Dave Adewumi Trumpet Interview
Welcome to the show notes for Episode #143 of The Other Side of the Bell – A Trumpet Podcast. This episode features trumpeter Dave Adewumi. Listen to or download the episode below:
About Dave Adewumi
Dave Adewumi is a trumpet player and composer recognized as one of the leading new voices in jazz.
A graduate of the New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School, he went on to win 1st place at the 2019 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition, the 2024 ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award and Gregory Morris Composing Fellowship, and in 2025 received the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship.
Adewumi has been voted a “Rising Star” in the DownBeat Critics Poll and has performed on some of the world’s most celebrated stages, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, and has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
His collaborations span a wide spectrum of artists, from Harry Connick Jr., Raye and Busta Rhymes, to Mary Halvorson, Jason Moran, Ingrid Laubrock and Dave Douglas.
Dave Adewumi episode links
Podcast Credits
- “A Room with a View“ – composed and performed by Howie Shear
- Audio Engineer – Ted Cragg
- Cover Photo Credit – Dave Adewumi
- Podcast Host – John Snell
Transcript
Please note, this transcript is automatically generated. It may contain spelling and other errors. If you would like to assist us in editing or translating this transcript, please let us know at info@bobreeves.com.
[00:00:00]
JOHN SNELL: Hello and welcome to The Other Side of the Bell, a podcast dedicated to everything trumpet brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. We’ll help you take your trumpet plane to the next level. I’m John Snell, trumpet specialist here at Bob Reeves Brass, and I’ll be your host for this episode. Joining me today is trumpeter Dave Adewumi.
We’ll get to Dave’s interview here in a moment after a word from our sponsor and some trumpet news.
[00:01:00]
JOHN SNELL: Well, we are in the thick of fall here in Southern California. I was just out in Boston at our good friend’s virtuosity music and, uh, was definitely fall there. bit on the chili [00:02:00] side for my Southern California tastes. but I want to take a moment to give a huge. Shout out and thank you to Steve Johnson.
at Virtuosity, the owner of Virtuosity Musical Instruments and his fabulous staff, Robbie and Sam and Ben, and of course Lou, and their woodwind staff. It took care of me, made me feel like I was at home and, really thank you to all the customers that showed up. The, feel like half of Boston showed up to, uh, try mouthpieces and get foul alignments.
So another third year in a row that we were sold out, I was literally finishing the elastic alignment, as we were trying to pack up to get me to the airport. had some POD podcast listeners show up. Eric and, Jack, uh, Jose Hus listens to the, uh, trombone Corner podcast. He picked up, uh, Reeves Brass, trombone mouthpiece, so lot.
We had a great time. lots of new mouthpieces found homes. check out our Instagram because, Took some videos and there’s plenty of photos up there as well from our visit. And they [00:03:00] have an espresso maker, so, uh, it’s just like we do here at the shop. So I was definitely caffeinated, the whole time.
So again, thank you to, uh, everyone at Virtuosity if you’re in and around New England. Uh, in fact, while I was there, a lot of folks were traveling through and popped in, just cattycorner from Symphony Hall. They have a fabulous store there. Lots of new and used instruments, of course, mouthpieces, including Reeves mouthpieces, and now they have a stock of Vin Mutes as well, so you can go in and try them out.
next on the docket, we will be in North Carolina at. Greg Black mouthpieces in Mount Holly. That’s November 7th and eighth, Friday and Saturday. and then all of us, Greg Black and the Bob Reeves brass team will be driving north to Winston-Salem for the North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference November 9th and 10th.
That’s a weird one. It’s a a Sunday Monday conference. so, forget about the rest of my week. I won’t know what day it is, uh, when I come back from that one. Well, I, [00:04:00] I never know what day it is. so, uh, if you’re in and around North Carolina, uh, either the southern side, you wanna come up from South Carolina or Georgia.
I know I have some folks coming in from Georgia already. Mount Holly would be your best bet on the seventh or eighth. And if you’re on the northern side of North Carolina, come by, the N-C-M-E-A conference. I’ll be at the Greg Black booth. So if you look at the program, it’s not that big of a a hall, uh, but we’re kind of in the back, along the back wall there.
And as I like to say, between Greg Black and ourselves, if you can’t find a mouthpiece between the two of us, it probably doesn’t exist. looking forward to seeing you there. valve alignments, just contact, Greg Black or contact us. We’ll have information in the description, to get on the list for that.
And, yeah. It’s gonna be a fun, fun trip back in time for the holidays. So other than that, I think that’s all. oh. I will talk about the Japan trip next. I still don’t have those dates yet, but I will talk about the Japan trip, that we’re doing over, um, I [00:05:00] think it’s around the November 20th. A few weeks after that also, I’ll have the details.
For that, our next episode. And, other than that, uh, what else do I have to say? Go Dodgers. Hope this is a good World series. There are things other than trumpet in this world. Not much, but a few things like shohet. Anyway, with that being said, less, I digress. Let’s get right to my interview. and this is a fabulous one.
I, I fell in love with Dave, talking to him. I’m talking about today’s special guest, Dave Ada wooing.
JOHN SNELL: Dave OMI is a trumpet player and composer recognized as one of the leading new voices in jazz, a graduate of the New England Conservatory and the Julliard School. He went on to win first place at the 2019 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition, the 2024 ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, and the Gregory Morris composing Fellowship.
more recently in 2025, he received the [00:06:00] N-Y-S-C-A-N-Y-F-A artist Fellowship. Dave has been voted a rising star in the downbeat critics poll, and has performed on some of the world’s most celebrated stages. He has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. His collaboration spanned a wide spectrum of artists from Harry Connick Jr.
Ray and Busta Rhymes to Mary Halverson, Jason Moran, Ingrid Lau Brock, and Dave Douglas. And now here’s my interview with Dave Oui.
JOHN SNELL: Well, joining me today, all the way from New York City, it’s such an honor to have my guest today, Dave atmi. Dave, how’s it going over there?
DAVE ADEWUMI: I’m doing real well, John, thank you so much for having me. This is a really exciting experience. Like I, I was saying before, you know. There’s a lot of great trumpet players that have been on this podcast, so I’m just happy to be counted among them, you know?
JOHN SNELL: Oh, it’s my honor. My pleasure. Um, and we’re gonna talk about this a little bit later on, but, uh, you know, having, Alexandra, WR out [00:07:00] on, and Dave Douglas, has been a real treat for us, and for me getting to know them and, um, I’ve been looking forward to talking to you. So, let’s get into it.
And I wanna know, it was right from the beginning, like, how did you find the trumpet or did the trumpet find you? How did that come about?
DAVE ADEWUMI: Well, I feel like, it might be a little bit of both. my first experience, like really noticing the trumpet, obviously, like I was hearing it before this moment, but the first time I really noticed it was when I was in, elementary school and, there were two songs that were really popular.
the first one was, uh. Crazy in Love by Beyonce. And the second one was Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira. You know, there’s just some great piccolo trumpet playing, I think in, hips Don’t Lie. And, the Horn Line in Crazy In Love was just so captivating for me, as a young lad. So that was the first time that I really noticed it.
And it was [00:08:00] simultaneously during the time when, in elementary school we were picking band instruments and you know, I was lucky to even have a band program in, New Hampshire where I grew up and, just a great, elementary school music teacher as well. so after deliberating with my sister about like whether I should pick the saxophone or the trumpet, you know, she was just like, all right, like.
You should probably pick the trumpet. So I kind of just went ahead and did that. And, rest was sorta history, but there’s, there’s obviously a long story along with that.
JOHN SNELL: yeah, and we’ll, we’ll get into that. I just love, I mean I’ve, we’ve been doing this podcast for quite a while now, and I just, it’s so cool to have generationally speaking, someone who’s inspired by Shakira and Beyonce,
which of course, dating myself seems like new tunes to me.
But they’ve also,
those, those tunes have also been around quite a long time. But I, I can sing that Hips Don’t Lie tune, [00:09:00] it’s on one of my favorites playlists.
DAVE ADEWUMI: yeah, for sure. And, uh, it’s funny even now, like thinking about how those songs were popular. Like they’re, really great trumpet players now that have either no memory or were born after those songs were released, which is just crazy in my mind, you know?
