Hey fellow brass warriors,
Alright, I’ve officially hit the wall. I’ve played it all. Every concerto, etude, and excerpt known to mankind. The Haydn? Easy. The Hummel? A warm-up. The Tomasi? Honestly, kind of cute. And now I’m sitting here wondering: is this it? Am I just destined to replay my greatest hits until my valves rust over?
And don’t even mention new music. What is going on there? Every piece feels like a personal attack on my embouchure and my sanity. “Here’s a fun idea—why don’t we make the trumpet play 48 bars of high Fs with no rests while the timpani tries to summon a thunderstorm?” No thanks.
So now I’m stuck. Do I retire as the undefeated champion of the trumpet world and live out my days in silence, letting my glorious tone become the stuff of legend? Or do I keep going and wait for some miracle composer to write a not-terriblepiece of music?
Any advice? Or should I just start practicing scales until I can play them so fast they break the sound barrier? Please help—preferably before I spiral into becoming that person who insists on telling random strangers, “I once played the Jolivet better than anyone alive.”
Yours,