"I think people who can live their life in music are telling the world: "You can have my love, you can have my smiles. Forget the bad parts, you don't need them. Just take the music, the goodness, because it's the very best,” and it's the part I give most willingly.” — George Harrison, 1943 - 2001

Taps I am available to play Taps at funerals. I charge $100. One starts when the flag over the casket is lifted to be folded and given to the family. The second time through is an “echo”, Taps played with a straight mute or even a tree trunk. I live in Warren, which is in Somerset County, New Jersey. I can travel to northern and some parts of southern NJ.

Trumpet Lessons Are out of my home. I offer lessons for beginners and advanced beginners. The cost is $15 for each half hour. I live in Warren, which is in Somerset County, New Jersey.

Here is the story of my trumpet, a Schilke B6L with a Lawler bell, from Richard Dundas of the Trumpet Exchange, in Rutland, Vermont, who I purchased it from.

"Here is the history of your Schilke B6L Bb trumpet: It started as a medium bore trumpet with a detachable tuning bell. Frank Green, a member of the Maynard Ferguson band, had a bigger bell put on it by Roy Lawler, a custom maker in Florida who is noted for his trumpets with detachable screw bells (like some French horns)." "I don't know how long Frank used it but he gave it to his girl friend, Maria Chines, and she sold it to me along with some other horn (a flugelhorn, I think) to help pay off the big phone bill she had run up keeping in contact with Frank while they were both touring in different places. I got the Schilke December 15, 1993, and sold it the following summer to an amateur jazz player in NY. After two years he needed a bigger bore trumpet and traded it back February 5, 1997. I have had it since then for my own use and had the silver plating done over recently.". Pete Sokolowski told me that "Maria was a gifted trumpet player with a tremendous amount of potential, a sweet person totally without ego but had many personal problems. She was very helpful to struggling young players (like me).". Does anyone know what became of her? On March 12, 1999, I got an email from Richard. "Do you still have the Schilke B6 with a Lawler bell? The original owner, Frank Green of the MF Orchestra called me today wanting to buy it back if I still had it. I told him that you got it from me and I would see if you still liked it or if you would be interested in exchanging it for something else." "No way. I love that trumpet", I said. Richard replied "I am glad that the B6 is satisfactory. It must be especially reassuring to know that a celebrity player still wants it 5 years after giving it to his girl friend. He can get any number of much newer Schilke B6 or B7 trumpets to customize. This time he wants one with a Bach bell. Some players are never satisfied with their instruments.". The serial number is 8148. It was made in 1976. One of these days I can give Schilke a call and get the exact date the trumpet came out of the shop. I use a Bach 12C mouthpiece. My flugelhorn is a Bach Strad, Model 183, serial number 332723. I use a Giardinelli New York 10FL mouthpiece on it. My backup trumpet is my Reynolds Medalist Bb trumpet, serial number 272721. It dates from 1972. It is considered a small to medium bore horn. My pocket trumpet is a silver Jupiter, no serial number. I also purchased it from Richard Dundas. He told me that “The previous owner was Dr. Laura Middleton, a Burlington, Vermont, psychiatrist who had a good time with it blowing up a storm on a beach in Venezuela at 6:30 AM.”

My herald trumpet is a Blessing, serial number 506744. I was told it was old, but the dealer did not know the age.

Why do I play the trumpet? Because I want to. I was forced to play clarinet in grade school. I wanted to play drums, electric guitar or trumpet. But Mom vehemently said, "GIRLS don`t play trumpet. Girls play clarinet or flute. You want that you pay for it YOURSELF." So when I got my first job I bought a used Chevy Malibu, a trumpet and trumpet lessons. Mom was not happy with my decision but tough luck Mom, I was and here I am today.

What do I play on my horn? Usually I start with long tones, scales, then a few pages of the Concone Complete Solfeggi studies. I have a collection of sheet music of all different kinds. It is about five feet tall now.

I am in the trumpet section of the Whitehouse Wind Symphony, Whitehouse, NJ. I am the principal trumpet in the Somerset Valley Orchestra, Bridgewater, New Jersey. I also march with the American Weldery Band of north New Jersey.

I am a member of TPIN, the Trumpet Players International Network. A prolific source of information and strong opinions on all facets of trumpets and playing. It is always a pleasure to meet the "faces behind the emails".

Photo by my Dad (Frederick Stober) Me, Alex and Eddie Lewis

In November, 1997 Dad and I were returning from a week in Tucson, Arizona, USA. We had a LOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGG layover in Houston, Texas. So we linked up with TPIN member Eddie Lewis and his son, Alex, over lunch at Atchetafaya, a Cajun restaurant chain in the Southwest US. We spoke at length about playing the trumpet, eating hot and spicy foods, Houston, Texas and New Jersey. Alex and his teddy bear enjoyed it, too.

In TPIN someone suggested taking a lesson wherever one traveled. In March, 1998 Dad and I spent a week in Newport Beach, California, USA. It is about seventy miles from Los Angeles. Wow, a Los Angeles - Hollywood lesson. Here's the story of my lesson with Uan Rasey and what Arturo Sandoval, a student of Uan's said, too. I've also had lessons with Jazzer Laurie Frink in NYC. And, Brian Evans, lead player and soloist of the Sydney, Australia Opera House Opera Orchestra.

In addition to my trumpet, I also play the Australian Didjeridu. Mine is key of F#. Essentially a eucalyptis log hollowed by termites. Mine does not have the dot artwork of the Aborigine but a different style. It has the river, indicating a passage from Dreamtime. Usually they go from one concentric circle to another. The concentric circles represent Dreamtime. There are no concentric circles on mine. I also have artwork of Echidna, Turtle, Crab and Barramundi on it. The bark was left on the bell end. A very nice touch. Much torquise color is used. The Australian Aborigine culture and this instrument go back 70,000 to 150,000 years and may be the oldest of all cultures. The embouchure is the same one would use for pedal tones on a trumpet. My didj was purchased from Gavala Aboriginal Gallery in Sydney, Australia. I participate in the online discussion group, The World Famous Didjeridoo Mailing List. I became interested in learning to didj when I attended Tubowgule-Meeting Of The Waters, the Women's Call At Dawn, which was the opening ceromeny of the Olympic Arts Festival, at dawn at the Beach at La Perouse, also called Botany Bay, Sydney, Australia, in Ausust of 2000. There were four didjer's in addition to dancers, callers and Elders. Many of the dancers also perform as part of the Bangarra Aboriginal Dance Troupe . In October 2001, I caught their performance at McCarter Theater in Princeton, NJ. I also acquired a Shofar, the ancient Hebrew instrument made from a ram's horn. I swapped trumpet fanfare music with Liad Bar-EL for the Shofar and some real Hebrew music. My now deceased trumpet instructor was real happy to see that music. A Shofar also uses a trumpet type embouchure. My newest addition is an 18” Bodhran, an Irish Drum. It was handpainted by artist Shari Kestenbaum with Celtic knots, horses and trees.

I will close with something I wrote at a ten minute "describe yourself" free write as part of a "Careers In Transition" course I attended at work. I am like a pair of well-worn sneakers. I`m obviously flexible, having been all over, seen and done alot, bringing many experiences that can`t be told by just a passing glance at me. I am the leading call of a trumpet, inspiring growth and joy like a young filly. I appear quiet, shy and peaceful, but, like a stream, still waters run strong and deep.

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