JOHN SNELL: Yeah, So now I’m starting to understand my, dad and my grandfathers, when they used to say, you know, back in my day, you know, but like we’ve come full circle. We’ve had folks that, you know, like they listened to Doc Severance Center, they
listened to Al Hurt, or they listened to Herb Albert and so on, and, Winton, you know,
and now, uh, yeah.
So, but I mean, you didn’t know what those, at that time, that those were trumpets, you just liked that sound,
DAVE ADEWUMI: I, I loved that sound. You know, it was, I was a very shy kid and, maybe there was something about the trumpet that allowed me to access just this confident alter ego. Um, obviously like now I’m not shy and I, I would likely thank, you know, being able to play this [00:10:00] instrument as like a gateway to, kind of coming outta my she in a way.
JOHN SNELL: Mm-hmm.
It’s like your, your voice,
DAVE ADEWUMI: sure.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah.
so then what did the, the early years, did the trumpet come easy to you or does that, were you just playing in band? Were you taking lessons? How did you progress?
DAVE ADEWUMI: So I didn’t actually take lessons. but I’d like to say that at first I might’ve had some natural gifts. it was hard for me to play in the lower register, but I was able to get like between like middle C and g above the staff, consistently. but, you know, I was, playing with a puffed out acher, and, and that may have been the reason why I was able to access those notes.
later on, like a lot of people kind of just convinced me to, not do that as much. And then after trying to get like good at the instrument, then I really started to struggle. So there was just like an initial period where like I was just like maybe better [00:11:00] than my, classmates. But when you compare me to just like the average trumpet players that are in the world, at that age group, I may have been, close to average, if not a little below average.
But, um, there were two kind of like, Come to Jesus moments for me, like the first was when I initially heard the instrument and picked up the trumpet, but I wasn’t necessarily as serious about it until I got to high school.
and, uh, I was probably a little bit more serious about playing basketball and, I wasn’t really good at it, nor am I very tall. So, you know, the interest in basketball was, a passing fad as a middle schooler. But, I learned at that point the principles of practice, you know, being able to sit and do one thing for a very, very long time and then eventually you’ll become consistent at it.
So, after that period, I didn’t make [00:12:00] my freshman basketball team. I was super distraught and there was this kid at, my high school named Nick Stevens.
and he was just a really. You know, to my mind, a very popular person maybe, uh, was well liked by, the ladies. And, he was a musician and, uh, he noticed me playing trumpet.
And, at that point I was like, okay. and then, he says, Hey, how about you come over my house and jam and I’m just like, jam peanut butter and jelly. What does, what are you talking about?
Um,
JOHN SNELL: that?
DAVE ADEWUMI: and, we’re playing tunes out of the, uh, real book. And, after, playing a little bit, we started listening to music.
He puts on, a record. And the first thing that, we listened to, I think was something by Miles Davis. I, can’t really remember. And I was, I started noticing just like this other universe of what music could be. and there was something that opened up like a [00:13:00] spiritual resonance for me he told me to check out a couple other artists and I think, one was, Freddie Hubbard, maybe another one was like Kenny Durham.
And then another person he recommended a modern trumpet player was Roy Hargrove. And, I picked up ear food from the, music store and it felt as if it was a calling from God. You know, like as soon as I listened to that record, it was kind of like before jazz, after jazz. Like it was like, this is what I’m doing for the rest of my life.
There’s not gonna be too many people that are gonna get in my way of, doing it. So that was the moment where I was like, okay, I wanna be a jazz musician. How do I, become a jazz musician? So I was like, okay, I need to practice in the same way as I did on the basketball court. I’m gonna take one thing and I’m going to do [00:14:00] it every day very consistently.
and at that point, even though I said I haven’t really had too many teachers, there was one, my first real trumpet teacher, was this guy, Chris Burbank. Maybe you know him, maybe you don’t. He’s, playing in the Army blues right now.
Um, and at that time he also from New Hampshire, graduated from the Julliard School.
He got his master’s degree there, and, he was in New Hampshire for just like a little stint. And while he was there, he probably gave me four or five lessons, for super, super cheap. And, I need to reach out to him and tell him thank you for those lessons, because like, it really set me straight, you know, he introduced me to the Clark studies, he introduced me to the Chick Woods Flow Studies.
especially the Clark studies, like I’m doing them every single day. and not [00:15:00] just one and two. Like I love 3, 4, 5, 6, and seven.
JOHN SNELL: You mean there’s Clark City’s past one and two.
Go. Go figure.
DAVE ADEWUMI: yeah, I know, but
JOHN SNELL: Go figure.
DAVE ADEWUMI: there’s, That was the point where I realized how hard the trumpet was. and
JOHN SNELL: so? How so?
DAVE ADEWUMI: so, before, like I was just playing some. you know, like great band tunes, like marching band. but in order to be an improviser, you need to have a union between thought and action. the thought is simultaneous with whatever musical action comes out of the horn. And in order to do that, you need a really high level of technique, even for the people that someone would say like, oh yeah, he’s a jazz guy.
Like, it takes a tremendous amount of, control to be able to have a musical idea enter your head, and you’re able to immediately communicate that. so I really, [00:16:00] from that point till I’d say, until like my master’s degree even, you know, I really struggled with the. Really struggled. I’ve had to put in a lot of work to get to the point where I’m able to play semi consistently.
You know, it’s always a work in progress in that way.
JOHN SNELL: it’s a great, great picture you painted of, both your, your epiphany of listening to, uh, Roy Hargrove and, getting that inspiration. I, I mean, I love asking that question and, you kind of answered it before I even asked it about when you, that if there was a moment, and, you know, some of my guests, it was just like, no, I just played trumpet and I like doing it, and that’s what I’ve done and went into a career,
you know, and then some some folks like yourself, have that moment and have that inspiration and it’s a beautiful thing to hear, you know, who we, you know, why are we who we are, you know?
What,
um, and, and the impact that just one album or just one sound like you listening to, [00:17:00] um, ear food, you
know, it just, really, really amazing to hear those stories. I wanna talk, I mean, if you don’t mind dwelling in your struggles,
so to speak, because I mean, it’s all enlightening when we hear folks, especially like yourself, that.
it wasn’t a straight line in terms of the trumpet plane or we weren’t just born with a trumpet and natural ability. so, you know, how did you, cope with those struggles, in terms of getting through high school and then, get going on into college?
DAVE ADEWUMI: yeah, for sure. I feel like, there are kind of moments of triumph. And then for in my life, there are moments of triumph, and then there are just absolute downward spirals. when I entered NEC for my undergrad, I had two incredible teachers. Like, I didn’t know how good I got it until, I’ve been looking back in years past and just being like, wow, I was really lucky to be able to study with them.
So the first two teachers that I, I [00:18:00] had for weekly study, outside of, Chris Burbank, this is in college. The first one was John McNeil. and I’m sure Dave has talked about him a whole bunch.
Um, he is somebody that has set me straight in so many ways and such a funny human being. and the second one was, Lori Frank.
Now, Lori Frank passed when I was going into my sophomore year, the summer between my freshman and sophomore year she passed. But, you know, I still go back to all of the things that she taught me. and, uh, John McNeil passed, I think about a, a year ago, a year or two ago.
Um, and, that was a tremendous loss for me.
but, both of these teachers that I had were, and I mean, they’re literally the book flexes, you know? so I remember coming into NEC my [00:19:00] freshman year, not really knowing a whole lot. I feel like I was really operating with youthful ignorance. And youthful ignorance is just such a beautiful and powerful tool that people can utilize to get better.
Because like, you know, if I knew how hard it would’ve been, I would’ve, stopped. But I’ve always had, if there’s one trait that I think that has led me to the place that I am is just like blind willpower, like I can, I can kind of just struggle through, a lot and, be okay. so entering NECI really had no idea like.
How low on the rung I was. and you know, my sound was kind of outta whack. I did, you know, I did [00:20:00] have like a really powerful sound. and it was essentially from low F sharp to C. and maybe I would be able to clock out a d if I was like, really? If I was really trying, but it would be loud and bloody.
I couldn’t really play in the upper register. I couldn’t really start notes, didn’t really have too much flexibility. And, the, worst part was I was playing off to the side like this. And sometimes, that’s like really great for some players, but when I was doing it and there’s like a video, on the NEC YouTube page where like you can see how much movement I had in my TRO looked like I was chewing.
