Meet & Greet

Hey everyone - this is Martin from tonebase!

As the Head of Live and Community here on tonebase, it's such a pleasure to welcome you to the tonebase community. We would love to get to know you! Please introduce yourself in a post below with the following format:

  • Where are you from and what's your favorite food from there? ;)
  • What are you currently working on?
  • What are you hoping to get out of this community?

I’ll go first:

  • I was born and raised in Munich, Germany! As you’d expect, Bavarian cuisine is heavy and includes many meat and Knödel dishes, as well as crops such as beets and potatoes! While this food makes me think back to my childhood, I prefer much more food from my current hometown Düsseldorf, where we have the biggest Japanese community outside of Japan. So Düsseldorf has no shortage of great Ramen shops, Sushi places, and even Teppanyaki grill houses!
  • When it comes to trumpet, I am clueless! I have studied classical guitar and sound engineering. Currently, I am in the process of recording a new album with my guitar duo, "TwoFourTwelve". I remember that my grandfather used to have a trumpet which I've tried to play when I was 5 years old, but I had no success getting anything but a buzz out of that horn!
  • I am hoping to getting to know and helping all of you achieve your musical and artistic goals. Let's have some fun and get to work!

Now over to you!

54 replies

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    • Robert_Jacobs
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    1. I’m from Texas and I don’t really have a favorite food but I will essentially eat almost anything.

    2. I am currently working on getting back into trumpet after 4 years of bare minimum. I want to have it with me until I can be financially stable enough to go back to college for a music degree.

    3. I hope to be able to learn everything I’ve been searching for. Especially getting to be part of a good music community and have music friends from around the world if possible.

      • Trumpet Lead
      • Ethan
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Welcome! I hope you'll find this to be a valuable resource in your journey! 

    • Martin_Pratt
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    I originally came from the North of England near Manchester, but moved to Sidmouth,  Devon some 20 years ago after selling my own business and looking for a change of scene by the seaside. I worked as an Optometrist. Being a Northern lad, my favourite food remains Lancashire Hotpot (as made by my mother with small lamb chops) with a side serving of Red Cabbage, followed by a Rice Pudding with a nice thick skin. Having moved to Sidmouth, I discovered that it hosts The Sidmouth Folk Festival, one of England’s biggest Folk Festivals and this led to me learning Button Accordion and playing for local Morris Dance Sides. Anyway, after the Covid pandemic I decided to retire and had the time to take up Trumpet, using my son’s old school trumpet that hadn’t been played for 25 years. So far, I’m mainly self taught, but realise that I need to improve because I have joined some local wind bands.

    I am hoping that discussions on this community will provide hints and tips to improve my playing.

      • Trumpet Lead
      • Ethan
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Welcome Martin! Thanks for your introduction, and wow accordion and trumpet is a super cool combination!

    • Ronald_Carson
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Howdy,

    Yeehaw! Buckle up, partner, 'cause we're taking a wild ride through 63 years of Lone Star State living, right here in Northeast Texas, where the air's thick with the scent of barbecue and the drawl is as sweet as molasses. Nestled snugly between Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, it's like living in the heart of a Southern melody.

    Now, when it comes to grub, we Texans don't mess around. Southern cooking's our bread and butter, quite literally! From crispy fried chicken to tender, slow-smoked barbecue, every bite's a taste of home. But let me tell ya, amigos, there's nothing that sets my taste buds salsa-dancing like authentic Mexican cuisine. Soft tacos? ¡Claro que sí! Fajitas sizzling on the grill? ¡Delicioso! And don't even get me started on enchiladas—each bite's a fiesta in my mouth! But when it's time to kick it up a notch, it's gotta be chicken or turkey smothered in rich, velvety chocolate mole sauce. Talk about a flavor explosion! Who needs special occasions when every day can be a culinary celebration?

    Now, picture this: a retired science teacher with a trumpet in one hand and a plate of tacos in the other—sounds like the start of a toe-tappin' Texas tale, doesn't it? Since hanging up the lab coat just before the pandemic hit, I've been wrestling with a case of what I like to call "trumpet-itis." It's a curious affliction that strikes me every now and then, ever since my high school days back in '79. Sure, I can barely hit those high notes, and endurance and tonguing? Well, let's just say they've seen better days. But fear not, amigos, for I refuse to let this brass bug bite dampen my spirits! Armed with a stack of music books taller than a Texas tornado, I've been waging a slow but steady battle against the forces of musical mediocrity.

