Trumpet
Being one of the oldest lead instruments in jazz, the trumpet is now played in various ways in all kinds of different jazz styles. In the lessons you will focus on timing, technique, improvisation, scales & chords, repertoire, and developing your personal sound. Various styles will be dealt with such as swing, bigband, bop, latin, contemporary jazz, pop & fusion, Nordic jazz, and various other musical approaches. Both developing your musical skills, as well as expanding your creativity are important features during the lessons.
Teachers
Toon de Gouw
Toon de Gouw has been active in the Dutch jazz scene since the 1980s. He has worked with creative bandleaders such as Paul van Kemenade, Gijs Hendriks, Willem van Manen and Pierre Courbois. As a trumpet player he has performed all over Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan in many different bands and orchestras in a variety of styles. As a soloist and lead player Toon has been involved with Caoutchouc, Waterland Octet, ICP, Contraband, Nueva Manteca, Timeless Bigband, WDR Bigband, and the Metropole Orchestra.
Robin Rombouts
Robin Rombouts graduated from Fontys MPA. Since 2016 he is a trumpet player in the Royal Dutch Airforce Orchestra, playing concerts in the Netherlands and abroad. As a freelance player Robin played with many bands and artists, such as The Metropole Orchestra, The Danish Radio Big Band, Orchestre de National de Jazz Luxembourgh, Paradox Jazz Orchestra, Red Light Jazz Society, Dr. Brass, and many more. His career is wide and varied, which makes him one of the most versatile players in the Netherlands.
Koen Smits
Trumpeter, composer, and improviser Koen Smits navigates between diverse worlds. His first major exploration was with the group Mudita (alongside vocalist Sanne Rambags and pianist Sjoerd van Eijck). Their debut album was awarded an Edison Award. However, Koen’s playing eludes classification within a single genre. Whether it is contemporary or Nordic chamberjazz, hard swinging big band section work, or the fusion of jazz with electronics, as a trumpetplayer he is always in search for musical adventures. Koen is part of Paradox Jazz Orchestra and has collabared with a great variety of artists and groups such as Kika Sprangers, Sjoerd van Eijck OAK, Gulli Gudmundsson, Eric van der Westen, Metropole Orkest and Jeroen van Vliet. Koen is also an audio engineer and plays with his hornsection The Hornaments for television and recordingstudio's.
Candidates living in the Netherlands/ Belgium/ Western Germany will do a live audition. Candidates from other countries will do an online audition. To assess your level of ability, you have to prepare five pieces. These pieces must represent variety in tempo and key and preferably find their roots in multiple styles of music (jazz, latin, pop, etc). In this audition, you will be assessed on your ability to demonstrate basic trumpet technique, rhythmical, melodic and harmonic insights, as well as sufficient reading proficiency.
Video Audition:
Record a video containing three songs. We strongly prefer that you play with a band. If this is not possible, you can record yourself playing with a play-along (like iRealPro, for example). Your videos will serve as the first round of evaluation. If you pass the first round, you will be invited for a second round in the form of an e-meeting. During this second round, we may ask you to complete additional assignments, such as sight-reading, to help us make an informed decision about your application.
Live Audition:
For the live audition, you are asked to perform your repertoire with other musicians. This can be your own band, or if this is not possible, the school will provide accompaniment. Please indicate your preference on the application form. Keep in mind that there will be no opportunity for rehearsal. Be sure to bring proper sheet music for your band members.