Students and faculty learn at Midwest Trumpet Festival
Monday, October 13, 2014 2:00 AM
News
Pittsburg, KS
Students weren’t the only ones learning during the Midwest Trumpet Festival at Pittsburg State University, Monday.
After a master class conducted by the acclaimed performer and teacher David Hickman, Todd Hastings, PSU professor of music and festival director, traded notes with other trumpet professors.
“He (Hickman) is the master when it comes to master classes,” Hastings said. “I think we all have learned things that we’ll take back to our classrooms.”
Hickman, who is a regents’ professor of trumpet at Arizona State University is widely considered one of the world’s top trumpet virtuosos and has performed more than 2,000 solo appearances around the world.
Hickman said health problems have caused him to reduce his performance schedule, but he is busier than ever as a teacher.
“I’ve always taught, but I enjoy it a lot more now,” Hickman said.
Hickman said he has had to adjust his teaching style to match modern students.
“(Today’s students) learn from a different perspective,” Hickman said. “They’re much more technology oriented. I have to kind of adjust to the way they’re used to learning.”
One thing that hasn’t changed with technology, Hickman said, is the hard work required to become an accomplished musician.
“Learning to play an instrument and learning to play correct style – there’s no substitute for a lot of hard work,” Hickman said. “A lot of kids today are not used to having to work so hard to get good at something.”
Hickman said the annual Midwest Trumpet Festival that PSU hosts is valuable because it brings together so many musicians and teachers from different states and different schools.”
“It’s been great and it’s really well organized,” Hickman said. “What he’s (Hastings) doing here is really valuable. To get all these people, especially all the faculty, to come to something like this is amazing.”
Hastings said nearly 100 student musicians and 15 faculty members attended the festival.