Your future, our focus
P O W E L L, W y o. - Neil Hansen, director of bands at Northwest College in Powell, believes it takes a village (of musicians) to make a trumpet festival, so he's asking trumpeters from communities across Wyoming and Montana to help him make 2007 the best trumpet festival yet at NWC.
Hansen invites trumpet players to call him toll-free (800) 560-4692 or e-mail him to receive music in time to prepare for the Saturday, Feb. 3, event. Participation is free.
"All players middle school age and older who want to improve their technique or who just want to blow their horns are welcome," Hansen said. School-age trumpeters can also earn scholarships and trumpet items as prizes in a Trumpet Solo Competition. Hansen predicts veteran players will be most interested in the festival's master classes, clinics and demonstrations.
This year's featured artist is Jay Coble, an associate professor of trumpet at the University of South Florida School of Music in Tampa. In addition to his international teaching experiences and performances with symphony orchestras from California to Florida, Coble has had his performances recorded for television shows such as the "Tracy Ullman Show" and "The Simpsons."
He's worked with celebrities like Natalie Cole, Mel Torme, and Nancy Wilson, and has toured internationally with Buddy Rich and Tom Jones. Coble has also been featured on commercials for Infinity Cars, Alaska Air, Shell Oil, and Pepsi, to name a few.
The NWC Festival of Trumpets gets underway at 10 a.m. in the Nelson Performing Arts Center at Northwest College with a warm-up session with Coble. A display of historical trumpets owned by a private collector and a music industry display of contemporary trumpets, accessories and trumpet literature opens at 11 a.m. The day-long event concludes with a 7:30 p.m. concert.
Detailed information is available online at the "Festival of Trumpets" link.
The 2007 Festival of Trumpets is sponsored by Northwest College and the Wyoming Arts Council.