Timeline of a Trumpet Player

Summer 2014/4th Grade

Instrument fitting-Franklin Heights-Mark Sturm-Director.

 

Trumpet lessons-Shawn Flowers.

 

Summer 2015
 

Buckeye Band and Strings Homeschool Band Classes-Wes Miller-Director.  Classes culminated in my first public performance at the German Village Farmers Market.

 

Fall 2015-Spring 2016/5th Grade

 
Grove City Christian School 5th-6th Grade Band-Jay Coupal-Director

 

Received 5th grade band pin.

 

Summer 2016

The Columbus Saints Drum & Bugle Corps, toured Midwest competing in DCI Soundsport, SDCA and MACBDA. They performed a funk themed show titled The Elements of Funk featuring the music of Earth, Wind and Fire.  They used a combination of 2 and 3 valve G bugles.  I appeared in Drum Corps Planet Magazine.  I was one of the youngest players in any DCI corps for 2016.  The corps received their highest rating of Gold at the DCI Southeastern Championship in the Georgia Dome.  All the greats were there: The Bluecoats, The Blue Devils, Santa Clara Vanguard, Carolina Crown etc...

 

Fall 2016-Spring 2017/6th Grade

Grove City Christian School 5th-6th Grade Band-Riley Robey-Director.  I played a solo during the fall concert.  Supported flute parts with special hand written music.

 

Received 6th grade band pin.

 

The Columbus Saints Drum & Bugle Corps-Attended whole weekend, Friday-Sunday camps from November to March, two per month.

 

Summer 2017

Trumpet lessons-Dr. Isaac Winland.
 

Attended the OSU Middle School Band Academy.  Took piano class there.  The camp culminated in a concert at Weigel Auditorium.

 

Fall 2017-Spring 2018/7th Grade

 

Grove City Christian School Middle School Band.

 

Received 7th grade band pin.

 

Because GCCS did not have 7th graders in marching band at that time, I was given special permission to join the GCCS Marching Band in the stands for Pep Band.  (I still marched to the field with them making me the first 7th grader to "march" at GCCS.

 

GCCS Pep Band (basketball)

 

I played a class C high school solo while in middle school at OMEA District 15 Middle School Solo and Ensemble contest and received a Superior rating of 1.

 

The Columbus Saints Drum & Bugle Corps-Marched in the Dublin Saint Patrick's Day parade. 

Summer 2018
 

Summer 2018

 

The Columbus Saints Drum & Bugle Corps-Marched parade support for Fourth of July parades.

 

Fall 2018-Spring 2019/8th Grade

Grove City Christian School Marching Band-played a show titled Look Closer.

 

Grove City Christian School Concert Band.  I was told I was good enough to be in Symphonic Band but was needed in the Concert Band.  I did support the Symphonic band that year on French horn.

 

Grove City Christian School After School Jazz Band

 

Pep Band

 

Received 8th grade band pin.

 

Taps for Veterans.  I played Taps to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice of WWI on the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month 2018.  I chose the grave of Columbus native and WW1 flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker for this commemoration.  A group of historians were on hand also.  Founder of Taps for Veterans, Jari Villanueva reached out to me with this history-

On the morning of the World War I armistice, Nov. 11, 1918, American fighter ace Eddie Rickenbacker took off against orders and made his way to the front. He arrived at Verdun at 10:45 and flew out over the no-man’s-land between the armies. Less than 500 feet off the ground, “I could see both Germans and Americans crouching in their trenches, peering over with every intention of killing any man who revealed himself on the other side.”

"I glanced at my watch. One minute to 11:00, thirty seconds, fifteen. And then it was 11:00 a.m. the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. I was the only audience for the greatest show ever presented. On both sides of no-man’s land, the trenches erupted. Brown-uniformed men poured out of the American trenches, gray-green uniforms out of the German. From my observer’s seat overhead, I watched them throw their helmets in the air, discard their guns, wave their hands. Then all up and down the front, the two groups of men began edging toward each other across no-man’s-land. Seconds before they had been willing to shoot each other; now they came forward. Hesitantly at first, then more quickly, each group approached the other.

"Suddenly gray uniforms mixed with brown. I could see them hugging each other, dancing, jumping. Americans were passing out cigarettes and chocolate. I flew up to the French sector. There it was even more incredible. After four years of slaughter and hatred, they were not only hugging each other but kissing each other on both cheeks as well.

"Star shells, rockets and flares began to go up, and I turned my ship toward the field. The war was over."

 

Night of Fine Arts: Solo, Andante and Allegro-Ropartz, Trumpet Trio, Jazz Band.

 

I appeared on ABC Channel 6 news Good Day Columbus, representing Grove City Christian School, playing Christmas carols.

