Principal Applied Trumpet (Freshman Level)

Course Description

MVB1311 — Principal Applied Trumpet is the freshman-level applied music course in trumpet for students whose principal instrument is trumpet. The course consists of weekly private one-on-one lessons with an applied trumpet faculty member, supported by significant daily individual practice and concurrent participation in a major brass or wind ensemble. Students develop fundamental trumpet technique, range, endurance, articulation, tone production, sight-reading, and stylistic understanding through graded etude and solo literature, culminating in a faculty jury examination at the end of the semester.

This course is offered at approximately 27 Florida public colleges and universities, including Pensacola State College, Valencia College, Miami Dade College, Hillsborough Community College, Florida State College at Jacksonville, St. Petersburg College, Daytona State College, Santa Fe College, Palm Beach State College, Florida SouthWestern State College, Northwest Florida State College, Florida Gateway College, and Broward College. It articulates to the freshman applied trumpet sequence at Florida State University, University of Florida, University of Miami, UCF, USF, UWF, FAMU, and other State University System music programs subject to placement audition.

The Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS) encodes information about applied music courses in the digits of the course number. Following the convention documented by Florida State University's College of Music, the first digit indicates academic level (1 = freshman, 2 = sophomore, 3 = junior, 4 = senior), the second digit indicates the applied music placement (2 = secondary, 3 = principal, 4 = performance), the third digit repeats the first, and the fourth digit indicates the specific instrument within the prefix family.

For MVB1311, the prefix MVB denotes Applied Music: Brasses; 1 indicates freshman level; 3 indicates principal placement; 1 repeats the academic level; and the final 1 places trumpet first in the brass score order (followed by horn = 2, trombone = 3, baritone horn = 4, tuba = 5).

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of MVB1311, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate healthy embouchure formation, breathing technique, and air-supported tone production across the full standard freshman trumpet range (typically pedal C through high C, sounding B-flat through B-flat).
• Perform major and minor scales (harmonic and melodic) at increasing tempos, full range, with appropriate articulation patterns.
• Perform chromatic scales and arpeggios across the standard freshman range.
• Apply varied articulation styles: legato, marcato, staccato, and double-tongue (introductory).
• Prepare and perform etudes from standard sources such as Arban's Complete Conservatory Method, Schlossberg Daily Drills and Technical Studies, Clarke Technical Studies, or Concone Lyrical Studies.
• Prepare and perform solo repertoire from at least two contrasting style periods, drawn from standard freshman trumpet literature.
• Demonstrate developing sight-reading at a level appropriate to freshman major standing.
• Perform a faculty jury at the end of the semester demonstrating prepared scales, etudes, and solo repertoire.
• Perform at least once in studio class or student recital during the semester.
• Participate concurrently in a major ensemble (wind ensemble, symphonic band, or orchestra) and apply applied-study skills in the ensemble context.

Optional Outcomes

• Demonstrate introductory transposition at sight (especially A trumpet, C trumpet parts).
• Perform on multiple trumpets: B-flat, C, E-flat/D, piccolo (introductory familiarity).
• Develop jazz/commercial style elements (swing articulation, blues scales) where institutional emphasis includes jazz studies.
• Engage in chamber music through brass quintet or trumpet ensemble.
• Apply orchestral excerpt study (introductory exposure to standard symphonic excerpts).

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Embouchure and Tone Production: Lip formation, mouthpiece placement, air column, vibrato (where stylistically appropriate), tonal consistency across registers.
• Breathing and Air Support: Diaphragmatic breathing, breath capacity, breath control across long phrases.
• Range Development: Systematic range expansion through long tones, lip slurs, octave studies, and graduated high-register work.
• Articulation: Single-tongue clarity, legato, marcato, staccato; introduction to double-tongue and triple-tongue.
• Scales and Patterns: Major, natural/harmonic/melodic minor scales; chromatic scale full range; arpeggios; thirds and sixths patterns.
• Etude Literature: Arban Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet (the foundational text); Schlossberg Daily Drills and Technical Studies; Clarke Technical Studies for Cornet; Concone Lyrical Studies; Charlier 36 Etudes Transcendantes (introductory selections).
• Solo Repertoire: Baroque/Classical (e.g., Telemann Heroic Music, Hertel Concerto in E-flat, easier movements of Haydn or Hummel concerti); 19th- and 20th-century solo literature appropriate to freshman level (e.g., Goedicke Concert Etude, Balay Petite Pièce Concertante, Barat Andante et Scherzo).
• Daily Practice Routine: Warm-up sequence, technical drill, etude, repertoire, cooldown — managing endurance and avoiding overplay.
• Mouthpiece and Equipment Awareness: Standard mouthpiece sizes for college work, instrument condition (valves, slides), basic maintenance.
• Performance Preparation: Memorization (where required), management of performance anxiety, jury preparation, recital etiquette.

Optional Topics

• Transposition: Common transpositions (A, C, D/E-flat) at sight or with study.
• Multiple Trumpets: Introduction to C trumpet (orchestral standard), E-flat/D trumpet (Baroque and Classical orchestral), piccolo trumpet (Baroque high register).
• Orchestral Excerpts: Introductory study of standard excerpts (e.g., Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition "Promenade," Mahler symphonies, Stravinsky Petrushka).
• Jazz and Commercial Style: Swing articulation, blues scales, lead-trumpet conventions in big-band literature.
• Chamber Music: Brass quintet (Ewald, Ewazen, traditional repertoire), trumpet duets and ensembles.

