Saturday and Sunday, 07/18, 07/19, 10am-4pm

The Jazzschool’s Weekend Trumpet Intensive is a two-day program for dedicated trumpet players looking to deepen their skills, expand their musical perspective, and spend a weekend immersed in music with other serious players.

Saturday & Sunday, July 18–19
10:00 am – 4:00 pm

The intensive is open to adult players and mature teens with prior experience on the instrument. Committed hobbyists, aspiring professionals, and working musicians are all welcome.

Over the course of the weekend, participants will work closely with an outstanding faculty representing a wide range of musical backgrounds and stylistic approaches: Henry Hung, Geechi Taylor, Joel Behrman, and Darren Johnston. A professional pianist will accompany portions of the intensive, providing opportunities to develop improvisation, ensemble playing, time feel, musical interaction, and performance skills in real musical settings.

The intensive combines small breakout groups with full-group sessions of no more than 20 participants. Students rotate among instructors throughout the weekend and participate in playing sessions, faculty demonstrations, listening discussions, jam sessions, and individualized coaching and feedback. The atmosphere is focused, supportive, and collaborative, with plenty of opportunities to ask questions, exchange ideas, meet fellow trumpet players, and make music together.

Topics may include:

• Improvisation
• Sound and tone production
• Articulation
• Range and endurance
• Phrasing
• Rhythm and groove
• Stylistic approaches
• Practice strategies
• Reading and interpretation
• Ensemble communication
• Approaches to jazz, funk, Latin, and commercial music

Rather than focusing on a single musical tradition, the program is designed to expose participants to a broad range of concepts, approaches, and real-world performance experiences.

More than just a class, the Weekend Trumpet Intensive is an opportunity to recharge creatively, connect with a community of passionate trumpet players, and come away with fresh ideas for your practicing and performing. Participants will leave with renewed inspiration, expanded stylistic understanding, greater confidence, stronger improvisational tools, and new musical relationships that can continue long after the weekend ends.

Sample Schedule

Saturday, July 18
Faculty: Darren Johnston & Joel Behrman

10:00–10:15
Welcome, introductions & weekend overview

10:15–11:30
Cohort A — Darren Johnston
Cohort B — Joel Behrman

11:30–11:45
Break

11:45–1:00
Cohort A — Joel Behrman
Cohort B — Darren Johnston

1:00–1:45
Lunch

1:45–2:45
Full-group session — Faculty discussion, demonstrations, and compare & contrast of musical approaches (with pianist)

2:45–3:00
Break

3:00–4:00
Jam session with faculty and pianist

Sunday, July 19
Faculty: Henry Hung & Geechi Taylor

10:00–10:15
Welcome & Day 2 overview

10:15–11:30
Cohort A — Henry Hung
Cohort B — Geechi Taylor

11:30–11:45
Break

11:45–1:00
Cohort A — Geechi Taylor
Cohort B — Henry Hung

1:00–1:45
Lunch

1:45–2:45
Full-group session — Faculty discussion, demonstrations, and compare & contrast of musical approaches (with pianist)

2:45–3:00
Break

3:00–4:00
Jam session with faculty and pianist

Schedule subject to minor adjustments.

Faculty

Henry Hung

Henry Hung is a GRAMMY Award-winning trumpeter, educator, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. He has performed with artists including David Byrne, Joan Osborne, Stanley Clarke, Poncho Sanchez, the Woody Herman Orchestra, and the Decemberists, and recorded with the GRAMMY Award-winning Pacific Mambo Orchestra. He also leads his own Bay Area projects, the Klaxon Mutant Allstars and Emplifier.

In addition to an active performing career, Henry composes for film, dance, and multimedia projects, and has recorded for video games and other commercial media. A dedicated educator, he currently teaches in the San Francisco Unified School District and previously directed the band program at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. He has also taught at San Francisco State University, Stanford Jazz Workshop, and the Jazzschool Summer Jazz Program.

Geechi Taylor

Geechi Taylor is a trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, vocalist, and educator whose career spans jazz, funk, R&B, hip-hop, and popular music. He has toured and performed with artists including Lauryn Hill, Patrice Rushen, Ndugu Chancler, Rodney Whitaker, Herlin Riley, and Jackie Payne, bringing a versatile musical voice to stages around the world.

A graduate of the New England Conservatory, Geechi has dedicated much of his career to mentoring young musicians. For more than a decade he has taught jazz combos and big bands through the Young Musicians Choral Orchestra, helping students develop the skills that have led many to scholarships at leading conservatories and successful professional careers. His teaching emphasizes swing, blues, creativity, and carrying the jazz tradition forward.

Joel Behrman

Joel Behrman is a Bay Area trumpeter, trombonist, composer, and educator whose career bridges jazz, Latin music, funk, soul, and pop. A graduate of the University of Miami, he has performed with artists including Jimmy Cobb, Chris Potter, Jazzmeia Horn, Ledisi, Sheila E., Pete Escovedo, Marcus Shelby, Howard Wiley, Tiffany Austin, and Larry Vuckovich. He is also an active recording artist, releasing his debut album Steppin Back in 2012.

Outside the jazz world, Joel has toured with Phillip Phillips, KC and the Sunshine Band, and Boz Scaggs, and has performed with Etta James, Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole, Barry Manilow, Josh Groban, and The Funk Brothers. His broad performing experience informs a teaching approach that emphasizes versatility, strong fundamentals, and stylistic fluency across a wide range of musical settings.

Darren Johnston

Canada-born, Bay Area-based trumpeter, composer, and improviser Darren Johnston has built an internationally recognized career spanning jazz, free improvisation, Balkan music, reggae, and contemporary classical music. He has performed with artists including ROVA Saxophone Quartet, Marshall Allen, Myra Melford, Fred Frith, Allison Miller, Pete Escovedo, Marcus Shelby, and Groundation, and has appeared at festivals including the Monterey Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and SXSW.

As a composer and bandleader, Darren has written for ensembles ranging from jazz groups and brass bands to string quartets, dance, theater, and multimedia productions. An experienced educator, he has taught at Stanford Jazz Workshop, Jazz Camp West, the Jazzschool, and UC Berkeley, and is widely respected for his work in improvisation, music theory, and creative approaches to musical practice.