    When I'm not busy harassing the neighbors with trumpet etudes, I'm out there volunteering for Taps Across America, honoring our fallen heroes. Because in the great state of Texas, we don't just play music; we play it with heart, soul, and a whole lotta Texas love.

     

    Ronald Carson

      • Trumpet Lead
      • Ethan
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Welcome Ronald! Grateful to have you, and hope to hear you play sometime!

    • Trumpet Lead
    • Ethan
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Hey there everyone! This is Ethan from tonebase! I'll do mine next!

    I’ll go first:

    • I was born and raised in California’s San Joaquin Valley (in the town of Merced), where I was the oldest of six children. It’s a fairly rural environment, but we had great high school marching and jazz bands, so I was in an environment where I could find inspiration to practice! I moved to Los Angeles for college (USC) and have remained there since graduating. Food in Los Angeles is spectacular, so I’m not even sure where to begin! I love how accessible healthy food is in most parts of town, so I always opt for a fresh bowl, juice, or salad when I can. But Mexican food might be my favorite – there’s a place near me called Villas Tacos which is to die for (their blue-corn tacos are out of this world!)
    • I’m a predominantly improvising trumpeter, so I’m working on fundamentals (ALWAYS!) every day, and expanding my sound world through learning music and practicing language. I studied jazz through the Master’s level, but now I collaborate with lots of different musicians and composers around town, and work daily on my own projects. Currently I’m writing a kaleidoscopic record called Dream Machine with some of my favorite collaborators, am finishing up a solo trumpet record, and I also sing and play piano in an eco-core indie jazz-rock band called Novel Utopia!!
    • I look forward to helping you all achieve your goals – however big or small – and providing some structure for your practice sessions! Music should always remain fun, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work hard while we’re at it! I can’t wait to get started.
      • Ronald_Carson
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       

      Thank you, Ethan, for your Tonebase video welcome. In case you missed it, you can watch the recording here: https://app.tonebase.co/trumpet/live/player/tpt-welcome-to-tonebase-live. After watching this introduction and looking around at the resources, I am happy with my lifetime membership! What a tremendous deal!

       

      I nearly missed the live event because of a Texas Twister. Fortunately, most of us only experienced a loss of electricity and water (as water wells rely on electric pumps). Fallen trees and electrical lines obstructed the roads, keeping me trapped at home for a couple of days. Today, some debris still litters the roads, with large repair vehicles working tirelessly to clear the way. Thankfully, the emergency repair crews guided me to a town ten miles away, where I could access the internet. I'm hoping power will be restored in the next two or three days.

       

      Now we have great trumpet heroes to guide us to be better players navigate our musical storms.

       

      THANK Y'ALL!

       

       

    • Tom_Johnson
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    1. I live in Portland, OR. It's where the Monette Trumpet Company is. I worked there a few years ago and just recently ordered a trumpet from them which will be built sometime late in the year.

     

    2. I would have say Pizza (and good beer) are my favorite foods.

     

    3. I've played the trumpet since 1962 and play it mostly just for the joy of it. A few months ago I bought a piccolo trumpet and now practice it briefly everyday and enjoy the challenge of attempting to create a beautiful sound with it. It ain't so easy but I love it.

      • Trumpet Lead
      • Ethan
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Nice, I've always wanted to visit the Monette factory! (And we do have a piccolo trumpet course coming very soon...) Welcome and it's great to have you! 

      • Tom_Johnson
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      If you come to Portland, I can arrange a tour at Monette for you. I would be happy to make that happen.

      • Trumpet Lead
      • Ethan
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Thanks Tom! I'll dm you if I'm ever in the area!

      • Tom_Johnson
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       👍

    • Tom_Johnson
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Thanks, Ethan. You have created a great resource for musicians. Thanks for all your hard work!

    • Joyfully Retired
    • Eric.1
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Hello!

