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Gerald has been playing the trumpet since about 1977. His affection for the instrument, and his inability to turn down a gig has resulted in some interesting performances over the years (weddings, funerals, graduations, coffee houses, you name it). He also plays left-handed guitar and a little piano (well, it's not that little...). He sold his shmancy Bb Stradivarius Bach and replaced it with a lesser Bach with better valve action. Happy enough with the sound. Also owned a Bb Jupiter Pocket Trumpet picked up in B.C. in 1997. Usually reserved for special events (Christmas, fun solos, etc.), this little guy was used much in the early days but is now more of a practice horn. Also owned is a custom-built C trumpet (custom = hacksaw and a copper pipe cutter). Thanks to Ron for helping him weld it back together. Gerald began in playing in grade 7 in junior high. He recalls vividly how he wanted the smallest instrument possible, since he would have to be lugging it home each week. He was quite perturbed when the Flutes were all taken as well as the the Clarinets. Briefly considering percussion (because drum sticks are pretty light), he reluctantly chose the trumpet. As luck would have it, it really turned out to be the best instrument based on his personality. Gerald has played first chair Trumpet with the Winnipeg Pops Orchestra since 1995. The group performs around the city in a wide variety of venues. E-mail him if you want to book the orchestra to play an event (yes, you can do that! -- he'll pass the info on to their agent). It's a wonderful group of folks and they have a great time practicing every week. If you're interested in taking in a performance, check out the WPO's website for their performance schedule. The WPO has produced several videos, the most recent a special 40th Anniversary production containing many well-known tunes (seasonal songs, show tunes, some classical). E-mail the Winnipeg Pops if you would like to obtain a copy. In recent years, Gerald has had the pleasure of performing with some local jazz musicians. Here is a sample track for your listening pleasure, in .wma format: Melancholy Rhapsody. For a complete listing of the tracks on the CD, Click Here. Need a Jazz combo for your engagement? Gerald plays left-handed guitar and some piano. He recalls fondly his first guitar, a broken down, 20 dollar right-handed classical with missing frets. With some tender loving care (along with a pair of pliers and a knife), he transformed it into functional left-hander. His musical tastes are varied -- they include Jazz, Rock, Easy Listening, Soundtracks. Favorite artists/composers (in no particular order) include Diana Krall, Steve Bell, Vince Guaraldi, Holly Cole, Chuck Mangione, Grant Geissman, Phil Driscoll, John Barry, The Beatles, Amanda Marshall, Arturo Sandoval, Burton Cummings, just to name a few. His all-time favorite albums (that's right, they were called albums once):
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