James Knabe, Trumpeter

We have been traveling the southern states for the last month (special focus on Texas). Made some great friends and connections down here! I will be back in the Chicago area for the Easter season of performances/services and some studio teaching! Please let me know if you want to connect while I am in the Chicago area.

Over the years I have been across the USA as well as in parts of Europe. Staying in good playing shape while travels has always been a challenge. Since we are traveling the US in an RV this makes it even more challenging with the close quarters.

There are many companies that have developed practice mutes. Yamaha is well known for the Silent Brass and companies from Denis Wick to Stonelined to many smaller operations have jumped in to the mix with their own version.

I have had the pleasure of finding what I believe is the best practice mute out there. Tom Crown (based in the Chicago suburbs) has designed an amazing practice mute. He makes one for the larger B-flat and C trumpets as well as one for piccolo trumpet. I have one of each and love them. They don't back up on me, are even in all registers and have a nice sound but are well suited to private practice in places like hotel rooms, back stage, or even in our RV.

The price is reasonable and the quality is great. Check them out in the link below that says launch related site.

I have a new limited-run of Trumpet Toolboxes. This is the best edition yet. Priority for these goes to my current studio of students. I believe this is the definitive edition. As always cost is minimal (only the cost of production). $25 each. Let me know if you are interested in acquiring one.

During the last year or so I have beta-tested and started offering Skype trumpet lessons. I highly recommend this new medium for trumpet lessons and studies for any of my current students as well as others who are looking for an experienced trumpet teacher.

I teach students of all ages and levels. I have taught in high schools as well as private/conservatory music schools fro the last twenty years. Over the years many of my students have reached success through IMEA and honor bands, All-State, Successful College Auditions, Recitals and Performances, and several going on to be professional performers and teachers after college/conservatory.

Please contact me at james@trumpeter.com to learn more about Skype trumpet lessons or to set up a lesson live or Skype.

2012 was a big year that went by very quickly. It has been an up and down year for the music performing around Chicago and the country. Many of my friends and colleagues around the US and in Europe have had a difficult year. While the teaching market has remained pretty stable performing has been down.

Unfortunately the arts tend to really suffer during periods of financial recession or depression. Many schools that are strapped for funds cut their arts program---to the great detriment of their schools, education, and community. This also is reflected in the performing arts groups losing funding or closing up shop.

Personally my trumpet studio has had some great successes with recitals, competitions, IMEA, All-State all in the mix. I've had some great performing opportunities as well that have been a lot of fun. I've have started teaching more via Skype/live chat over the internet. It has many great benefits---not the least of which is that I am working with players all over the world!

I have connected with more people and am now beginning to really promote my Music Career/Consulting Service for established and aspiring artists (MusicianAdvice.com).

We will be travelling more in 2013 with a focus to the Southern USA. I am looking forward to an exciting new year!

Our trumpet studio and alumni now have a place to go on YouTube for the best in trumpet and music. The channel will be a one-place stop for learning and observing different musical styles and methods. I will be adding personal videos on a semi-regular basis that will be focusing more on trumpet concept teaching. Additionally as I have more personal video from performances these will be posted as well. There will also be a large collection of favorited videos from some of my teachers as well as others throughout the trumpet world. Follow the link to get there! Be sure to favorite or subscribe to the channel to get the updates.

This year the trumpet studio graduated several trumpet students moving on to bigger and better things in College and beyond!

Congratulations to everyone---we will miss you!

Ian Kinsella, Stephanie Sundberg, Jessica Runyon-Majoring in music at the University of Iowa, and Roger Michaelides.

Congratulations to the Stephanie Sundberg and Jessica Runyon for being selected to play in this year's Illinois All-State Festival. A high honor indeed!

Congratulations to my High School Students that Prepared and Auditioned for the IMEA (Illinois Music Educator Association) Honor Band. This audition also serves as the preliminary selection of players for the Illinois All-State Band and Orchestra.

