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Paul Merkelo
Paul Merkelo is principal trumpet with the Montreal Symphony. He is currently preparing for the world premiere of Jim Stephenson's "Martha Uncaged" at the Academy of the West in July, 2017.
https://paulmerkelo.bandcamp.com/releases
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/baroque-transcriptions-trumpet/id147684655
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS
A young and cocky approach led to Paul almost quitting trumpet.
It took several years to feel comfortable again after a year off from the orchestra.
Trust that the work you've done is sufficient to get the job done when the time comes to perform.
PAUL'S WORST MOMENT AS A PERFORMER
"About 13 years ago, I had a situation with my chops that made me think it was the end. We had just opened the season with a TV broadcast. My chops felt so tight, I had limited flexibility. I remember sitting in a gas station in tears calling the orchestra's personnel manager and telling him I needed some time off. That turned out to be a complete season off the orchestra.
"I took a lot of time off and began relearning how to play trumpet. I considered quitting playing and just teaching. But hearing a lot of great young players as a teacher motivated me to find my way back to the horn. To this day, there's not a day that I don't think about that moment."
QUOTABLE QUOTES
"You have a limited amount of good notes per day." -- John Aley
"You have to recognize what your talents are and trust that they'll come through so that you don't have to abuse yourself while you're practicing and performing."
THE HOT SEAT
Q: It’s 5 minutes before you go on stage for an important performance… What are you doing?
A: Chilling out. I'm seated in my chair, breathing slowly. Perhaps some chit chat with colleagues, but I'm visualizing a successful performance. I'm excited about the performance.
Q: What’s the best performance-related advice you've ever received?
A: Back to the trust issue. We want to test our licks, you have that little guy on your shoulder telling you you can't do it. But trust that the work you've done is enough to get the job done.
Q: Can you share one tip for our listeners to help deal with stage fright? (Physical, mental, etc.)
A: Don't be afraid to fail. It's not totally about you. It's about the music. When you've done the work, it's about telling the story of the music.
Q: What’s a non-musical activity that contributes to your success as a musician?
A: Sports, both watching and doing. It's a great stress reducer and teaches me a lot about playing at a high level.
Q: Imagine you’re on stage. It’s the end of the performance and the audience is on its feet, applauding. They don’t want any more and they don’t want any less. Everything is perfect. What have you just done?
A: The Montreal Symphony did a show at Carnegie Hall two nights in a row. The first night wasn't a great performance, but the second night was fabulous. It felt like it wasn't me playing. I didn't miss any notes, but it just felt like so much fun!
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Paul Merkelo is principal trumpet with the Montreal Symphony. He is currently preparing for the world premiere of Jim Stephenson's "Martha Uncaged" at the Academy of the West in July, 2017.
https://paulmerkelo.bandcamp.com/releases
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/baroque-transcriptions-trumpet/id147684655
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS
A young and cocky approach led to Paul almost quitting trumpet.
It took several years to feel comfortable again after a year off from the orchestra.
Trust that the work you've done is sufficient to get the job done when the time comes to perform.
PAUL'S WORST MOMENT AS A PERFORMER
"About 13 years ago, I had a situation with my chops that made me think it was the end. We had just opened the season with a TV broadcast. My chops felt so tight, I had limited flexibility. I remember sitting in a gas station in tears calling the orchestra's personnel manager and telling him I needed some time off. That turned out to be a complete season off the orchestra.
"I took a lot of time off and began relearning how to play trumpet. I considered quitting playing and just teaching. But hearing a lot of great young players as a teacher motivated me to find my way back to the horn. To this day, there's not a day that I don't think about that moment."
QUOTABLE QUOTES
"You have a limited amount of good notes per day." -- John Aley
"You have to recognize what your talents are and trust that they'll come through so that you don't have to abuse yourself while you're practicing and performing."
THE HOT SEAT
Q: It’s 5 minutes before you go on stage for an important performance… What are you doing?
A: Chilling out. I'm seated in my chair, breathing slowly. Perhaps some chit chat with colleagues, but I'm visualizing a successful performance. I'm excited about the performance.
Q: What’s the best performance-related advice you've ever received?
A: Back to the trust issue. We want to test our licks, you have that little guy on your shoulder telling you you can't do it. But trust that the work you've done is enough to get the job done.
Q: Can you share one tip for our listeners to help deal with stage fright? (Physical, mental, etc.)
A: Don't be afraid to fail. It's not totally about you. It's about the music. When you've done the work, it's about telling the story of the music.
Q: What’s a non-musical activity that contributes to your success as a musician?
A: Sports, both watching and doing. It's a great stress reducer and teaches me a lot about playing at a high level.
Q: Imagine you’re on stage. It’s the end of the performance and the audience is on its feet, applauding. They don’t want any more and they don’t want any less. Everything is perfect. What have you just done?
A: The Montreal Symphony did a show at Carnegie Hall two nights in a row. The first night wasn't a great performance, but the second night was fabulous. It felt like it wasn't me playing. I didn't miss any notes, but it just felt like so much fun!