of Command: The events in the band are handled by an orderly and bureaucratic system of power and rule. The ranks of this chain of command are listed below. In a given section, the order of command goes from the highest chair to lowest. In this way, there shall always be a backup plan for any problems, which may occur.

Graduated Trumpet Section Leaders
The Trumpet Section Leader
Honorary Trumpet Section Leader (Note: the title ‘honorary’ denotes a person who isn’t in the trumpet section but is an honorary trumpet)
Upper Band Trumpets
Honorary Upper Band Trumpets
Lower Band Trumpets
Hunter Moss/Wyton Marsalis/Manyard Ferguson/Arturo Sandoval (Not in any particular order!)
Honorary Trumpets
Brass Alumni
French Horns
Tubas/Sousaphones
Baritones/Euphoniums
Trombones
Honorary Brass
Martians
Percussion Alumni
Percussion/Pit
Miami Dolphins Football Team
Colorgaurd
The MCJROTC
Woodwind Alumni
Band Director
Hobbits
Clarinets
Elvis
Drum Majors
Flutes
Piccolos
Brittney Spears
Saxophones
Oboes



1. During tuning, the tuner shall be recalibrated so that the trumpets shall always be in tune.Powers of the Trumpets: 1. During tuning, the tuner shall be recalibrated so that the trumpets shall always be in tune.
2. a. Tempo shall be determined by neither the director nor the drum majors, but solely by the trumpets.
b. Any trumpet repeatedly playing a tempo which does not in any way relate to that of his fellow trumpets shall be awarded the Trumpet Medal of Valor to be presented at the band banquet.
3. Whenever the trumpets are playing, they are, by definition, playing melody.
4. a. When a trumpet player has lost all sense of rhythm and melody in a song, they shall immediately begin alternating between any first and open notes above C.
b. Should a trumpet player be unable to play notes above middle C, they shall be stripped of their horn and immediately demoted to honorary woodwind with no possibility of parole (unless this inability is a direct cause of ‘screaming’ to the point of no longer being able to play, in such case the player will be applauded).
5. All trumpet players incapable of reaching high C by the end of the marching season their sophomore year shall be permanently barred from the wind ensemble (unless the Trumpet Section Leader decides to grant mercy upon them).
6. No trumpet shall ever be used to create the image of ‘rustling wind.’
7. Horse whinnies may be performed only by certified personnel. (You must obtain the certification and then permission to perform whinnies from the Trumpet Section Leader).
8. All trumpet players remember, It Takes Two to Tango!!!

Why was the trumpeter forced by his sectionmates to switch to clarinet?
He was a pain in the brass.

Why did the trumpet player get a 75% on his test?
He couldn't reach a high C.

What does a measure of rest indicate to a trumpet player?
An improvised solo.

What is a crescendo used for in trumpet music?
A reminder that the trumpeter has been playing too loudly.

Why were trumpets invented?
To make people go deaf.

What do you call a lead trumpet player with half a brain?
Gifted.

How many second trumpets does it take to change a light bulb?
None, they can't reach that high.

What's the difference between a jet airplane and a trumpet?
About three decibels.

The PROPER Way To Clean Your Horn

Many brass players (trumpets, mellophones, baritones, trombones, tubas, etc.) often forget to take care of their instruments; especially during marching band season. This can lead to poor performance, stuck valves, stuck tuning slides and some pretty scary things growing inside of their horns. The rigors of marching band practices, performances and the elements can take their toll on machined surfaces like trombone slides and valves, but fortunately a little TLC can go a long way to keep horns working properly.

To properly clean your horn, you will need the following items:

Bathtub
Margarine bowl or other small plastic bowl
Towel
Soft 100% cotton cleaning rag
Dishwashing detergent
Toothbrush
Cotton swabs

Soft 100% cotton towel to dry horn Assortment of brushes - mouthpiece brush, leadpipe brush, snake, and a valve casing brush for valved instruments. Specialized brushes or cleaning kits can be purchased from your local music store for your specific type of horn and they are a good investment. Follow these steps to get the most out of your horn: Before marching season begins:

Take your horn completely apart and clean it thoroughly. Make sure you have plenty of space to do this and it is very well lit. Many of us, including the author, know how easy it is to lose valve springs if you take your horn apart in an area that is poorly lit or if you do not have a place to put small parts. It is best to have a plastic bowl to keep all small parts like valves, valve springs and valve caps.

Place a towel in the bottom of your bath tub and lay the disassembled horn (minus the really small pieces) on it. The towel keeps any abrasives from scratching the finish of the horn.

Fill the tub with about 6 inches of lukewarm water. Next pour a couple tablespoons of dishwashing soap in the water and mix it up with your hands. The two best brands of soap for cleaning your horn are Palmolive or Joy. Other bands tend to leave a residue on the horn after it is rinsed. Put soapy water in the plastic bowl containing the smaller parts, but try to avoid getting the felt pads on top of the valves wet.

Let the horn soak for a few minutes to loosen any gunk, then use a valve casing brush to clean valve casings. The snake and the mouthpiece brush should be used to clean other parts of the horn.

Use a 100% cotton cloth to clean the exterior of the horn. Special cleaning cloths can be purchased from music stores for this purpose. If you do not have a cleaning cloth, an old, clean, plain T-shirt will work.

For smaller parts, like valve end caps, use cotton swabs to remove dirt, grease and foreign bodies. If you cannot remove dirt from end caps and old toothbrush can be used. You should avoid using toothbrushes on precision parts like piston valves and trombone slides as they may damage them.

Thoroughly rinse the horn and smaller parts to remove any soap residue.

Dry the horn with a soft cotton cloth.

Check with your director or local repair shop for any special instructions for bathing your horn. Some finishes require special care.

Spend a little time going over your horn when cleaning it. This will allow you the opportunity to find any problems that need to be addressed prior to the beginning of marching season. It is not uncommon for problems to develop with trombone slides, turning slides and water valves during the school year. If you thoroughly clean your horn prior to marching season, you should be able to identify the problems and get them fixed before the season begins.

Valve brasses should check felts, springs, etc. If there is a lot of noise or click once reassembled, new felts, springs or guides may be required. New springs or water keys or corks may be needed. Repair shops should be able to fix horns faster if they are clean!

Once the season begins:

Practicing outdoors exposes your horn to the elements. A horn will collect a lot of dust and dirt over the course of a season. This is especially true if you practice or perform in dusty or sandy conditions. Small particles of dust and sand readily stick to oiled parts like trombone slides and micro close tolerance piston valves. Add a drop or two of oil each day on every piston and slide. You should also plan on cleaning your horn at least once a month during marching season.

Also, clean the mouthpiece with a brush every couple days, and every day during band camp week. Long hours of playing cause them to get dirty, sweaty, etc., and keeping them clean keeps the horn cleaner longer as well.
Other tips:

Take care of your case. The purpose of your horn case is to protect your horn, but if your case is damaged, it may not be able to do its job properly. Cases are generally pretty durable, but I have seen people drop cases from high places and use them as battering rams, which can destroy them and their contents. Also, refrain from stuffing a lot of objects other than your horn in its case. The case your horn comes in was designed specifically for that type and model of horn. Putting a lot of extra items in the case with your horn could scratch the finish or worse. This is especially true for trombone players. All trombone players know that the slide is very easy to dent. Putting books or other rigid items in your case with your horn and then closing it can put pressure on your slide and cause it to bend.

Your horn is your best friend on the field. Without it you cannot perform your show. Protect and take care of it and it will perform well for you all season.
By: Scott Leatherland