To get a fifth, you know? so that was a bit difficult to kind of get around that horn, if I was using that much motion. Um, so the big thing for people who don’t know about, John [00:21:00] McNeil and Lori Frank, they’re both the proteges of Carmine Caruso and the Caruso School involves something called the long set where you put the mouthpiece on your fridge you don’t remove the mouthpiece for the entire duration of the exercise.
And a lot of people use it as a way to gain, like re hypertrophy or, to, you know, think of it as like, isometric exercise.
But really you should think of it as a conditioning exercise where it’s on the face, but you’re not trying to tighten your lips between each moment of the exercise.
So, if I’m doing like the famous six note studies, I’m relaxing my, my, that was something that Lori told me, like, these are not, isometric exercises.
JOHN SNELL: It’s not weight [00:22:00] lifting.
DAVE ADEWUMI: yeah, exactly. and if you approach it in that way, then you’re, I mean, I, I don’t want to pretend like there aren’t any benefits to that because, you know, there are people that, do the long set and use it as an isometric exercise and, you know, get a lot of benefit out of it.
But, it’s more about coordination and teaching your body. How to get from point A to point B. so those exercises were really great. And I will, I wish I was able to study with Lori for even just a year longer because after she passed, I, uh, got into some bad habits sophomore and junior year. and eventually I came to the conclusion that I had to change my re or quit.
JOHN SNELL: So it’s kind of a catharsis in, in the middle of an undergrad. I mean, that’s, I guess there’s no good time to have something like that happen.
DAVE ADEWUMI: Oh yeah.
JOHN SNELL: and I mean, maybe, maybe better during school than, in the [00:23:00] middle of a career kind of thing. But still, you’re on this trajectory. It sounds like you’re starting to get things worked out with your
DAVE ADEWUMI: Yeah.
JOHN SNELL: and then, and then that hits.
so were you still studying with John McNeil at that point?
DAVE ADEWUMI: yes. Uh, well, yes, I was still studying with him and, um. John was extremely encouraging. I wanna, mention some other teachers that were, amazing during this time. one teacher was Ralph Lesi,
um, Ralph Lesi and John, if, like those, those two brains essentially created the way that I approach improvisation.
And I’d also like to say that, um, Jason Moran was like, if that’s my improvisational brain, I feel like my artistic brain comes from, from Jason. Those were my big, like improvisation art. People and, the [00:24:00] technical people would probably be, um, even though John and Ralph were teaching me technique, don’t, don’t get me wrong, um, but my main, technical people were, uh, Lori Frank and this amazing classical trumpet player named Steve Emery.
Um, Steve was, uh, playing in the BSO for many, many years. And, you know, he’s still my trumpet Yoda. I try to go and get a lesson with him whenever I’m in Boston and, uh, you know, he’s, he’s formed. I feel like the way that I approach my horn is, uh, definitely coming out of that. There are more people that I’ll mention after.
we get through my like undergrad days.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah, yeah. Another mention for Steve. I, I need to reach out to him, get him on the podcast. ’cause we, uh, uh, Ashley Hall, Ty studied with him and, talked extensively, about him and how impactful he was. And, and [00:25:00] actually she, she went through an OER change with
him. so, yeah. it’s, uh, interesting.
You bring him up as
well. So take us through your, the re change. What, what, I mean how long did it take and, you know, what mentally had to have been frustrating.
DAVE ADEWUMI: Oh yeah.
But I, you know, this is the beauty of, just youthful ignorance. I, I feel like I didn’t know that, like, an ambre change was going to be that hard. And if I knew how hard it was gonna be, maybe I would’ve, uh, been discouraged and I might’ve quit. But, you know, thank God for my, my ignorance. so.
I wanna make a distinction. Some people actually, when they’re doing an ombre change, it’s more of an ombre find. You know, and while I was practicing all these things that Steve and Lori and John were [00:26:00] giving me for the trumpet, I was able to find a different setup. Like one, uh, one piece of the puzzle was just like moving the mouthpiece of the center and relying on the oral cavity to, uh, change the notes instead of, um, crunching my lips together.
Um, and, uh, you know, that immediately gave me insight of how the trumpet could be played easier, in a way that was more efficient. So like. I would mess around with that omnisure almost in the same way as like, somebody kind of just like playing in the sandbox. It’s just like, okay, let me mess around with this.
And then I realized that I could kind of squeak out some Hi Fs with that omnisure, but it would be really quiet and wimpy. So, you know, I would just like be improvising and then, [00:27:00] you know, for like one bar, I might just like switch to that re and just be like me.
Um, so like I was messing around with that at the time, and then it was more like a real re change rather than a fine because I was finding this re while I was practicing. And then when I made the switch. Um, it took me about like, I’d say two months to really get comfortable at that point I was experimenting with, the, uh, long tones from like the, the atoms routine,
but doing them extremely quietly.
I know that, um, when it comes to the Adams routine, it’s like all about resonance of sound. So people play those, those long tones around like Metzo Forte to Forte to really get a sense of like the overtones that, um, one [00:28:00] can access with their sound. And I think that’s important too, to just develop the good, a really great sound.
But for me, I was trying to just work purely on efficiency. So like, could I get the response to happen from low G to high G to double G, you know. And I would essentially do the spider long tones from, that focal point down into the power register up into the upper register. Um, that was just something that I did intuitively and something that just felt good to, to practice.
And then I would just like do like a routine that Steve gave me. Um, and that was just my routine practice. And then I would practice like, a really hard jazz, composition, like something by Mark Turner or something like that, you know?
JOHN SNELL: So get, get [00:29:00] right into the thick of
DAVE ADEWUMI: Yeah, exactly. Just to like, see if I was able to, to do what I wanted to do.
And then like after this two month period also, I was taking a ton of rests. The most that I would practice in a day was like an hour and a half. And it would be spread out throughout the day. So I would do like 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes in the afternoon, 30 minutes the night because I didn’t wanna overtax the muscles.
I wanted to, yeah, I wanted to,
I wanted to teach my body, the correct way of doing things. so like I would do the long tones in the morning. I would do the, um, the routine that Steve gave me. And then, at night I would, uh, practice some of the jazz things really light. And then, you know, I remember three months later I was at Wally’s, which is a jazz club in Boston, if you don’t know.
Um, and I’m at [00:30:00] the session and I think we’re playing, what’s this thing called Love or hot house. And. I remember, you know, playing a solo and just being like, whoa, what, where did this come from? And I, uh, I, I will never forget this moment, you know, that, uh, thing, that Dizzy Place
and Arturo Sandoval does that. So, you know, I went for it and all of a sudden this really loud resonant high F sharp came out of nowhere. It was like,
I was just like, whoa. It felt, yeah, exactly.
JOHN SNELL: go.
DAVE ADEWUMI: It was a triumphant moment. So I was just like, okay, um, sure we’re ready. Obvi, there were, so that was like the triumphant moment that I was talking about in the beginning. Um, [00:31:00] and then, you know, after a while, like when I went to, Julliard, I, got into another hole.
Um, I wasn’t able to really have that much connection between the registers. Like I felt like I had to almost take the mouthpiece off my face to get into different registers, and I would get tired very quickly. Um, but also I was just practicing too much, with the energy of, anxiety behind me rather than the love of the music.
and I’ve, I’ve heard this quote, I think it might be prof fielder, like, the trumpet is a mirror into, um, this is a total misquote, so anybody that’s studied with prof is going to yell at me. Um, but it’s essentially like the trumpet is like a mirror into your internal world. Um, and a reflection of like your emotional state.
Um, and [00:32:00] that was just where my, uh, head was at. So, you know, after
more consistent practice, I was able to unify those registers. So ultimately, like the initial re change took three months, but it took like another, like two years to like really get comfortable on it, even though I was playing better than I, I was before objectively.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah, yeah. And, and in the meantime, you’re also, you’re jazz playing is. Progressing
in parallel as your, as your trumpet chops are going up and down and going on that journey. So, um, I’d like to talk a little bit about that, uh, about your jazz journey. you know, what were you doing, um, who were you listening to, you know, what techniques were you using to improve your improvisation?
DAVE ADEWUMI: Well, um, when it comes to improvisation, I kind of. Approach it from a vocal standpoint, like, I wanna make sure that I can [00:33:00] sing through anything that I want to play Um, so I spent a lot of time just like singing along to solos, singing through chord changes, just to like really get my ear going and I still do these exercise, or like now I’m doing these exercises more.
you can take a song as easy as you want or as hard as you want. Like right now I’m doing this on John Coltrane’s 26 2. just to like really challenge myself. I’m trying to think. Sing the third of every chord. I’m trying to sing The seventh of every chord. The, fifth, the ninth, the sharp 11th, the 13th.
