LISTEN ON –
This week on the podcast we have a great interview with Chris Wilson. Chris is currently the principal trumpet with the Pittsburgh Opera, and he was previously member of the faculty at Arkansas State. I’ve spoken to Chris off and on for the past few months, so I was really excited to have a chance to pick his brain and get to know him a little bit. Here are a few takeaways from his interview:
Making Your Routine A Routine
I don’t normally dig into trumpet specifics with guests, as I don’t want to alienate non-trumpet players, but Chris and I had a great discussion about how he organizes his routine to allow him to cover his bases and address weaknesses. For him, it’s not only what helps him improve on the trumpet, he actually describes it as something that brings him joy and helps him relax.
Stay Open
One of Chris’ secrets to success is staying open. Opportunities to learn are everywhere, and you never know what unexpected source will reveal the next thing that might change your life. In terms of career path, staying open helped Chris find his way from military band to teaching trumpet at a university to principal trumpet in an opera orchestra.
Lifelong Growth
I really enjoyed Chris’ perspective about long term growth. He talked about the mindset shift he made in graduate school where he began to take the trumpet much more seriously. He grew so much during that time, and as he says it, “I never stopped growing like that since then”. He’s a testament to the idea that it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get there – once you’re there, you’re there. A self proclaimed “late bloomer”, Chris is putting out amazing content and teaching students all about his mindset, making the music world a little better for all of us.
I hope you enjoyed this episode with Chris Wilson. If you wouldn’t mind leaving a rating and a review on iTunes, I would really appreciate it. Don’t forget to share on social media so others can find the episode and enjoy it too! Thanks so much for listening. Stay strong, be kind to yourself, and never stop growing!
Until next time,
Ryan