“Don’t Be A Professional Musician Unless You Have To”, Plus A Deep Dive Into the Kinetic Transference of Energy Into Trumpets with Ken Larson!
"Half of trumpet playing is 92% mental."That Berra-esque butchering of a common refrain of trumpeters is brought to you by Ken Larson's Brasswerks, and today we're honored to feature the one and only Ken Larson on the podcast.This interview was a long time in the planning as it took quite a bit of time for our schedule's to align (see what I did there?), but we finally made it work and my goodness, it didn't disappoint!Ken is one of a kind, and as you'll hear in this interview, a trove of knowledge regarding the physics and physicality of playing, and a very practical, no-nonsense approach to whether or not one should pursue the profession of music-making.I enjoyed this one, and know you will too. (As a gentle reminder, true listeners listen to the podcast at 1x speed, just saying ;)What you'll hear in this episode:-Using orchestral auditions to test out new horns lol...03:15-Success as a musician is 92% mental...05:30-Ken shares his founding origins as a trumpeter....09:05-Learning to play efficiently after a major car accident...16:30-We all have the ingredients; it's up to you to make it happen!...20:30-How Ken cut his teeth in modifying horns, and working for Bob Malone...23:10-Why your horn will break into you, not the other way around...27:15-How the energy of one player is "captured" in the metal of a particular instrument....31:00-How Ken defines himself as a trumpet player and builder...37:15-How to tell a client what they need vs. what they think they want...39:30-How your physiology, fitness, state of mind, even the time of the month can affect your music-making...42:30-How Ken simplifies things for his trumpet students...48:40-Music a means of preserving community...52:30-Plus whatever your discerning ears deem worthy of your time and interest...Resources mentioned:Ken Larson's BrasswerksCaruso's "Magic Notes"