Being able to just like, really. Really sync through those chords and only the seventh, which, you know, at first it sounds like pretty easy, but like, trying to find the seventh through like a chord structure like that is, has been challenging for me. So it’s, it’s been great. Like I’m, uh, I’m getting better at it day by [00:34:00] day.
John McNee, oh, go
JOHN SNELL: I was gonna say, do you do it with a piano, like to test yourself, or how do you, or are you just,
you know?
DAVE ADEWUMI: I either like do it in thin air with like a metronome, like, you know, the metronome is at like 40 BPM or like 60 BPM, and I’m just like singing through the sevenths. just so like I can, like, feel the harmony in my body in a way. Um, you can do this with a piano, but like, then I’m listening to the piano for the note that I need.
but another way to do it that I think is, is also good because then I’m not like looking at my, my hands is, I do this with eye reel B and I’ll just like sing through, I’ll sing through, um, the, the thirds and sevenths and ninths and et cetera. so I, I trained my ear and I, especially in my younger days, I was doing a lot of transcribing.
Like, [00:35:00] that’s, that’s just the way, and like immediately taking the lines from, a solo and like applying it in as many places as I could, and I would do this haphazardly. Like I would take a line that I like and even if it doesn’t fit a core structure, I would still use that line because I, I really loved it.
and sometimes I would, um, take. Align from one solo and align from another solo and combine it. so just to talk about like influences and whatever, um, I’d say in high school I was maybe more influenced by Roy Hargrove
and funny enough, when I was in high school was when I discovered Dave Douglas for the first time.
And I remember like, you know, you couldn’t walk around with, uh, with music or like an iPod in school, which [00:36:00] is what we were using before the telephone kids. We had these iPods that were like really clunky. so they didn’t really allow iPods to be, used in school. So I would like record some of his music on my phone and like play it in between class, just on my phone, Dave Douglas.
so, you know, I remember that. So I was. I was, uh, deeply influenced by those guys. Winton, can’t forget Winton. Um, he is such an all star and uh, I remember just coming home from school just to listen to like one YouTube video every day of him playing Cherokee. and he’s playing in a bucket mute.
And, you know, it was just awesome. so I was listening to more modern trumpet players and then in college I was more focused on, the bebo hard Bob guys. I’d say like, uh, [00:37:00] Booker Little is my ultimate like, influence improvisationally and then like Freddie Hubbard as well. Like I, I was listening to a lot of Freddie, but nowadays I.
I, um, have been kind of just moving away from Freddy because that’s just a sound that everybody gravitates towards.
Um, another person that I was really influenced by in, uh, in college was Ambrose, the Siri.
Um, he was just starting to get popular when I entered into, NEC.
And I was listening to him constantly, constantly, constantly, constantly. and, you know, we can’t forget about Miles and in my mind, like Miles is the most overrated and underrated trumpet player that has ever existed. You know, people realize how popular he [00:38:00] is and almost taken for granted. But like there is nobody that is able to play with that much attention and, clarity.
And, you know, his, his trumpet playing is unbelievable on some of these records just coming outta thin air, just bleeding out these high F Sharps.
Um, Dave Douglas got me hit to this record Live Evil,
JOHN SNELL: Oh yeah, I have that one.
DAVE ADEWUMI: and it, it, it, you know, he’s a monster on the horn. Um, but you know, his time, his phrasing, everything is just so perfect.
JOHN SNELL: and his, his catalog is so deep, like, uh, you know, I is, I say mainstream, I mean, it’s still a jazz artist, but you know, most people know of So what or, you know, uh, kind of blue that, or sketches of Spain. But, and there’s, those are iconic, great albums, but like, you, you through, I mean, how many [00:39:00] decades was he active?
And there’s great recordings, great live albums through his whole period.
DAVE ADEWUMI: yeah, for sure.
JOHN SNELL: um,
DAVE ADEWUMI: my favorite eras of, uh, miles, even though I love every era, is like him as like an early bee bopper. You know, just playing with Charlie Parker when he is like 18, 19. and then like his stuff in like the late sixties, early seventies, you know, those are like my two favorite,
um, eras of miles.
JOHN SNELL: In, in a silent way. I probably listened to that every night, uh, for years. It was my, kind of, my meditation, like before finally crashing and going to
bed was putting that on and just emptying out my head from whatever happened that day or didn’t happen that day. And
yeah, I
DAVE ADEWUMI: it’s great.
JOHN SNELL: yeah. Oh, maybe I’m gonna go listen to that tonight.
It’s been too long. So, so,
DAVE ADEWUMI: and, uh, just like one last thing that I’ll say. I [00:40:00] hate that this was so late in my, self-education and, you know, I was, I was studying him when I was at Julliard because that’s definitely like the aesthetic. But you know, Louis Armstrong right now to me is still just like the, the greatest, you know, like I came in, like I knew he was great, but you know, I’ve really been investigating those, uh, those early recordings and just the spirit in which he was playing, the context in which he was operating.
the sound that he was able to have. It was bright, but not like brassy. everything about him is just so awe inspiring. Like him as a human being, the boundaries that he broke. So, like lately, that’s been, uh, what I’ve been consuming the most.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah.
his [00:41:00] time. You know, I don’t, I don’t hear every, anyone talk about his time and feel
DAVE ADEWUMI: Oh yes. Oh yeah.
JOHN SNELL: he just. Yeah. There’s no other way to play it except for the way Louis played, you
DAVE ADEWUMI: Of course, of course.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah. Well, I’m, I’m glad you, I’m glad you brought him up. ’cause Yeah, it’s, it’s not that we’re quick to write him off.
That’s not the right word, but, you know, uh, somebody like Freddie Hubbard, for example, seems so much sexier,
uh, cause of the pyrotechnics and the, you know, the edge, and it’s kind of closer to music today than it was in the 1920s. But, um,
DAVE ADEWUMI: feel like there’s just a lot that’s missing even just like within those three minute. Tracks of Louis Armstrong or like any, any of the early jazz cats, to be honest. Like, you know, this is, this is not the age of like TikTok or whatever, but there were so many things that were happening within just like a three minute recording.
Like you’d be going from, the United States to Mexico, to [00:42:00] Canada, all the way to Europe, and then back to America in the three minute track. You know? It
was incredible.
JOHN SNELL: yeah. And then you put it in the context of the time they were living in and the technology they had and didn’t have. It’s even more astounding what
those players did. So, uh, now I’m gonna, doing a lot of listening tonight when I get home, You.
get me inspired Dave. so I do wanna talk you, you’ve brought up Julliard a few times.
So you finished up with, at NEC. what did your transition look like? You know, did you apply to a bunch of different schools for graduate programs?
DAVE ADEWUMI: so I, the two programs that I really wanted to go to were, the Berkeley Global Jazz Institute and Juilliard School. Those were like the two programs I did. I applied to some other schools, but I was really looking forward to going to those two schools. I applied and, uh, you know, obviously shed my, my booty off.
And, uh, you know, I was lucky enough to I [00:43:00] get the, uh, accept they send you an email, like, uh, important message from the Julliard School. And I remember I was just like so sick. I had just like the worst flu that you could ever imagine. I was just like lying in bed. And like I get on my phone, important message from the Juilliard school.
I’m like, okay, click. And you have like all these like young attractive people just being like, congratulations, congratulations, congratulations. And then the present and welcome to Juilliard. And I remember just like being like, you know, just like, even though I was in so much pain, I was just like, oh yeah, this is, this is awesome.
I’m going to New York. So, you know, I did a little bit of deliberating on like whether I should do the Global Jazz Institute versus the Juilliard School. And I decided that like I just needed to be in New York. [00:44:00] so, um, there are a lot of great players that come out of Berkeley Gold, which hasn’t, this part of me still yearns for that experience.
But, um, I’m very happy with the decision that I made. now Julliard is a really incredible place, and I think it’s mainly because of the students. I was so lucky my two years that I was there because there were just absolutely animalistic trumpet players that were alongside me. Like, um, I’ll just name just like the five that were, or the four that were in the department with me.