Congratulations to:
Jessica Runyon---Selected for Principal Trumpet (Orchestra) in District 9
Stephanie Sundberg---Selected for Trumpet (Orchestra) in District 7
Sarah Newell---Selected for Trumpet in the IMEA Junior Band in District 7

Congratulations also to Rachel Blom, Erin Gray, and Kalla Sturonas also for working so hard and auditioning for IMEA. You are all winners!

Congratulations to the graduating seniors in my trumpet studio!

Katie Ahlgrim:

Katie has been playing with the Libertyville Wind Ensemble and performed with them 5/8 at their Superstate Honor Band performance. She will be attending Hope College in the Fall and is entering as a Math Education major. She will be performing in their music program as well. Congratulations Katie!

Sam Copeland:

Sam plays with the Oswego East Wind Symphony and the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. He will be attending Waubonsie College and will continue with a music/trumpet focus with their musical groups as well as playing in regional symphony orchestras. Congratulations Sam!

Matt Gerjol:

Matt currently plays with the Libertyville Symphonic band and will be attending Illinois State University in the Fall. Congratulations Matt!

Richard Li:

Richard is both a trumpeter and a pianist and he perfromed the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Libertyville High Orchestra on 5/13. He will be attending University of Illinois in the Fall with a focus to Engineering. He plans on continuing his musical studies and playing at UI. Congratulations Richard!

Katie Mahoney:

Katie has been a member of the Symphonic Wind at Libertyville High. She will be attending Purdue University in the Fall with a focus on Pre-Pharmacy. Congratulations Katie!

This Saturday the Libertyville High School Wind Ensemble will be the Honor Band performing works by Maslanka and Wagner. This is the last appearance at Superstate with Mr. Don Shupe at the helm of the Wind Ensemble. Congratulations to my students in the ensemble: Stephanie, Matt, Katie, and Bradford!

Congratulations to my studio in Libertyville! 28 performing students and a great party afterwards. Great job everyone!

Here is the program from the recital today:

Act I

Trumpet Ensemble-America the Beautiful
Ian-Doxy by Sonny Rollins
Lukas-Synchophobia by Forrest L. Buchtel
Charlotte-Way to Go
Elyse-Habanera from Carmen by Georges Bizet
Wendy-Basin Street Blues by Spencer Williams
Schuyler-Trumpet Aire by Purcell and Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke
Nick-Rio by Erik Veldkamp
Sarah-Hippity Hop by Forrest L. Buchtel
Kalla-Chicago by Fred Fisher
Scott-Song of India by Rimsky-Korsakov
Lucy-Rio by Erik Veldkamp
Andrew-Serenade by Thomas Schudel
Lauren-Cocktail Song by Erik Veldkamp
Vinnie-Pink Panther Theme by Henry Mancini
Jack-Ode to Joy by L.V. Beethoven
John-Spica by H.A. Vandercook
Erin-Sonata for Trumpet by Paul Hindemith (Mvt I)

Act II

Rachel-English Suite by R. Bernard Fitzgerald
Prelude, Greensleeves, The Jolly Miller
Paul-Rondo for Lifey
Katie-St. James Infirmary by Jim Primrose
Evan-Air from Water Music by G.F. Handel
Matt-Concerto for Trumpet A. Arutiunian
Katie-March by Noel Geomanne
Jared-Sarabande by Giuseppe Tartini
Roger-Adagio in Sol Minore by Remo Giazzotto
Dereck-Andante et Allegro by J. Guy Ropartz
Bradford-Aria con Variazioni by G.F. Handel
I. Theme II. Legato e Espressivo III. Un Poco Meno Mosso
Stephanie-Concerto for Trumpet by F.J. Haydn (Mvt. I)
Trumpet Ensemble-Galliard Battaglia by Samuel Scheidt

We have a fantastic studio recital today featuring ten of the students in the Oswego Trumpet Studio! Recital is at 1PM at the Auditorium at Oswego High School. Oswego, IL

Works to be performed include:

Trumpet Ensemble-Battle Hymn of the Republic
Trumpet Ensemble-Raiders March
Ryan-Cockateel Song by Erik Veldkamp (Trumpet Duet)
Sam-Arutiunian Concerto for Trumpet
Brendan-Concert Etude by Goedicke
Emily-Sonata for Trumpet by Kent Kennan Mvt I (Selections)
Josh-Razz Ma Tazz by Forrest L. Buchtel
Robby-English Suite R. Bernard Fitzgerald
I. Greensleevs II. Aria (My Lovely Celia) III. Finale (TheJolly Miller)
Matt-Elegy by V. Berdiev Edited by Charles Gorham
Patrick-Two Impressions by Frederick Koch (Tpt/Piano) II-Lyric and then I-Bright
Jessie-Concerto for Trumpet F.J. Haydn (I/II)
Robbie-Basin Street Blues by Spencer Williams and then So What by Miles Davis
Trumpet Ensemble-Galliard Battaglia by Scheidt

Congratulations to Libertyville High School Students! The Wind Ensemble just came back from playing as the guest band for the Illinois Music Educator's Convention.

Both Libertyville and Oswego Jazz bands recently compete in the Rolling Meadows Jazz Festival.

Coming up in the next couple weeks...Studio Recitals!!!

Jason Heath, the founder and creator of Double Bass Blog (doublebassblog.org) interviewed me and posted the interview as a podcast on his blog. The topics of discussion included issues related to marketing for professional and aspiring musicians. We spent most of the time during the interview on the critical need for a musician to have a personal website as well as ways that we can use new media to promote ourselves and our services.

Congratulations to the following trumpet studio students that won IMEA audition in to the IMEA district bands or orchestras:

Stephanie Sundberg-Band
Jessica Runyon-Band
Sam Copeland-Orchestra

Congratulations to all of you for your hard work! I'm so very proud of all of you. There was a lot of stiff competition this year.

Musician Advice is a company focused on meeting the Creative Marketing needs of Professional and Aspiring Musicians. Through one-on-one consultation with the artist, Musician Advice works to create artist visibility, image, and drive more business to the client through a suite of development services.

Services include website design and implementation, press kit development (a coordinating mix of business cards, promo postcards, online presence, and other marketing tools), demo production and implementation on a CD format as well as MP3, Social Marketing Consulting services on utilizing Twitter, Facebook, Email Marketing, and other new media tools.

Please feel free to contact James to schedule a no-cost initial consultation.

You can visit the website to see James' first clients and a full menu of services at www.musicianadvice.com

Congratulations to the trumpet studio graduates of 2009:

Erik Anderson (LHS), Brian Coughlin (LHS), Will Satchell (LHS)

Erik will be attending University of Illinois in the Fall and majoring in Engineering (and of course keeping up with the trumpet!)

Brian will be attending Indiana University in Bloomington, IN and majoring in Business (he has promised that he will entertain his new friends with some trumpet playing!)

Will is attending Georgia Tech in the Fall with a major in Engineering (taking a brief respite from the trumpet but coming back to it when he gets established in Atlanta!)

Congratulations to all of the performers in the Oswego studio recital this year! Thanks for letting Deborah step in for me. I have seen all of the video and I'm so very proud of all of you. A terrific performance!

Thanks to each of you for all of your time and effort. It really has paid off!

Congratulations to all of the performers in yesterday's studio recital at the LHS Studio Theatre! We had 26 performers in a varied program including classical, jazz, contemporary, and spiritual music. We had an audience of over 75 plus all of the performers.

Thanks for all of your hard work. It really paid off!

Our deepest condolences go out to Wyatt Serna and his family on the loss of his father to cancer. Wyatt is a energetic young student in the Yorkville/Oswego trumpet studio. The funeral/memorial service was held this past Saturday January 10.

I was in attendance with Wyatt's band directors Victor Anderson of Yorkville High and Cassie Gallagher of Yorkville Middle School.

We were all so proud of Wyatt who stood up toward the end of the service and played a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace on his trumpet. He played very well under the pressure of a full room and his own grief.

Bradford Reszel is part of my trumpet studio. Bradford is at Freshman at Libertyville High and is also an accomplished vocalist. He recently won 1st place in the Chicago Tribune contest for the Gloria Sing. Click on the link below to the right (labeled launch related site) to see a video of Bradford singing in his boy soprano voice! Great job Bradford.

