Veterans Day (https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/) was last week, but I continue to think about what it means to play trumpet for a crowd of veterans and vet-supporting families. Military personnel are all over Washington, D.C., and those who have served or are currently serving our country have no more presence to American civilians than here in the nation’s capital.
If you are able to perform Taps (http://www.music.army.mil/music/buglecalls/taps.asp) for your city or other local municipality, you should always consider it an honor. Even if you have never served in the military, it helps to cultivate a high regard for those who do, and playing the 24 notes of Taps at a Veterans Day ceremony allows you to show this respect.
Some trumpeters may consider Taps to be easy, while others see it as a challenge. Either way, the weight of the occasion demands a perfect performance, no matter where you are or for whom you are playing, whether you are a professional or a community musician. Many folks take pains to hold Veterans Day ceremonies at venues befitting the day; special places that easily lend themselves to a quiet, reflective gathering. Ideally, this is how it should be.
However, in some cases it’s a bit different, as many city parks are very close to a city’s busiest intersection, for instance. It may be a beautiful park, perhaps with a flagpole surrounded by tall bushes, flowers, modern art, and a handful of benches, but nearby multiple-lane traffic offers much potential for frequent distractions at eleven o’clock, especially on a weekday. Yet, somehow, when the speeches are done and that 21-gun salute is but an echo, if you focus, you can easily step up, face that flag, and begin in perfect silence.
Stories about trumpeters/buglers flubbing notes while playing Taps have been around for years. Certainly, no one can blame highly experienced bugler Sergeant Keith Clark for his famous cracked note (http://tapsbugler.com/a-bugle-call-remembered/) at John F. Kennedy’s funeral on that cold November morning in 1963. One can only imagine the combination of emotion, pressure, and cold brass, but despite these conditions, Sergeant Clark apparently gave an exceptional performance.
With his story in mind, other trumpeters and buglers around the world should be able to play a wonderful rendition of Taps, whether inside a controlled space or outside with the sounds of the city all around you. Be in the moment, remember what you are there for, and of course, warm up beforehand and keep your instrument clear of water.
Whether you know the words or not, the reverence that Taps invokes is inviolate. Make it your own and allow your listeners to remember the fallen.
Trumpet players:
How often do you play Taps? Where and when?
What was the most memorable performance (good or bad)?
How do you overcome distraction?