Matt Roberts

Dave Livesey is currently writing a trumpet sonata for me to test drive, tweek with him and perform. We’re hoping to develop this into a concert sometime later this year. Of course you can keep track of the pieces development on my blog or Dave’s new blog (follow the link above).

I am also hoping to have my computer back in s position where I will be able to announce my latest business venture by next week.

Watch this space for more details.

Good Times!

I’ll add some photo’s when I get the software back on my Mac

(and that’s not a Mac. rant- it’s a fact : ) )

This was a good day where I managed to see a few people that I’d lost touch with (possibly for the last time) and see what everyone’s getting up to.

Unfortunately only one of my peers I spoke to, who is actually the other trumpet player in my year, is out gigging. The rest have taken up unrelated jobs, full-time teaching posts or taking post grads with no view with what they want to do with this qualification after.

I got to catch up with Nick an Dave (who worked with me in parts of the Sound Ideas Project) and of course pick up my degree from which only a small handful of the Conservatoire faculty turned up.

I can now happily say that the Birmingham Conservatoire is behind me. Not to say I didn’t learn things there, in fact the one-to-one lessons were great, the electives were useful and the master classes in my first year were ace. Everything else was a bit of disorganised clone manufacturing machine. But that’s my experience and a lot of the stuff I learnt whilst there were things you weren’t taught.

Like going out to seek other pro. trumpet players who would give you advice and teach you a few things, getting gigs, making connections and then getting out there and doing it.

It was made very clear in my first year by a former student who I bumped into that once you graduate the Conservatoire wash their hands of you - and I can now see that is true.

The future is in our hands so good luck to us all… and god help us :p

I saw Rid yesterday at our Graduation and felt a bit sorry for him. It seemed (whether he did or not, I don’t know) that he had “people there”. He was shown to his seat at the last minute so none of his mates could chat to him and later on Dave Livesey was chatting to him and a “person” moved Ryd on.

I only got a second in passing for us to exchange congratulations which was a shame. I wanted to see how he was doing with all this new stuff that’s happened to him because I’ve heard it’s all a bit of a pain (as you would imagine from my description).

It was a pity that he couldn’t enjoy his graduation like a regular student but I’m sure he’ll continue to do well if he keeps his head.

This is the name of the group I’m going along to play with for the first time tonight.

It’s an 11-member eclectic dance band playing show stuff, pop and soul. It sounds like a laugh and they’ve got a few gigs in the diary including a set at the Liverpool Fringe festival and a possible appearance at Glastonbury.

I’ll be winging it tonight but I’m sure It’ll be a laugh.

When I was shopping around for trumpets a few years ago I had the unfortunate experience’s of trying a Taylor.

It was like playing a Picasso, NOT like a work of art, rather like playing a piece of cubism.

It looked like at had been cannibalized out of 5 different trumpets. Rose tinted bell, brass valve block and silver lead pipe. It literally looked like it had been taken straight out of the world of Picasso’s "Three Musicians" and blew like a stone.

If you’re a trumpet player and you’ve never come across a these terrible Taylor Trumpets before please check out their website. And then look at the Monnette site.

It’s like comparing an Aston Martin to a Boot*

*I’d like to make it clear that this isn’t just any boot. It’s a boot whose wife has left him and run off with a stiletto, subsequently leaving him with a kid that hates him and has since been taken away by shoe services. Since then the boot has hit the bottle, lost his job, his home and is currently being sewed for a failed suicide attempt where he jumped from a building and landed on a high court judge.

To further back up this comparison look for yourself:

I’m sure you can see that the trumpet on the left is hand made by skilled

and master instrument manufactures.

The one on the right looks like a badly designed novelty

piece of rubbish that’s been run over by a car.

The trumpet on the left is played by the worlds best trumpet players.

(Vizzutti, Marsalis, Maynard and many more.)

I wouldn’t like to speculate on those who play Taylor Trumpets.

I think you’ll find this review is fair and impartial if you’ve ever seen or tried the above trumpets.

I have to say that the personnel I was given is a surprise; four trumpets, three sax’s, a flute, kit player with promise of pianist and TWO BASS players.

Playing will always come first to me and I’m happy to add that I’m not even a little tempted by the income that peri teaching brings (which is a surprise) but I love the way I have my teaching. Enough to keep me ticking over and enough to be passionate about it and get some quality from the kids. Plus it’s a great laugh.

I’m sure that my Army/Big Band will be just has much fun.

Infact I’ve spent this evening arranging ‘So What’ for my double bass’s - Not the Big Wooden thing - rather my two individual bass players.

I can’t wait to hear them play Miles Davis next week!!

The other night I met up with Dave Livesey to catch up and talk over some music ideas since we were both in Liverpool. Dave is currently writing music for the the Liverpool Phil. and their concert series which is featuring at Christmas.

Later on in the night James Newton came around after his last class at LIPA and then the work really started.

As you can see we had a productive evening that soon descended into playing Guitar Hero on the X box. The only reason I’ve really put this into my blog is because it was such a laugh and the evening was meant to be so productive. It’s great seeing how fast musicians pick up this game and also it’s a good incite into what young pro’s get up to when they’re not playing or composing… we play

We also discussed that taking a four year course on the art of playing Guitar Hero is actually more valid and useful  than taking a degree on the recorder or as a singer.

This is a game that I recommend to all musicians!!

Before Christmas I dug out my Monette mouthpiece I used to play on before the conversion the Conservatoire forced on me.

The difference is massive and I’m finding it so much easier to play on.

It’s a B4S that monette made especially for me. This was because when I moved from my Callet to Calicchio the shank on the mouth piece meant it wouldn’t fit in the lead pipe properly. Monette made me the same mouthpiece without the shank.

Top Guys!!!!

Easier to slot, playing long, higher, stronger. Why did I ever leave it !!!

Long Live Monette!!!!

(Most likely todays Blog will only be of interest to Brass and Trumpet players)

I have a lot to say about this topic. However this is just a mention of the stuff I’m currently using in my everyday practice. Here’s a breakdown of my routine at the moment:

Technique Building (lip slurs, tonguing an finger exercises)
Studies (Looking over The Arban, Bitsch etc - practical outlet of My Tech. Build)
Jazz Theory - I now have time to work on patterns and their application. (Scales, modes and Patterns)
Upper Register - This needs to be done everyday but NOT OVER DONE!! Damaging your Lip will mess up your practice routine!

I’m currently playing Arp’s and a few exercises from Jerome Callet Super Chops. (Again, more scales). I’ve found improvement comes after controlling every note in these exercises, remaining completely relaxed (with no though of screwing on) and holding the upper notes before coming back down.

I’ll keep an update of how this is going for any trumpet/brass players who might be interested.