My guest for this episode is Rob Quallich

Rob is an extremely talented young trumpet player who gained notoriety during his stint as lead trumpet with the band No BS! Brass, and for his viral videos that highlight his impressive range and power, as well as his off the wall sense of humor.

Rob is the author of the book Taming the Stratosphere, a recent transplant to the Nashville music scene, and a connoisseur of fine crafts brews.

Check out what Rob has to say about recording an unmusical video, how he adjusted to life on a cruise ship, why America has the best beers, the importance of the arts, the importance of playing musically in the upper register,  how weight changes affect your playing, what it takes to be a lead player, why he likes to show up to gigs early, his biggest influences, how your mental state is too often based on your last gig, and so much more.

So pour yourself a big glass, pull up a chair and let the hang begin!

If you love good stories, then you will love hanging with Charles Hargett.  

Charles started out as a full-time player, but life led him down a different path. After several years away from music, the road brought Charles back to the trumpet, but in a new capacity. After accepting a position as sales manager for Kanstul Musical Instruments, Charles had the opportunity to work directly with industry legend Zig Kanstul and quickly developed a reputation for being a sort of “trumpet guru”, as well as being a friendly, modern face for the company. Charles has also worked for Eastman / Shires, served as an industry consultant, and is currently the Director of Sales for BAC - Best American Craftsmen where he still considers himself fortunate to have a day job in the music industry.

Charles is a storehouse of knowledge and never at a loss for words, or drinks!

So pour yourself a big glass, pull up a chair, and let the hang begin!

Road dog. Old Dog. Swamp dog.  Partner of Tommy The High Note Police. What else can be said about the great Mike Williams?

Mike is an outstanding lead trumpet player and educator. After playing in the world-famous North Texas State 1:00 Band, Mike held down the lead trumpet chair in the Count Basie Orchestra for an incredible 31-year run, giving Mike the opportunity to play and hang with some of the legends of jazz. In this week's episode, Mike talks about life after Basie, jazz hangs in Europe, Blazing Saddles on the bus, learning from the "old-timers," virtual education, life at North Texas State, down-home cooking, and much more.

So pour yourself a big glass, pull up a chair, and let the hang begin!

Have you ever listened to the iconic lead trumpet solo in Stan Kenton's version of Here's That Rainy Day? Have you ever played on a 13A4A or a Schilke S model? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you have been touched by the genius of Mike Vax.

Mike is an iconic trumpet player and educator. His discography of 75 albums includes 20 under his own name. And in the past 50 years, Mike has presented over 3000 workshops around the globe.

In this hang, Mike shares stories about how Willie Maiden "transcribed" on the tour bus, the backstory on the famous Live At Redlands album, breakfast with Stan and Dick Shearer, working with Ren Schilke, how oral surgery helped him become a better teacher, why he didn't wind up in LA, the importance of dialog, and so much more.

So pour yourself a big glass, pull up a chair, and let the hang begin!

What do you get when you mix killer chops, deep philosophy, and outspoken candor? You get Adam Rapa. 

Adam is truly a Trumpet Guru, and in this episode, we cover a lot of ground. Check out what Adam has to say about the state of trumpet design and what he's doing to make a difference, the cult of pedagogy, the impact of cultural diversity on his music and world view, being in a prime state on and off the stage, and why he doesn't have a favorite anything.

This is one hang you don't want to miss.

So pour yourself a big glass, pull up a chair, and let the hang begin!

When you've got a horn. And your valves are stuck. Who you gonna' call? Chris Cromer.

That's right, this weeks episode features the skills and wit of Chris Cromer. Chris is a master repairman, an expert in brass technology, and connoisseur of fine beer and bad movies.

Check out what Chris has to say about how he turned a hobby into a business, horn cheese,  yeast infection, why size doesn't matter, and why asking the right questions is so important.

So pour yourself a big glass, pull up a chair, and let the hang begin!

Welcome to the world of Aaron Romm. The son of famed Candian Brass legend Ronald Romm, Aaron has performed around the world as a soloist as well as alongside his father and mother in the Romm Family Trio. Aaron is also a passionate educator, martial artist, and voice actor. In this episode, you will get an insight into what it was like to grow up as the son of an international trumpet star, why humor plays a big part in his music and life, the importance of keeping your ego in check, being dumb enough to say yes to The Brandenburg, being the "fundamentals guy," neurolinguistic programming and teaching, and how Sly Stallone has helped him get invited to weddings.

So pour yourself a big glass, pull up a chair, and let the hang begin!

Move over Jay-Z and Beyonce, it's time for a new music industry power couple! Lexie and Jay are each working hard to make their unique mark on the trumpet world. Lexie is a bit of a rebel and seeks to challenge the status quo in the worlds of both performance and education.  Jay is a true cross-over player and has taken on the ambitious goal of documenting and duplicating the works of the great Doc Severinsen. 

In this hang, you'll hear why trumpet was the instrument of choice, why it's so difficult to be a female lead trumpet player, why different isn't always bad, why we all love Chris Botti, what Jay and Miles Davis have in common, how to deal with the pressure of being a lead trumpet, the importance of being "un-F-withable," the role of gender in music, and so much more.

This episode is full of laughs, one-liners, truth bombs, and F-bombs. So in other words, a typical trumpet hang.

So pour yourself a big glass. Pull up a chair. And let the hang begin!

In this episode, you get a chance to hang with Trent Austin. Trent is an extremely talented trumpet player, mouthpiece designer and purveyor of fine brass instruments. Trent has a huge smile and a huge heart, and his love for all things trumpet shines through in everything he does. Hear Trent talk about how he manages to keep his spirit and chops up during social distancing,  getting in shape for the zombie apocalypse, the importance of public service, life lessons from dogs, how Clark Terry helped shape him as a player and a person, tales from the tour bus, making the transition from New England to the Midwest, lobster vs BBQ, becoming a trumpet gear head, how he opened his first shop, the importance of being trustworthy, and so much more.

Catch the video version of this hang on the Trumpet Gurus YouTube channel.

Opening theme song composed and performed by Lexie Signor. Closing theme by The Greatest Funeral Ever. All music used by permission of the artists.

If you ask any trumpet player to create a Top 10 list of people to hang with, you can be certain that the name Wayne Bergeron will be there. Wayne is an amazing trumpet player and an absolute blast to be around. His experiences as one of the LA studio scenes first-call players and as an in-demand clinician and solo artists give Wayne a great depth of experience and no shortage of stories. In this hang, Wayne shares his thoughts on the downfalls of being a "natural," why he hates being called a "high-note player," the importance of staying humble and relaxed in the world of session work, working with his personal trumpet heroes, the importance of playing with good time, coming back from chop problems, confidence vs ego, expanding on lessons from his years with Maynard Ferguson,  how hangs can create life-long friendships, and his thoughts on the most under-rated and over-rated aspects of trumpet playing. 

For the video version of this hang, go to the Trumpet Gurus Hang YouTube channel. 

Opening theme song composed and performed by Lexie Signor. Closing theme by The Greatest Funeral Ever. All music used by permission of the artists.