    I’m Eric

    1. I’m from NYC but now live in Guilford, Connecticut. That’s near New Haven, where the best pizza in the U.S. comes from, and I’m from NYC remember. I love to cook though and my favorite foods are things I make from what I grow in my garden. Asparagus risotto for example.

     

    2. I retired recently and am back at school, getting a music degree from Southern Connecticut State University. I’ve played trumpet since age 10 but wasn’t a music major in college. I’m aiming at filling all the gaps I can in my musicianship, both on the trumpet and my general musicianship. So I’m studying theory,  piano, and voice in support of that goal.

     

    3. I’m hoping to get to know more musicians, learn new perspectives (on everything- not only music and trumpet), and find ways to contribute as a member of the community. It would be awesome to find opportunities to play irl with nearby members as well.

      • Trumpet Lead
      • Ethan
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Welcome Eric! We will have a general music theory course as well as jazz theory coming in the next month or so! And that's a great idea to have some irl events, that's definitely something on my mind too. (I've always wanted a garden of my own... life goals for sure.)

      • Ronald_Carson
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Hallo, Maarten.   Got get some of that kroketten and frikandellen, sounds yummy!

      • Ronald_Carson
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Hey Eric! It is glorious to be retired and spend more time exploring your interests. Are you using Tonebase for your multi-musical interests?

    • Maarten_Poortinga
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Hello,

    I am Maarten and I live in Enschede, a city in the east of the Netherlands. As for food; I don't believe that we in the Netherlands are known for culinary delights. I like to eat kroketten and frikandellen. I believe they are typically Dutch.

     

    By profession I am a primary school teacher and my favorite subject is music!

    In my spare time I play a lot of trumpet. I study classical music at the Academia Musica. This is a private training for people who regret that they never went to the conservatory :-P.

     

    My first impression of Tonebase is very positive. The nice thing about playing the trumpet is that you never stop learning. It's great to get tips from trumpet giants! I hope to learn a lot here!

      • Trumpet Lead
      • Ethan
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Hello Maarten and welcome!! I'm so glad you've had a good time here so far, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions while exploring. (I spent a semester studying in the Netherlands and simply adored it!! But my Dutch is... well... nonexistent 🤣)

    • Music tutor, composer and songwriter
    • edng
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi everyone 👋

     

    I'm a Singaporean who's moved to Sydney. Unlike other Singaporeans, I don't love food...it's more functional. But coffee & dark chocolates are my essentials 😄

     

    I'm originally a french horn player but stopped played for 1.5 decades. Picked up the horn a few months ago and recently the trumpet (joined a big band on 4th trumpet and it's so much more fun than classical rep). Right now, I'm working on fundamentals like unlearning habitual straining for higher notes, projecting with beautiful tone, and re-building chops stamina. Can't play too high on both instruments at the moment and that upsets me...😖

     

    I'm not sure how an online community can help. But hearing some views & feedback to my questions & issues would be helpful I guess?

      • Trumpet Lead
      • Ethan
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Hi Ed! Welcome to tonebase and we're happy to have you! Those are excellent goals! Feel free to explore the course library or let me know if you ever have specific questions. I hope the online community can be a place for sharing, discovering, and connecting with other like-minded trumpet nerds. 
      Oh, and if I go a day without dark chocolate I might lose my mind - so I can relate!! 

    • Steve
    • 8 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Greetings!  I am retired in Tar Heel country.  I played the trumpet through high school, but nothing after that until about a year ago.  Thought I'd pick up right where I left off.  Wrong!! I had to start from scratch.  I'm armed with a new trumpet, scads of books, and a lot of enthusiasm.  My only objectives in returning to the trumpet were to eventually get to a point where I could play jazz ballads at an intermediate + level, and to enjoy the ride along the way.  So far, I'm enjoying the ride!

      • Trumpet Lead
      • Ethan
      • 8 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Welcome Steve! Congrats on retirement, and welcome back to the daily grind that is the trumpet. I would definitely check out Stuart Mack's course on Jazz Fundamentals! 

      • Ronald_Carson
      • 7 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       I'm with you. It is disappointing to know what you could do and expect that same level. There is danger in trying to force the high notes. I've wonder how the aging process affects our playing. For instance, my lung capacity has gone down considerably. My lips are less supple sometimes and fine other times.

Content aside

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