So you have, uh, Anthony Hery, uh, gifting Gellan, Noah Halburn, and uh, Jonah Moss an incredible lead player. Um, and, uh, I was also there with. my first year with this great [00:45:00] catch, JQ Whitcomb, and I learned so much from, especially the, the first four that I mentioned. I wish I got to hang with JQ a little bit more, but the first four that I mentioned, you know, I, I learned so much just, uh, being in a section with them, you know, each one of them was able to improvise at such a high level.
And, you know, Julliard emphasizes, the tradition and, super heavy emphasis on music before 1960, at least when I was there. Um, and you know, a lot of people might stick their nose up at that and just be like, you know, it’s too traditionalists. But at the same time, when else are people going to experience like the music of Duke Ellington?
In a way where they have to play, the trumpet parts of the orchestra. You know, I feel like it’s like an education through experience. and [00:46:00] the next two things that happened at that school, I’m just super thankful for, you know, I was able to work a little bit with Wynton, we had like my second year, this one, like really amazing trumpet class where, you know, all five of us were, I guess six, including Wynton.
Were in a room and, uh, we are just like talking about the trumpet and how to get better at the trumpet, how to practice. we did long tones together from G and the staff to low c. To the end of the breath, that was his thing. And then we played a Blues in F Sharp concert and you know, we, we all just went through it and it was, it was the best, just like being able to play long tones with each other, I feel like is something that’s undervalued.
and, uh, he is just such a genius when it comes to not only [00:47:00] playing the instrument, like obviously he’s one of the greatest trumpet players to ever pick up the horn. And I’m talking like the trumpet, like having the best technical ability that may have, existed on the instrument. Maybe him and Peter Evans.
and also just the knowledge of, um, the history of jazz and like the philosophies behind jazz. I don’t think there’s too many people that have access to that. that was kind of just the, the first thing that I was super thankful for. The second thing was getting to meet Dave Douglas. That’s where I met him.
JOHN SNELL: Oh,
DAVE ADEWUMI: Yeah. And, um, he was, at the time he was teaching a, uh, composition ensemble. So it was like a class combined with an ensemble. So we would talk about, um, a book called Modus Novus and, uh, the Paul Hindemith book. And like he would bring in some of his compositions and he would give us [00:48:00] exercises on composition.
and from the moment I met him, I was just really inspired because like, first I was listening to him since I was in high school and like, um, second, I don’t know if there’s anybody that is as prolific as Dave is when it comes to composition.
And it’s almost just like every single album that he puts out, every composition that he has is something that is just so well thought out and beautiful and great in like whatever style it is. Um, and you know, Dave, he’s constantly re-imagining, you know, what ensembles he wants to put together and like what instruments, what new ways he can kind of just like deal with, this beautiful musical tradition.
Um, and he’s just a wellspring of [00:49:00] ideas. I like to think that, he might have like the deepest well in terms of, uh, you know, uh, lines and compositional ideas. It’s, it’s incredible. so those, those are the two people that I’m really thankful for at, uh, at Julliard.
JOHN SNELL: so I, I, I have to ask and that, I mean, it was just amazing, uh, your experiences with them. You, you talked about learning about the, like the philosophy of jazz or the philosophy behind jazz, talking to Winton about that. Like, what did you mean by that? Or what, can you give us some insight?
DAVE ADEWUMI: Well, um, the, when Tony analysis of this would be like, uh, the, three elements of jazz, which I believe he might have adopted from, this might be his own conclusion, or it might be. Due to his mentors being, um, uh, Albert Murray, Ralph Olson, and, uh, Stanley Crouch, and I’m sure a whole host of other great people, but like he was around really [00:50:00] important thinkers.
and the three elements of jazz are swing and improvisation in the blues. And these elements represent different, ideals within, you know, the experience of America and also the experience of, uh, black America. Like for example, the idea of the blues. You know, we have like a, a three verse structure with the blues.
The first two parts of the Blues Express, some sort of sadness. And then at the end of the blues, you understand or you express. The ways that you’re going to overcome the struggles that were mentioned in the first two verses. like, I just lost my baby. I don’t, I don’t know where she went. I just lost my baby.
I don’t know where she went. When I find my baby, I’ll be happy when she comes home again. That’s the earned optimism. So like in its most distilled [00:51:00] form, the blues represents earned optimism to the Winton example,
and that’s a pure oversimplification of, how he would explain it. But, um, I hope that in that two minute explanation, I, I’ve done that justice, but you sh I think anybody should just check out any of the videos that Wynn has on those three subjects.
They’ll learn so much about, jazz history, American history, black history, you know, it’s, it’s incredible. Um, and also, uh, win is a great example of like. How to be an innovative composer while keeping true to traditional forms. Like I think his, uh, Pulitzer Prize Award winning, operetta blood on the fields is just a perfect example of how one can create these new ideas while keeping the integrity of the, uh, music,[00:52:00]
um, if that, if you get the idea of
JOHN SNELL: Yeah, that, that makes sense. And then, uh, and, and, and I, it’s a fascinating, you know, two of your mentors, you have Wynton who does that within, I don’t wanna say the confines, but Yeah, basically the confines of traditional structures. And then you have Dave Douglas who redefines, uh, or turns traditional structures on their
head, you know, or maybe even laughs in their face or, you know,
DAVE ADEWUMI: Yeah, for sure.
JOHN SNELL: so as a young budding jazz player, so how did you, maybe reconcile is not the word, but where did you find yourself between those two?
DAVE ADEWUMI: Well, I, I feel like for me, the way that I approach it is like, I don’t see, I try my best not to see it as anything that’s different because when, if you really listen to Dave play, you can hear all of the bebop that he was playing with Hora silver during his tenure. You know, like, [00:53:00] he has so much harmonic clarity when he plays and he’s extremely adventurous.
I see what he’s doing and I see what Wynton’s doing, and I feel like it in my mind, and you know, I’m totally happy to be wrong in this sentiment, and maybe it’s naive of me to say, but you know, I see them as just like branches of the same tree. Like this is just like an all-encompassing, musical structure that can be defined in so many different ways.
And, you know, you just need to step to the side and see other, other parts of this like really beautiful tradition and like highlight certain aspects of it. And you’ll find that like, you know, this is all just coming out of the same pool of great music. Um, [00:54:00] and like when you then incorporate other.
Other styles of music inside, jazz. you can then start to just like, experiment with your own personal voice and like, then we can start thinking about this as just like American music in general. So like, if you are influenced by, let’s say like rock and roll, like that’s still coming out of like, black Gospel singers that’s still coming out of blues guitar.
You know, that’s, in fact it’s, uh, has a lot of relation to country music as well. Like, there’s just like this whole pod of American music where like we can all just share and just like, the treasures that are found within it. Um, so that’s kind of just like my way of reconciling it. Like I am, I’m just a fan of.
All the possibilities that can be had within traditional forms and non-traditional forms, you know?
JOHN SNELL: Yeah. Yeah. [00:55:00] So, uh, that’s, I mean, amazing answer. I love it. Uh, much more than a trumpet podcast.
Uh, talking about heavy valve caps and what valve oil do you use? Synthetic or, uh, petroleum base. Right. You know, going deep here, some of my favorite conversations. I do wanna shift a little bit to, you know, now kind of career wise, ’cause you’re in New York, you’re at Julliard.
I mean, I’m assuming you’re getting on the scene, you’re freelancing at
the, at that time. What did that look like? And, you know, how did you navigate that scene as a young player?
DAVE ADEWUMI: Um, well I feel like a lot of musicians wanna think about like entering New York as like, getting drafted in the NBA or NFL, where like you’re 18 and then you’re starting to play with like all the super pros that are in the league. But really I feel like, when you’re 18, 19, 20 18 to 22, I’d say like, yes, you should consider yourself a [00:56:00] professional musician at this point, even younger.
But like, there is just so much time. Like right now I’m 30 and, uh, knock on wood, like I like to live, uh, a couple more. Uh, I’d like to see a couple more thirties happen, you know, get to 60 and 90. But like then I share the stage with Dave and I see just like all of the things that he was able to accomplish between, when he was 30 and release his first solo album to now essentially.
So like at this point I feel like I’m just getting started. Um, but like, I’ll tell you one thing, like if there was any piece of advice that I could just give to a musician is like, even while you’re in school, take everything seriously because, you know, um, outside [00:57:00] of the great trumpet players that I talked about, another one of my mentors was Jason Moran, somebody that I studied with at school.