Please visit the new companion to this website. I will be adding content regularly with a focus to trumpet pedagogy, ideas for students, music listening suggestions as well as video and audio! Please visit by clicking on the link below and to the right (labeled launch related content).

I have recently received updates from two of my studio graduates from last year. John Klaess from Libertyville and Sean Doty from Oswego.

John has settled in well at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and is in his first year pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in trumpet. He reports that he is having a great time there and is really enjoying working with so many like-minded musicians. As John knows and has learned one of the best ways to improve as a musician is to surround yourself with musicians who are more experienced and talented. He is seeing the fruits of his labor come to pass. All of those extra hours of practice were worth it! Great job John!!!

Sean is lighting up the music department at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. He is also pursuing his Bachelor of Music focusing on Education. He has started off strong by making their top symphonic band, the orchestra and jazz band as a freshman. Great job Sean!!!

Sean also mentioned that he recently saw another alumni of the trumpet studio---Matt Hallberg. Matt is at Augustana and also plays trumpet in one of the bands!

This year we had five students from the studio auditioning.

Congratulations to Jessica, Wyatt, Erik, John, and Rachel for auditioning. Results are not in for everyone yet but so far Jessica, Erik, and John have made the cut in their respective districts! Congratulations to you all. More news when all results are in.

Congratulations to you all for your hard work. It is an honor to be selected to audition as well as a good experience!

My trumpet studio at OHS in Oswego have had a fantastic kick-off to the school year. In entrance/placement auditions all of my OHS students placed at or near the top of their section in their respective bands! Congratulations to Matt, Joanna, Patrick, and Jessica! Your hard work is really paying off!

The music faculty at Libertyville High will be performing a musical recital at the LHS Auditorium on Wednesday September 17 at 7:30 PM.

I will be performing several pieces including the following:

*Manfredini Concerto for Two Trumpets with Dustin Helvie, Trumpet
*Eternal Source of Light Divine/Rompe Sprezza
(Trumpet/Soprano works) with Sarah Hibbard, Soprano
*Strike up the Band by Gershwin
LHS Faculty Brass Quintet plus Don Shupe on Drums!

Also performing will be our string, choral, and instrumental/band faculty.

Congratulations to all of my students who participated in summer music camps and festivals this summer!

Erin Gray-Midwest Young Artists Jazz Camp
Matt Joras-Midwest Young Artists Jazz Camp
Brad King-Eastern Illinois University Band Camp
Jessie Runyon -Illinois Summer Youth Camp (U of Illinois) Band & Jazz Camps
Wyatt Serna-Eastern Illinois University Band Camp
Kalla Sturonas-Blue Lake (Michigan)
Alex Trotsky-Eastern Illinois University Band Camp

John Klaess (Libertyville High School):

John has had a very impressive high school career in music. He has been named to the IMEA Orchestra for two years in a row, played in the top Jazz Ensemble at Midwest Young Artists and has been the principal trumpet with the Libertyville Wind Ensemble as well as the lead trumpet in the top Jazz band at LHS.

John has just made it through a busy season of auditioning for several fine music schools including Boston University, Depaul, Eastman, and Northwestern. After receiving a thumbs up from many of the schools John will be attending Eastman as a music major in the Fall. Congratulations John!

Sean Doty (Oswego High School)

During his exciting high school career Sean has played in the Oswego High Wind Symphony, Lead in the Jazz Band, and also lead on several musicals at OHS.

Sean auditioned for several different schools and finally decided to attend Augustana College in Rock Isalnd, IL. He will be playing in the band there and focusing on Jazz and Music Education. Congratulations Sean!

Matt Adorjan (Oswego High School)

Matt has had a great and notable musical career at Oswego High School. He has been playing in the Oswego Wind Symphony and has also served as a Drum Major with the Oswego High School Marching Band.

Matt will be attending North Central College in Naperville, IL. He will be involved in the music department there and plans to make music a part of his future. Great job Matt!