There are many great quotes from trumpet players that I admire. But this one, which I copied from the trumpet method book A Tribute to William Adam, is my favorite.

“You have to remember the trumpet is a mean instrument, the meanest there is. It’s a damn monster. Sometimes I feel like throwing it out the window, it’s such a beast. There are times when it treats you so sweet and nice that everything comes out just perfect. Then you come back to it the next night, rub your hands together and say to yourself you’re going to do it all over again. You pick up the horn, put it to your chops, and the son of a bitch says, ‘Screw you.'”

– Roy Eldridge.

Starting my 2023 trumpet practice routine on a positive note… 😉

Photo credit: William Gottlieb/The Library of Congress via Flickr