And the way that I got introduced to him was, uh, he was hosting a session at NEC and you know, I was playing in one of the things, like I, I borrowed my friend’s horn because my horn was in the dorms, but like. He convinced me to come to this jam session. I originally was not going to go, I wanted to sleep, but I was just like, okay, I’m gonna go to this session and I’m gonna just try my best.
And we play on a tune that I’m like a little unfamiliar with, but you know, I just do the best that I can. And then I take a solo and then Jason stops the band. And he was just like, do you know the changes to this tune? And I was just like, oh man, it comes. I’m gonna get called out for not knowing the changes.
Dang. And I was just like, [00:58:00] uh, I kind of know the changes. And he was just like, well, I’ll tell you right now, that was some bad shit that you were playing. I was just like, and you know, that was the first time that Jason kind of like had tabs on me.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah.
DAVE ADEWUMI: and then I, as I was studying with Ralph Alessi. You know, Ralph started talking to Jason about me because I was like very diligent with all of the, all of the things that teachers were giving me at NEC and I was like trying to implement them in my practice right away.
Um, and then, while I finished Julliard and I was just working on the scene, you know, just like doing my best, like at that point Dave invited me to, go to festival in new trumpet music. And like Jason was, uh, responding to like a thread that was on, uh, Instagram. And he was proud of me in that way.
And then he realized that at [00:59:00] that point I was capable of, you know, being a professional musician. And then he called me for one of his, uh, projects. This was, uh, to the dance hall, to the battlefield. And like originally it performed at, uh, the Kennedy Center ripped the Kennedy Center. and, uh, you know, it was my first time like really being on the Kennedy Center stage and, you know, I, uh, I did my best and it turned into this really great ongoing project and, um, I guess that period it lasted including the pandemic like six to eight years.
So it was just like consistent work that like I could have every once in a while with Jason, like one of my heroes. Like,
JOHN SNELL: How cool. And, and at such a young age too, you know,
DAVE ADEWUMI: I think, yeah, at that time I think I was like 23 or 24. [01:00:00] Um, but, you know, playing with. Him and the band and the bandwagon and uh, I guess the other young people at the time. I think, uh, he blew up after this, uh, Emmanuel Wilkins, if you know him, uh, he was in the band.
And then later on, uh, it was Logan Richardson, and, uh, this great trombone player, Chris Bates, but we were like the only young guys in like a 10 piece band. So it was, it was such a great professional experience, but also a learning experience. Um, and then through that I met, Ingrid Lau bra because she was, uh, subbing in the band.
And like then, you know, that turned into something else. And then through Jason and Ingrid, I met this in incredible genius of a musician. and if you don’t know her, please look her up. Uh, [01:01:00] Mary Halverson, and now I’m in a band with her, and we’re going to be, uh, doing a lot of dates together. So like, and in addition to that, like outside of like jazz and, uh, creative music, like, you know, I’m doing all the things that other trumpet players do.
I’m doing the, uh, club dates, you know, shows, uh, like, all the things that require, kind of that professional skillset rather than an artistic quote unquote, uh, skillset. You know, I’m, I’m still doing those things. it’s kept me on my toes. Like I still have to keep up my, uh, lead chops, you know,
JOHN SNELL: So it’s, it’s, uh, yeah. And I, I appreciate you bringing that up. ’cause it’s, yeah. I mean, New York is a difficult town. Well, let’s put it this way. Being a jazz musician is a, a difficult career in any
town. Uh, but especially when, like New York and so, you know, yeah. There doing the, the club dates, [01:02:00] uh, but you have your, uh, your own groups as well that you put together.
DAVE ADEWUMI: Oh yeah. Um, one particularly that I’d like to mention is, uh, my group, Altus. That’s a band that I co-lead, but it’s a collective ensemble, so we’re all bringing in compositions. last year we released this album called Mythos, and we just recorded our, our next album, which is set to be released sometime in 2026.
I’d like to say that’s like. early days, maybe January, February, March, fingers crossed. Um, and, uh, I have two more albums that are on queue that are coming out soon. One is recorded and, uh, produced by this great organization, um, giant Step Arts. that, is led by the great Jimmy Katz, an incredible, um, [01:03:00] producer and, um, photographer.
he’s an incredible photographer and has photographed like literally everyone, but also he’s, he’s recorded a lot of live concerts, so he recorded my, uh, my first album that’s set to be released, um, maybe, uh, end of this year, early next year. and that’s with incredible musicians like Joel Ross and Linda o and, uh, Marcus Gilmore.
just so lucky that I was able to work with, uh, giant Sub Arts in this way. And, uh, with support from, uh, the Gregory Morris grant. and, in addition to that, I have, uh, a Quartet album that will come out after that with some my friends that are closer to my age, Lex Court and JK Kim and Adam Chesky.
JOHN SNELL: so I mean, a lot of projects [01:04:00] coming up, which is exciting. Please let us know, uh, shoot me an email, uh, when those albums are coming out
’cause I’m sure our listeners will want to know. so I can always, uh, plug them in the news section, of somebody else’s interview. and, uh, yeah, let folks know that those are coming
out.
’cause that’s, uh.
DAVE ADEWUMI: And also, uh, not to, not to forget, the album that’s already out Woohoo.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah. Alloy,
DAVE ADEWUMI: exactly Alloy. And, uh, that’s with Dave Douglas. And I’ve recorded a, a couple albums with Dave already. I, uh, did this project called Engage. guess that’s 2019. And then another project called Dizzy Atmospheres.
And this is the, I guess the third installment with Dave. and, uh, joining us is the incredible. Alex au always keeping me on my toes. She is just such a incredible trumpet player. I’m lucky to, you know, know her and be able [01:05:00] to call her my colleague and friend. She’s incredible.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah. And as you’ve kind of completed the trifecta, um, ’cause we’ve had Alex on, um, and then Dave a few interviews back as well to talk about this project. I mean, I’d, I’d like to hear your take on it. I mean, you, you said you recorded with Dave before. Uh, what is it about Alloy and this particular project that you think was special?
DAVE ADEWUMI: Oh, man. Um, first like trumpet trio is something that you don’t hear too, too often, you know? And, uh, it is, it’s such a powerful organization of, of musicians on this record because like we all have like. Different ways of playing, but when we, when we come together, it’s like this really beautiful organism that, uh, manifests and, uh, you know, instead of having like the traditional like piano and the ensemble or guitar, [01:06:00] you have, the great Patricia Brennan playing, uh, vibraphone and she’s just awesome.
and in addition to that, you have Kate pass on base, credible Rudy Royston. You know, I’ve been listening to him, for a very long time, so it, it really felt great to just like be in the studio with them and, uh, get to play a couple gigs with them as well. and, Dave and Alex are just on fire.
Um, and you know, I hope my own too. I’m not, you know, I hope my own.
JOHN SNELL: they, they, they, you appreciate your humbleness and they, they said the same about you in their interviews. Um, and really you could tell having talked to all three of you now, just the, the, I mean, lack of a cliche word, but the, the synergy between the three of you, you know, where one plus one plus one equals more than three, you know, what each of you brought to the table, you know, exponentially increased the energy and the [01:07:00] creativity,
um, instead of just adding to it.
so, and I Do you guys are doing that, uh, like a performance of it, or are you
guys planning on doing,
DAVE ADEWUMI: I think Dave has, some other, some gigs that he’s trying to get for Alloy. the most recent performance that we had was festival new trumpet music. We had two nights and, uh, the first night, it was, alloy Plus my band, Altus, I had talked about previously. And then it was, uh, alloy plus Alex’s band.
And it was just a really, it was a really fun experience. I love, I love, love, love festival in new trumpet music. It’s my favorite festival for obvious reasons. Um, I love me some trumpet. and there’s always great trumpet players that come by and, you know, we get to just nerd out as, as much as we can talk about all that good stuff.
JOHN SNELL: Man, one of these years. I’m gonna get out there. I, when I was talking to Dave, I was gonna try to fly out and hear, but my son’s new marching band, high school. He’s freshman in high [01:08:00] school and his, uh,
DAVE ADEWUMI: He better be playing the trumpet
JOHN SNELL: he is playing the trumpet, uh, but his, his high school football, you know, marching band schedule set.