 

Was chosen to represent Grove City Christian School at the OMEA district15 Middle School Honor Band.  Sat first chair, first Trumpet under the direction of Ryan Alexis and George Edge.

 

Played a class B high school solo (Andante and Allegro-Ropartz) while in middle school at OMEA District 15 Middle School Solo and Ensemble contest and received a Superior rating of 1.

 

Inducted into the National Junior Honor Society.

 

Summer 2019

The Columbus Saints Drum & Bugle Corps-toured Midwest competing in DCI All Age, SDCA, MACBDA, and

DCA.  They performed a steampunk themed show called Heart of Steam featuring the music of Panic at the Disco.

The Columbus Saints made DCA finals.

 

Taps for Veterans-Played Taps at the Veterans Memorial in Wellston, Ohio to commemorate Memorial Day 2019.

 

Fall 2019-Spring 2020/9th Grade

Grove City Christian School Marching Band-played a show titled Danzon!  They received the school's second OMEA Superior 1 rating for marching band and their first ever Runner Up Grand Champion.  They also placed third in MSBA finals-Phillip Claassen-Director.

 

Grove City Christian School Symphonic Band-Second Trumpet.  Second part of a trumpet trio in Buglers Holiday.

 

Grove City Christian School Jazz Band-Lead Trumpet

 

Pep Band

​

I shadowed the band director Mr. Claassen for part of a day.

 

Taps for Veterans-Played Taps on May 25, 2020. The National Moment of Remembrance is an annual event that asks Americans, wherever they are at 3:00 pm on Memorial Day, to pause for one minute of silence to remember those who have died in military service to the United States.
I joined hundreds of others from "Taps across America" to play TAPS at 3:01 pm in remembrance.

 

Summer 2020
 

Columbus Youth Jazz Summer Workshop 2020

 

Fall 2020-Spring 2021/10th Grade

Grove City Christian School Marching Band-played several original shows written by the students.  I received drill writing experience.

 

Grove City Christian School Symphonic Band-First Trumpet.

 

Grove City Christian School Jazz Band-Lead Trumpet

 

Pep Band

 

Featured in Drum Corps Associates live video presentation.

 

Capital University Honor Band

 

Summer 2021

 

100 Nights of Taps at Gettysburg opening ceremony and solo ceremony.

 

High Brass Section Leader, Grove City Christian School Marching Band

 

Began first season volunteering with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Orchestra (Nacho)

 

Fall 2021-Spring 2022/11th Grade

 

Grove City Christian Marching Band.  We played a show titled, Trapped in Time.

 

Grove City Christian School Symphonic Band-First Trumpet.  Played solo in a piece named “Ride” by Samuel Hazo.

 

Grove City Christian School Jazz Band-Lead Trumpet

 

Pep Band

 

Appeared on NBC Channel 4, Columbus Evening News, September 11, 2021 playing Taps at the Ohio Statehouse, commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

 

Was inducted into the National Honor Society.

​

I played a harmonized version of Taps at Arlington National Cemetery in a program called Taps in Honored Glory.  I was part of a trumpet choir commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first Taps bugler at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

 

Played Taps for a WW2 Navy veteran of the Pacific theater.  He was a high school teacher and administrator.

 

Played Taps for the entire student body in chapel on Veteran’s Day.

 

I took two music theory courses on my own and received credit through credit flexibility.

 

Trumpet Lessons-Josh Decker.  Also, Martin Williams.

 

Played a solo titled, Badinage, by Eugene Bozza and received my third Superior rating of 1.

 

Academic letter

 

Volunteers at Columbus Bilingual Academy North Band, giving free trumpet lessons.

 

Won second place in Grove City Christian High School talent show for an original composition which I wrote and performed for my three-piece band.

 

Gave a second Taps presentation with slideshow and demonstration of Taps to Grove City Christian School 3rd graders.

 

Summer 2022

 

100 Nights of Taps at Gettysburg opening ceremony and solo ceremony.

 

The Ohio State University Marching Band Summer Clinic 2022

 

Began second season volunteering with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Orchestra (Nacho)

​

Fall 2022-Spring 2023/12th Grade

 

Played marching band solo and received a superior rating of 1 at OMEA marching band finals, a school first.

 

Grove City Christian School Symphonic Band-First Trumpet.

 

Grove City Christian School Jazz Band-Lead Trumpet

 

Pep Band

 

Trumpet Lessons-Dave Mazon.

 

OMEA South Central Region Honors Orchestra

 

OMEA All-State Band

 

A member of every instrumental ensemble Grove City Christian School has, for every year it was available.

​

Trumpet teachers: Shawn Flowers, Martin Williams, Dr. Isaac Winland, Josh Decker, Dave Mazon