I had a trumpet lesson with retired MGM studio musician Uan Rasey on Monday, March 9, 1998, at his home in Studio City, next to Los Angeles, California, USA. Uan was the lead trumpet player on the MGM film, "West Side Story". He also played lead on "Chinatown" and assisted on "Jaws". I was in the Los Angeles area for a week. My Dad had a Business Roundtable meeting so I went along to keep him company. Someone in TPIN posted that it would be good idea to take a lesson when visiting anywhere. Cool, a Hollywood lesson.

TPIN recommended Bobby Shew as my best choice. However, he wasn`t available. Then I received this email from TPINr Bob Strickland. Hi, You may want to look up Uan Rasey in North Hollywood - a wonderful guy, great teacher, and former MGM musician (1949 - 1974). If you take a lesson with him, you will never forget it. His wife, Margaret, is a dear as well. If you are lucky, you may get to meet Malcom McNabb, Jack Sheldon, Jimmy Salko, or some other famous trumpeter. If you need his number, contact me. Bob I was hooked.

Upon arriving at Uan`s home, he had me play a moment of warmups and stopped me. He found I had a nasally tone. I never noticed anything before until he pointed it out. Tone was VERY clearly discernible in the room I was playing in. A small room with tons of sheet music. Also, we spent a great deal of time trying to get the tonguing on my first note the same as all other notes. Delicate and graceful, no drop in tone. He had me play loud to soft and back again. Keep the center of that tone even. That`s tough when I play softly but I can hear the difference now. He had me play the same scale in different octaves with a chromatic scale between them. Same with the opening pages of the Clarke book.

Uan Rasey and just the littlest bit of his sheet music collection

He found that I readjust my embouchure for each octave and wouldn`t let me do that. I do it subconsciously when I take a breath. So we worked on that for along time. "Well, you know what comes next? Now that you've played for me the E now play the F." (above the staff) I made it to the F but that was as far as I could go. I had a note but it was weak but there. He said to keep practicing that note and it will come. I can get a solid G on top of the staff and usually hit the A just above the staff. Try playing from the lowest note that`s not a pedal tone to the first F above the staff on a Bb flat trumpet, one breath, no embouchure change. That`s hard work and I am working on it. Take it one note at a time. We also did some scale work to develop speed, one note added at a time. Schlossberg was used for tone work. Clarke for speed.

Uan would not let me use false fingering. He mentioned you wouldn`t do that when playing in an orchestra, I forget which one, New York City maybe. I told Uan Dad and I saw Maynard together last November. Can that guy scream. Dad and I are going to see Doc Severinsen in April and Arturo Sandoval in June. "When Arturo is in town he takes lessons from me. Arturo is even higher than Maynard." said Uan. Uan also said that Bobby Shew would be the best person for me to take a lesson from.

The lesson was almost an hour and a half and was $40. A real bargain for this level of instruction from such a great player. My lip was shot after blowing all those high notes and I just couldn`t get any more out. His wife had lost her glasses and was out. She is known for her charm and friendliness. I gave Uan cinnamon scented beeswax decorations of a large decorated green shamrock and four tiny little trumpets. He really liked the trumpets. Didn`t know where he could put them to keep the grandkids away from them. They have a birdsong instead of a gong on their clock to mark the hour. I commented that I have a stack of sheet music at home that is this high (about four feet). "Where can I buy sheet music in Los Angeles?" "Hollywood Sheet Music is nearby."

He called them and they were located just the other side of Laurel Canyon Drive, three blocks left at 7777 Sunset Boulevard. Laurel Canyon is at 8000. Sunset Boulevard. Numbers are clearly marked for addresses in California so it is easy to find places. I bought a play along book of movie themes, such as Raiders Of the Lost Ark and Star Trek: The Motion Picture at Hollywood Music. Also, a couple of other music themed things, including trumpet drink stirring sticks!

"And do you enjoy playing?", asked Uan of me. "Yes! I do, very much." "Play your trumpet as a celebration of the Earth."

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Last Update: April 27, 2002