Otherwise this fall, so May maybe next year I can, uh, get out there and hear, uh, hear the new trumpet music. Um, uh, I mean, David, it’s been amazing chatting with you and thank you so much for your time. I, I have a few geeky questions
DAVE ADEWUMI: let’s do it.
JOHN SNELL: Um, so I, I do want, you’ve mentioned about doing like a routine where with, uh, that Steve Ery gave you.
I’m wondering what your current routine is. Do you have a regular
maintenance routine, practice routine that you do? And what is it?
DAVE ADEWUMI: Oh how much time do you have? We can talk, we can go through this right now. So, um, another person that you had on the podcast was Tom Hooten.
Um, and Tom is just a incredible player. I’ve never met him, I’ve never studied with him, but, you know, I’ve watched a lot of his videos. And one thing that I recommended that I use all the time is this app called [01:09:00] Seconds Pro.
And, this is just like the way that I organize my, my system. so I start by drinking water and then I go into. Playing through, maybe some very, very quiet long tones. Like if this is first thing in the morning, I’m doing quiet long tones. And like, in the same way that I practice with wind to the end of the breath, very, very softly, low F sharp to C below the staff.
Sometimes I go up to G in the staff that will take me 15 to 20 minutes, and then I just leave it at that. And that’s all to make sure that I’m just, getting a good response outta the Asure. And it also is like a meditation in a way. So it just, it just feels, I just feel better after I do that. Then like, I’ll take a break, then I might go into six notes.
and then like I’m really into the chromatic, so this is Allah, like first Clark study, but [01:10:00] I expanded a little bit, so like still going tritone, but like from low F sharp to C in the staph, let’s. And like if I notice any bumps in the road, then I go really slow over like where a break might be. So like, a break this morning was g to a flat, so I’ll just be like,
quiet
that play a low F sharp after that. That was something that Lori gave me. Whenever I have like a break, you just play, a half step, like that low F sharp, do that maybe two or three times, and then you’re, you’re golden. lately I’ve been focusing on Clark six. It’s a pain in the ass. I hate Clark six, but you know, I’ve been, I’ve been doing it every day and like I might get through like two keys and I’m like, [01:11:00] that’s it.
So right now my two keys are, uh, g and a flat. there’s like, um, for the people who don’t know their Clark Cities, there’s like a minor version and a major version of the exercise. So I’ve been exclusively focusing on like, the minor part of the exercise. So G minor, a minor,
and then I go through a couple exercises that Lori gave me, like specifically the noodle, so on and so forth.
and then I do, the Frank Harmonics that you can find in the beginning of the Flexis book. Then I’ll like rip through like the harmonic series. Rip is the wrong word. I gently approach with efficiency.
JOHN SNELL: I love it. Yep,
DAVE ADEWUMI: and then, I tried to get the lip slurs to go faster. Right now. Flexibility has just been my, um, sticking point.
It used to be articulation, but another teacher that I didn’t mention that really got my stuff together [01:12:00] was, uh, Ray Mace. Um, and I, uh, would be practicing the Goldman Etudes with him. And he, really focused on making sure that I didn’t have any breaks between the articulation.
Like the way I would articulate would be like, and like right now I’m just focusing on just getting out. Now. Um, another thing that Ray Mac gave me was, these exercises from the Shoe book book. I don’t know if people are familiar with this one. Oh,
JOHN SNELL: yeah, that’s a, that’s a deep cut.
DAVE ADEWUMI: yeah, so the, the book is called Shoe Book Lip Trainers, and it’s just about getting like first attacks and like, you might get like an exercise that like, is seeing the staff
and like, you know, going from like meso forte to meso piano, to piano, just [01:13:00] like really refining the attack. And then like a practice aude like Goldman and like the interval studies of arbin, like my second pro is going. Um, and then like I’ll focus on like some musical things. Like, um, I’ll do those cortone exercises I was talking about.
I’ll take a tune and like try to see if I can play a line up and down. Only whole steps and half steps, like go through the entire tune up and down. Whole souls in half set throughout the reins of the horn. Great technical exercise as well. right now I’ve been playing some like melodic cells. So like you can take a a three no triad, and you can play, um, play it up.
You can play it down. You can start on the roof, go to the fifth, go down to the third, so on and so forth. There’s many ways of configurate configuring a triad. Take a little break. Then if there’s like, some music that I need to learn, I’ll go over that. and then at the end I work on, some [01:14:00] transcriptions.
Now that’s my ideal day. That might take me between. Like, I can get it done, all of that. Like maybe an hour and a half if I’m like doing like 10, 10 minute segments or two minute segments of some things.
Um, but like, I love to get like three or four hours outta that, you know? I love to practice. if I have like a week consistently doing that, then I’m, I’m in tip top shape.
JOHN SNELL: You’re golden. So you, it is interesting. So you mentioned that, uh, from Hootin, the, uh, second and Pro app. so how do, how do you use that in your practicing? Is it, uh, something you do with the Clark studies is something you do with the um, with the long tones?
DAVE ADEWUMI: I do it with everything. It’s just to make sure that I, I mean, I can even show you, I don’t know if your viewers are able to are gonna be able to see this, but
JOHN SNELL: if you’re on YouTube another, well, we can use this clip,
but we can
DAVE ADEWUMI: but like, I have like. All of it organized. I have even the rests, like you have like, [01:15:00] um, rest, you know, my rest, this is after I do the seconds, you know, and the seconds are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
I’m such a nerd when it comes to that. I’ll do my chromatic. It doesn’t take me too long to do like these, these things throughout the range of the instrument. And like I have notes to myself for, it says Clark five, but I’m doing Clark six
because I’ve graduated from Clark five. Honestly, I’m perfect at Clark five.
Um,
not actually
JOHN SNELL: I, I, I I got, I got the, I got the humor.
Um, so, so for the folks that are listening on the audio only version of this, so, so yeah, the Seconds Pro is a, it’s an interval timer app. and you basically have set up your own custom schedule down to the second
Right. With built-in rest breaks. So you’ll do chromatic, I think I saw in there for two minutes,
and then you’re done.
You move on.
DAVE ADEWUMI: and that’s also something that I got from Ray Mace. It’s like the first part of your practice should be [01:16:00] just like getting a feel of your horn, like where you are today. So I use the long tones for that.
And I don’t have a timer for the long tone. I’m
JOHN SNELL: Okay. So the long tones are your own
DAVE ADEWUMI: yeah, it’s like, I think of that as a meditation, but when it comes to like these technical things, there are so many aspects of the horn that like, I need to get together.
So like, I’m going to touch on those things a little bit. And if I find a problem with one or two of those things, then later on in my day I might like set like a 15 minute timer and just work on that. You know? And that’s, that’s kind of like my way, but like. Ultimately, the thing that we’re pushing towards is getting as much music time as we can because like, what’s the ultimate purpose of playing the trumpet?
It’s not to get like these big, huge muscles, like who, who needs to, you know, play a double C when they can’t get a good sound. You know what I mean? We’re [01:17:00] here to make music.
JOHN SNELL: it’s not weight lifting,
DAVE ADEWUMI: for sure.
JOHN SNELL: but we love to treat it as
such. Um, and
then
DAVE ADEWUMI: do too, but like,
JOHN SNELL: We’re all guilty of it at some
point, but yeah, it’s, we need to get grounded at some point and realize it is a musical instrument. Um, and then, that being said, uh, equipment, what are you using? What are your tools?
DAVE ADEWUMI: you know, maybe the next time I’m in LA I come over and get some new equipment because, you
JOHN SNELL: love to have you.
DAVE ADEWUMI: I’m, I’m kind of, I’m so lazy about equipment.
Um, right now I’m playing a one and a half C equivalent of a Yamaha mouthpiece. and I, I usually play a one and a half to a two even for like, lead things because like, if I’m expected to play like a solo the next day, like I feel like equipment kind of just like locks me in.
Like [01:18:00] if I’m playing on like a really small mouthpiece and then the next day I have to improvise, I feel like my face is set up for the small mouthpiece and I just don’t have the same connection that I can get. Also, like that’s something for me to learn how to do, but for now I’m like around like a one and a half to a two C, and then right now I’m playing on a box 72.
N no, I’ve experimented with other mouthpieces in the past. I don’t wanna lie. Like, um, I have this nice two, see from Greg Black, and I have a really nice, Monet mouthpiece that I used for a long, even longer at this point. Yeah, even longer than the, Yamaha Gold plated, one and a half equivalent. I, I have no idea what these Yamaha sizes or silky sizes are.
