THE CYCLIC SYSTEM OF TRANSPOSITION FOR TRUMPET

About the Book

The study of transposition is of great importance to prospective composers, arrangers, conductors and performance majors studying orchestral instruments. This is due to the fact that the subject is central to the content of almost every performance-oriented course in the collegiate instrumental music curriculum. Having witnessed the level of frustration and confusion suffered by most neophyte trumpet students, and finally admitting my own ineptness with the subject, I started an in depth study of transposition over thirty years ago with the intent of resolving my own misconceptions about the subject. This study led to the development of a system of transposition that I could easily understand – one that would apply to all trumpets and would answer all of my questions pertaining to transposition. My study revealed the following factors as root causes of my misconceptions about transposition. In subsequent years, I found these same factors to be the cause of frustration and misconception for the average student regarding the subject of transposition; specifically: 1. The misconception that instruments transpose. 2. The misunderstanding about the differences between “written” and “sounding” pitch. 3. Transposition is defined and approached differently by teachers who specialize in different music disciplines. 4. For most music students and professionals, transposition is regarded as a “theoretical” process. For the prospective and professional orchestral trumpeter, transposition is a performance skill, of which mastery is ultimately required. To confirm the level of confusion on the subject of transposition, one has only to google “Trumpet Transposition” to be confronted with a number of different methods and approaches used by professional musicians, and some of their confusion about the subject. The Cyclic System of Transposition for Trumpet incorporates the more salient approaches and concepts of transposition systems that can be used effectively for any pitched trumpet.

About the Author

Meet DR. LENARD C. BOWIE, Associate Professor of Trumpet Emeritus The University of North Florida Jacksonville, Florida Dr. Lenard C. Bowie served as a professor in the State University System of Florida for 46 years – 22 years at Florida A and M University as Trumpet teacher and Associate Director of Bands and 22 years at the University of North Florida as Trumpet Teacher, Founding Director of Instrumental Music and Director of the African American Music Program. He also served the University of North Florida as Chair of the Departments of Fine Arts and Music for two terms. During the last thirty years, Bowie has maintained a high degree of visibility as a respected and influential figure in Jacksonville’s music community. He has performed with the Jacksonville Symphony, and was a charter member, Assistant Principal Trumpet and Soloist with the St. Johns River City Band. As a member of the St. Johns River City Band, Bowie performed with a number of major artists, including Rich Matteson, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, Henry Butler, Danny Davis (Nashville Brass), Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Chet Atkins, Al Hurt and Dizzy Gillespie. The St. Johns River City Band has performed throughout the State of Florida and made a triumphant performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall. It could be said that Bowie’s music specialty is the brass quintet, owing to the fact that he has provided leadership to five such organizations, including the University of North Florida Brass Quintet, the River City Brass Quintet, the St. Johns River City Band Brass Quintet, Gabriel’s Brass, (resident ensemble of the Bethel Baptist Institutional Church), and currently with the Jacksonville Chamber Brass Players. Bowie has performed and/or conducted pit bands for local musical theatrical productions of “Purlie”, “Little Shop of Horrors”, “The Barber of Fleet Street”, “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, and “Jesus Christ, Super Star”. He has given of his time and service as Founding Director of the University of North Florida Community Band, Associate Director of the Jacksonville Community Band and Guest Conductor of the Northeast Florida Music Conservatory Community Band. On a broader scale, Bowie has performed with the West Side Symphony of New York city, the Yale University Music Theatre Orchestra, the New Haven (Connecticut) Opera Theater Orchestra, and the Bi-Centennial Festival Orchestra of New England. He has engaged in freelance performances with the Ringling Brothers - Barnum and Bailey Circus Bands, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Isaac Hayes and the Movement, Johnny Taylor, and matinee performances with Danny Kaye and Bob Hope. Dr. Bowie is also a published author, having written four articles for professional music journals and four textbooks, two of which are Trumpet Method Books, -- PHYSICAL THERAPIES FOR THE NOVICE TRUMPET STUDENT, a handbook of solutions to common performance problems, and THE CYCLIC SYSTEM OF TRUMPET TRANSPOSITION, Bowie’s original system and approach to orchestral transposition for trumpet. Bowie holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from Florida A&M University, a Master of Music Degree in Trumpet Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and an advanced Master of Musical Arts and Doctor of Musical Arts Degrees from Yale University. He has studied the trumpet professionally with Edward Treutle, of the Hudson Studios of Englewood, New Jersey; Nathan Prager, of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and Robert Nagle, Leader of the New York Brass Quintet and Trumpet Professor of Yale University. Although retired from full-time university teaching, Bowie is still active as a private trumpet teacher, performer and clinician. He also avails himself as a lecturer in African American Music and Marching Band Techniques. He has also served as a part-time instructor of Music Theory and Applied Trumpet at Edward Waters College and Albany State University, respectively.