Resources & Tools

• Studio Faculty Member: Primary applied teacher (typically a part- or full-time trumpet professor) who delivers weekly individual lessons.
• Practice Facilities: Dedicated practice rooms with adequate ventilation; many institutions provide mutes, music stands, and metronomes.
• Foundational Method: Arban's Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet — the most universally adopted method book in collegiate trumpet study.
• Daily Routine Sources: Schlossberg Daily Drills; Clarke Technical Studies; Cichowicz Long Tone Studies; Stamp Warm-Ups + Studies; Caruso Musical Calisthenics.
• Solo Anthologies: Solos for the Trumpet Player (Schirmer, ed. Mendez); Concert and Contest Collection for Trumpet (Rubank).
• Equipment: Quality B-flat trumpet (institutional or personal); standard mouthpiece (Bach 7C, 5C, or 3C are common college starting points); practice mute and cup mute as basic accessories.
• Studio Class: Weekly group meeting for performance practice, peer feedback, and discussion of pedagogy and repertoire.
• Jury Committee: Multi-faculty panel for end-of-semester performance.
• International Trumpet Guild (ITG): Professional organization providing journal, conferences, competitions, and pedagogical resources.
• Florida-Region Performance Opportunities: The National Trumpet Competition (held annually in Florida or nearby states), Florida MENC/FBA activities, and various university solo competitions provide external performance experience.

Career Pathways

• Music Educator (K–12, post-audition completion of BME and Florida teacher certification through FTCE Music K–12).
• Performing Musician in regional orchestras, opera and ballet pit orchestras, theatre productions, jazz ensembles, and chamber groups. Florida hosts the Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), Naples Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra, Palm Beach Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, and the Sarasota Opera.
• Theme Park & Entertainment Performer at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Disney Cruise Line (regional auditions held throughout the year).
• Cruise Ship Musician for vessels homeporting at Florida's major embarkation ports (PortMiami, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Port Tampa Bay, Jacksonville).
• Worship and Liturgical Musician for churches across Florida's metro and rural communities — a substantial part-time and full-time employment sector.
• Private Studio Teacher, often credentialed through the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) or National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Florida chapters.
• Military Musician with the U.S. Armed Forces premier bands or regional service bands (audition required; competitive).
• Studio Recording & Session Work, particularly in the Miami, Orlando, and Tampa recording markets.

Students intending to pursue performance professionally should plan on completing a Bachelor of Music (BM) in Performance at a Florida university — typically Florida State University, University of Florida, University of Miami (Frost), University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, University of West Florida, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, or Florida A&M University — and continuing to graduate study or competitive auditions.

Trumpet players have additional career destinations specific to the instrument: military service bands (the U.S. Army Field Band, Air Force Band, Navy Band, Marine Band — the latter "President's Own"); orchestral trumpet positions (extremely competitive nationally; Florida Orchestra and Jacksonville Symphony are regional examples); theme-park lead trumpet positions at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando (Florida is among the largest live-music employment markets in the U.S. specifically for brass players); cruise-line big-band positions; and commercial/studio recording work in the Miami and Orlando markets.

Special Information

SCNS Transferability

Applied music courses with prefixes MVB, MVH, MVJ, MVK, MVO, MVP, MVS, MVV, and MVW are not automatically transferable under the Florida Statewide Course Numbering System. Per FSCJ's published policy on the SCNS, these courses require evidence of skill achievement (audition, jury performance, or portfolio) and must be evaluated individually by the receiving institution. Students transferring to a four-year music program should plan to audition with the receiving institution's applied faculty regardless of credits earned. The Florida Common Prerequisites Manual (available at floridashines.org) lists state-wide prerequisite expectations for music majors transferring to State University System institutions; faculty in the receiving program place students into the appropriate applied level based on audition.

Audition and Placement

Admission to MVB1311 requires a placement audition with the applied trumpet faculty. The audition typically includes prepared solo repertoire (one or two contrasting selections), scales, and sight-reading. Students whose technical level is below the principal placement may be assigned to a pre-principal sequence (e.g., MVB1011) or to class instruction until they reach the principal standard.

Credit Hour Variation

Credit hours for MVB1311 vary across Florida institutions, ranging from 1 to 2 credits per semester. Florida State University offers MV_1311 series courses at 2 credits; community-college offerings range from 1 to 2 credits with corresponding lesson duration (typically 30 to 60 minutes weekly). Students should consult their institution's catalog for the credit value, lab fee, and instrument-loaner policy if applicable.

Co-requisite and Continuing Enrollment

Most institutions require concurrent enrollment in a major ensemble (wind ensemble, symphonic band, or orchestra), in music theory and ear training, and in another music course (any MUx-prefix course other than Music Appreciation). Per FSU's Music Education degree map, freshman and freshman-transfer brass students must register for MUN 2460 (Chamber Music) during the first Spring and second Fall terms.

Lab Fee and Equipment

Most institutions charge a private lesson lab fee in addition to standard tuition (typically $75–$200 per semester). Students are expected to provide their own instrument; institutional loaner instruments may be available for harder-to-acquire trumpets (C, E-flat, piccolo) for upper-division students.

Continuation Sequence

MVB1311 is followed by a second freshman semester (MVB1312 or repeat) and then by MVB2321 at the sophomore principal level. The sequence continues with MVB3331 (junior) and MVB4341 (senior) at the four-year music school. Successful completion through MVB3331 (by jury) is a degree requirement for the Bachelor of Music Education at FSU and similar requirements at peer institutions.

Endurance and Vocal-Type Pacing

Trumpet, like voice, requires careful pacing of physical demand. Faculty teach practice routines that build endurance gradually while avoiding overplay, embouchure damage, and fatigue. Students experiencing persistent embouchure problems, swelling, or pain are referred to brass-aware physicians or sports-medicine specialists familiar with brass-player injuries.