December through February at Harrelson Trumpets

Sometimes I don't even know where to start, there is so much happening with Harrelson Trumpets and in my life personally. Between designing and building new custom trumpets for clients, designing new components and instruments (Bravura Flugelhorn & Summit Midnight), introducing our new Modular finger buttons/inlays, designing the 5MM Modular Mouthpiece System, offering Trumpet Master classes on Embouchure and Efficiency, playing with Oscar (our shop dog) and amazing events in my personal life, there has been little time to reflect. So this will be my attempt to summarize with the hopes of hitting on individual topics in future posts.

In the past three months, I am thankful to have to offered masterclasses at San Juan Conservatory in Puerto Rico, Loyola University in New Orleans, Lawrence University, University of North Texas, Oklahoma University, McNally Smith College of Music, Schmitt Music and other music stores. And I have worked with trumpet players around the country and Caribbean as well as in the Harrelson Trumpets Shop to help design and build new instruments to meet each player's needs. It has been great meeting so many of you on my journeys and if I haven't been to your area lately, send a request and I'll try to make it happen sooner rather than later.

Here are a few photos from the past few months...

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I will be focused primarily on finishing the many projects I have begun in the coming months before the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Michigan. There may be a stop in Chicago sometime in June with master classes to be announced. There have been numerous requests to visit Florida, Georgia, NYC (again), Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Australia and Arizona. Let me know if you're affiliated with a University or group of trumpet players in these areas and I will consider making a trip this summer to offer my perspective on Embouchure and Efficiency as well as a chance to play some really efficient horns!

In other news, we have a new photographer at Harrelson Trumpets. Tony Mantovani is producing the nicest photos of my horns to date so check our website for updates on almost all trumpet and trim photos in the coming weeks. I believe Tony will also be offering his services to our clients individually if you are interested in having a full photo session of your new trumpet just after it is built. You may contact him at [email protected]. Be sure to see some of the new photos here first: Harrelson Trumpets New Photography

Other announcements include a new member to the HT Family, the Summit Midnight. I have been developing and exploring the Summit design with variations since the first prototype a few years ago. This allows me to try new ideas while maintaining consistency in the design and build process and offers new interesting design and machining challenges, which I welcome. Previous Summit variations include the Summit One, Summit Zero, Summit M, SWE Summit, Summit Art, Summit Art Nouveau, Summit Lead and Summit Jazz. There may be others that I don't recall at this moment ;)

In designing the Summit Midnight, I wanted to create a horn that speaks clearly in the low register with a smooth centered tone in all registers. James and I were discussing this idea when he suggested that a black lacquer finish would suit this horn's dark velvety sound. Thanks to Tom Green for the awesome translucent black lacquer finish now available on the Midnight. This finish shimmers a dark forest green under some lights and a deep purple under others. Either way, you can see the Harrelson Trademark brushed brass finish under the lacquer, making this horn very unique aesthetically and a ton of fun to play. I have never experienced such a broad, solid, full low register on any trumpet. Trombone players will not envy my low register as I can easily bury them! The coolest part is multiple tonguing is now a breeze below low c all the up to high c. I've never been great at multiple tonguing above high c, but that is now my new goal on this horn...double and triple tonguing scales and arpeggios to double c while producing a big beautiful sound that is anything but shrill. In short, I love my new Summit Midnight! And one lucky New Orleans musician just placed the first order for this model last week. Maybe I'll record a few videos showing the flexibility and extremely warm tone of this new horn. Did I mention it was designed with the largest bell I have ever offered? The flare of this bell could eat your Yamaha Xeno and Bach 72 simultaneously for breakfast! See more photos here: Summit Midnight

I intend to follow up this entry detailing the following topics so remind me if I miss something;

• New Orleans visit in November
• Trumpet Players of Puerto Rico, Tobago, Trinidad and the Sea
• Southern Lecture Tour: Classes on Embouchure & Efficiency
• New Trumpet Components: couplers, screws, receivers, adjustable gap, new designs, cylindrical finger rings, modular finger buttons, etc.
  
• Mouthpiece shank variations and setting gap yourself at home with a few simple techniques
• New Bravura Flugelhorn design and production photos/thoughts
• Living & working in the moment, a Zen life since 14
• New CNC equipment coming to HT, we're upgrading again!
• 5MM Modular Mouthpiece sneak preview of the really cool stuff

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