FOOTBALL AND BALLET

For sure, the professional trumpet player needs to be as aggressive as a highly paid NFL running back. Being able to heroically bulldoze over the rest of the orchestra is not enough, however. The opposite is also required. It can be even more challenging to gracefully tiptoe through the daisies!  

The well-placed bunt is as important as the grand slam. The gentle lob over the net is as effective as the powerful ace. The three-foot putt is as vital as the long drive. We shouldn't focus on power at the expense of finesse.  

The orchestral works of Mahler require not only great strength but gentle lyric skill. The same is true for Strauss's Zarathustra and Don Juan, Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Stravinsky's Petroushka, you name it. 

Agenda: pp 

Softspoken finesse is as valuable as a shout from the housetop!