I have like 16 BX 12 WY, you
JOHN SNELL: We need the Rosetta Stone of mouthpieces to,[01:19:00]
to calculate. And I, I, I, there was one point in my career here where I tried to make flashcards and memorize, and I was like, you know what? My brain could be used for so much nicer things when you can just look at, look it up. So when someone calls or emails, I mean, obviously there’s a few common sizes I know, but, uh, yeah, I, I, I just look it up,
say, which, oh, what is that one again?
Oh, that’s right. Yeah. I mean, even, I mean, with our own mouthpieces, the prevalance mouthpieces that we make, it’s the same thing. Four star K, four D. What? You know, like, what does that mean?
DAVE ADEWUMI: Oh, maybe I need to get a bot. Maybe I’m playing on a Bob Reeves next week.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah. Hey, we’ll, we’ll, I, I know a place.
DAVE ADEWUMI: Oh,
JOHN SNELL: We’ll, we’ll talk. Um, and then, uh, flu horn. You use flu horn
DAVE ADEWUMI: Yeah. I have, no, it’s a Bach flu horn. I have no idea what it’s,
JOHN SNELL: It. I mean, uh, e even if you’re using a flugelhorn mouthpiece, I think you’re a step ahead of what a lot of trumpet players do.
Um, I, I think I used a cornet mouthpiece ’cause it actually fit into the receiver when I was playing flu
DAVE ADEWUMI: Oh, wow. I mean, you know,
[01:20:00] even sometimes today this is against what the critics will say, but, uh, you know, sometimes I’ve played the frugal horn with the trumpet mouthpiece. Looks absolutely ridiculous.
JOHN SNELL: gotta do what you gotta do. Um, and since you do so much jazz playing and sound creation, um, I always like, like to ask any fun mutes that you like using.
DAVE ADEWUMI: Um, really, I love Cup. Cup is my favorite mute. Especially like, um, those good cups where you can get it like right up on the bell.
Um, I, I would have to just like bring out the cup to I understand the brand because I just don’t look at the brand. I’m like,
I,
JOHN SNELL: cup. yeah, There’s a
few of
those, like from
DAVE ADEWUMI: I’m such a nerd about practice.
I really don’t know anything about the trumpet outside of like what exercises to do. but like, uh, yeah, I love, the cup. Um, Harmon hasn’t been my favorite lately, but it used to be something that I liked.
I don’t like [01:21:00] playing bucket in a trumpet section because intonation is just so hairy.
out of those, uh, those ones that have the fluff in the middle,
you know, I just take out the fluff, and leave like maybe like a third of the fluff that’s in there. and that helps a little bit, but like, playing the bucket by myself is like a really great experience. And I think it’s partly due to seeing that Winton, uh, Cherokee video where he is playing bucket,
JOHN SNELL: Yeah. He, he makes it work, you
know, if he can do it, uh,
I
DAVE ADEWUMI: also, you know, a practice meet because you get to practice.
JOHN SNELL: yeah. Yeah. well, absolutely fun talking to you, Dave. Um, so I know Dave Atmi music is your website. Um, any other websites for your groups, sir, that you wanna share that we can link to as
DAVE ADEWUMI: Yeah, absolutely. So Altus Band, is the, uh, Instagram page. my Instagram page is, uh, straight out the Wmi, STR eight [01:22:00] out DA Wmi, WUMI. And you’ll be able to find me, instantly.
Uh, it’s a funny name, but that’s where a lot of my, uh, trumpet playing content is. Um, and, uh, yeah, like if, anyone’s interested in talking, just shoot me a dm. it was great just talking about my story and if anybody has any further questions, I’d love to connect.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah. Uh, appreciate that. And due to the magic of internet and time travel and, uh, my fabulous producer Ted will have all of those links down in the show in the, uh, description
of this, either the YouTube video or the podcast description, and then of course, on the show notes. So try to make it as easy as possible for everyone to get connected and also find out, uh, where Altis is playing or when your next album is dropping.
So,
um, absolutely.
an honor having you on Dave, and since you’ve listened to the podcast before, you know it’s coming, if you could leave our listeners with your last piece of [01:23:00] advice, that would be your best piece of advice, what would that be?
DAVE ADEWUMI: Um,
JOHN SNELL: I,
always end with a doozy.
DAVE ADEWUMI: yeah, it’s, it’s, uh, it’s great. I, I feel like my best piece of advice is, is to, first just make sure that you have time in your practice to like, explore things. That you’re not used to. just really think of it as a form of play because it’ll make it so much easier to get better at those things that you struggle with if you approach it with like a playful mind.
And, the second thing that I will say is, don’t be afraid to try some things that the books don’t tell you. Like, I’ve been experimenting with just a little bit of a puff. Anybody that knows me knows how funny that statement is. But like a little bit of a [01:24:00] puff for my re was like, you know, something that got me a lot more consistent.
It’s going to vary from person to person. It might not help, every trumpet player out there. But I think the reason why it works is like, I’m not holding on with my aperture too, too much. But, I then realized that, you know, a lot of jazz guys were doing it. So like, my, that’s my piece of advice, not the puff, just to experiment with things that the books don’t tell you to do.
JOHN SNELL: Yeah. The o open-mindedness and experimenting. You know, we like, well this is the mouthpiece we, we play ’cause this is my one teacher give me, this is how we play the arban. ’cause this is how, what my trumpet teacher will make, this is how we play the Clarks,
DAVE ADEWUMI: Yeah, exactly.
JOHN SNELL: know, it’s have fun, you know, experiment a little bit.
You never know what’s gonna end up working.
so thank you so much for the advice. Thank you so much, Dave,
for the great chat. And uh, yeah man, I, I am I I’m gonna go home and listen to it in a silent way. You’ve inspired me.
DAVE ADEWUMI: Yeah,
I’ll do it with
JOHN SNELL: dyke.
[01:25:00] Well, a huge thank you to Dave. As I said, going into the interview. absolutely fell in love with Dave talking to him. what a shining star. It’s great. So great for the future. We’ve had a few, great young artists on recently. actually thanks to Dave Douglas and his, uh, alloy, kind of the trilogy here, with Alexandra Ridout and now Dave.
Please check out that album. I’ve been listening to it here at the Shop Alloy with Dave Douglas and Alex and, Dave. and I’ll learn more about Dave. You can go to dave@awmimusic.com. We’ll have the links down below in the description and on the show notes. and also, he said he’s, uh, pretty active on social media as well, so we’ll have the links to his Instagram.
down below to make it as easy as possible for you to follow Dave and his rising career. so I mean, so much great stuff to unpack in that episode. I love how he was talking about, you know, singing the, different, partials and harmonics and that’s how he would learn tunes and, uh, expand his vocabulary.
cause look, I mean, if you can’t sing it and you can’t play it, and really cement that. connection between what you’re hearing [01:26:00] and what you’re playing on the instrument, that, you know, just the career, how, how he manages a career, you know, in a tough industry, in a busy town full of other players, in New York City.
he’s out there doing it. So, lots of great advice, lots of great music. And, along with Alex, I can’t wait to check in with him in five or 10 years and see where their careers have gone. Thank you for listening. as always, hit that five star review. Leave us a nice comment. hey on, if you’re on YouTube, I can see how many people watch our podcasts, and how many of ’em are subscribers.
And less than 50% of you, who watch this podcast are actually subscribers on YouTube. So the people listening to Apple Podcasts and Spotify, this doesn’t apply to you. YouTube Watchers and listeners, please hit that subscribe button. Feed the algorithm monster. You know, we do this all for free. you don’t have to buy a mouthpiece, you don’t have to get a valve alignment, but, uh, at the very least, hit that, up vote button and hit that subscribe button.
It means a lot to us and [01:27:00] helps us, keep the word. Out there. ’cause this is a goodwill for the community, why we do this, there that, thank you for coming to my TED Talk. That’s all I have to say for today. We have some great artists coming up, in the next episode here in a few weeks. And, uh, don’t forget, we also do a trombone and a horn podcast.
The trombone Corner, recently had Joe ESI on there and, uh, Phil Yao was recently on the horn signal. So lots of great brass content for you. All right, until next time, let’s go out and make some music.
