E R I C   M I Y A S H I R O

Because of my dad, trumpet was always around the house. It started more as a "toy" for me.


At what age did you start?

I really don't remember, but I think it was around 5th grade.

On leaving your education, have you always been a full time musician?

Yes, I started working professionally in Hawaii at around my 9th grade year.

Describe your early experiences of semi / pro work please.

A lot of covention-type gigs, some of my early gigs were, Sammy Davis Jr.,Englebert Humperdink, The Temptations,Four Tops, Henry Mancini,Tom Jones, etc. In my senior year in high school, I was selected to be in the McDonald's All American High School Band, and got to go to NY to preform at Carnegie hall with Maynard. And with the Jazz band, we played on the Jerry Lewis Telethon, thats where I first got to meet my destiny, the Buddy Rich band. Greg Wing was the lead player, and I was completely blown away with the band. They only played "Time Check", and because Buddy was in a bad mood, they played it REALLY fast! I tried to talk to the band back stage, but the whole band except Steve Marcus was in a bad mood as well. (Few years later,I learned how hard it is to not be dark on the road, but Marcus was always so positive, what a great guy) I also got to see Rick Baptist and John Frosk at work. Telethon's orchestra sounded wonderful!! These experiences affected my playing dramatically, and only made me sure that I wanted to become a musician.

Who were your teachers?

I never once had a real "teacher" in my life. What I mean is that I never had a lesson in my life, and basically learned from doing gigs,and hanging and watching,listening and asking questions to the players around me. But I feel that watching and litening to my father play since I was a baby helped me to form a good solid start. Meeting and playing with Maynard when I was on the McDonald's all american high school jazz band was a life changing expierience. Hearing Maynard live was a total shock, that sound, and his energy, the way he phrases and sings in the altissimo, boy, that was it!! I knew I wanted to do that!! I called Bobby Shew at around 3 am when I first got on the Buddy Rich band. ( I had really cut open my chops bad, and I was in a total panic, thats when I called him .) He was very kind and helpful, and got me to relax and gave me tips on how to play with Buddy. I just saw him few weeks ago, and he still knocks me out with his music and wisdom. He is still teachimg me with out saying a word, and helping me to become a better person too.


What Orchestral experience have you had?

I played 1st trumpet in a all-state kind of orchestra from 8th grade to my senior year in high school. I was totally in love with "Bud" Herseath,Andre,Voison,and Ghitalla. My dad gave me Eb-D, and Bb piccolo when I was just a 8th grader, so I had a pretty early start at baroque-type high register trumpet works. Since I started to work as a studio musician in Japan, I am now the first call for all of the "classical"sessions. I do guest solo stuff with many of the professional orchestras, and I also got to play 1st trumpet for Jerry Goldsmith when Jerry was here in 2000. (Jerry wanted to have me on his next concert serise in october, but due to health reason the concerts were postponed)


What session (Jingles / TV) experience have you had?

I started doing alot of studio stuff when I was at Berklee, I guess it was cheaper to use non-union students like myself, so I was doing bunch of gigs and not going to classes. Now in Japan, I do at least 5-6 sessions a week. (sometimes I do 5 on a same day!) When my friends come in town, I alway try to fit them it to my sessions. In the past I had players like; Greg Gisbert,Scott Englebright, Mike Bogart,Paul Stephens,Kevin Richardson,John Chudoba,Russ Capri help me out. (Any of you out there who plans to be in Tokyo in the future, please contact me!!)

What small group / ensemble experience have you had?

Before moving to japan, I did very little small group stuff. My early goal was to play lead on a name big band, and I concentrated only on lead. I started to learn jazz when I was in junior high but I noticed chicks dug high notes more. Well, that ended my ad lib study at that time. I started back on track when I moved to japan because in a japanease studios, you have to do everthing, legit,lead,scream,and ad lib. But since I started my own band, I am really enjoying playing jazz, and I try to do as much small band gigs as I can.


Other playing experiences?

Man, I did everything from circus,strip club,polka band, salsa band, musicals,opera,brass ensembles,gospel,mexican,italian,chinease,jewish,reggae,ska,hip-hop,taps,you name it.


have you a solo recording available?

Yes, I did my first solo CD in 2000. It is titled "Kick Up" You can find it at http://www.amazon.com,CD Now, or Kevin Seeley's site http://www.seeleymusic.com. I had to work with a producer that the record company brought in, so I was only able to write half of the tunes on the CD. But I was able to bring in Mike Bogart to sing and play on "Get It On",and am happy of the way that the tunes I wrote turned out. Not a "solo" but I am on the Natural Wonder/Stevie Wonder CD. (never got paid!)


Any funny / interesting on the road type stories?

Well, So many stories to choose from, but one that stands out is the one from my Buddy Rich days. I was 23 at the time, and was very intimidated by Buddy all the time. Every one knows about his famous "speeches" but Buddy will sometime on purpose drop or add a beat to his drum breaks just to see if we were listening to him or not. Well, we were on this long and hard one-nighters for weeks, and Buddy was in a bad mood everyday. We were getting the famous "speeches" everynight, and I thought I was getting fired everynight. One night, he dropped a beat again, and the band fell apart for a second, well, back on the bus, he exploded ,and started his speech. He went down the isle of the bus and asked one by one to the band members"What the F**K hapeend on that tune!!!" Most of the members didn't say a word, and since I had the last back seat next to the toilet, He came to me last. At that point in the tour, I was tired of being afarid everynight of getting fired, and I knew he was just being nasty, with out thinking, I said to him "Buddy, YOU dropped the beat!". Of course his face turned red,and shouted at me,"I dropped it? I ? I dropped a beat huh?" and continued shouting all the way back to his seat in front of the bus. For the rest of the trip that night to the next hotel, he did'nt say a word. I was thinking,"OK, I've done it, I am out of here tomorrow." But when I got on the bus the next morning, Buddy greeted me with a big smile and said "Hey Eric, good morning!!" and the rest of the tour went real smooth. It was a big puzzle for me for a long time, but Bobby and other ex-Buddy guys told me Buddy loved guys who stood up to him. I guess I was being too timid for his taste, and he was testing me. One other great story is on Buddy's bus, we were not permitted to take a shit in the toilet (one of Buddy's laws). But when one really had to go,we did it in to a plastic garbage bag. Things on the bus can get real boring especially on the long, late night hit-and-runs. So one of the trumpeter stated to make a "football" out of the shit filled bag. In a dark and bumpy bus ride, we started to have a "shit-football" toss game. Mind you that Buddy hates a loud noise in the bus, and he was fast asleep. The game got really exciting because if you droped this "ball", think of what's going to happen? Well, we had enough fun, and we decided to call it a night, so we threw away the "ball" from the air vent hatch, and that was that. A few minute lather, bus pulled over and stoped. We all got up to see what had happened,including Buddy, and got out of the bus. We saw our bus driver being shouted at by a highway police man, and also saw a police car coverd with shit. Needless to say, we got a looooooooooooooooooong "speech" afterward.


Any news on new projects?

New CD should be out late this year.


Favourite four albums?

Buddy Rich/Plays and Plays anything Maynard recorded. anything with Shew. anything of Tower of Power.

Favourite two movies?

Shawshank Redemption / Austin Powers movies.

Favourite three foods?

Indian , Mexican, Hambuger.

Non-musical hobbies / points of interest you enjoy?

Plastic models , Movies, cooking.

Do you take days off from playing? (How does it affect you?)

Yes, when I need it. But it really affects my chops, if I take a day off, my chops don't feel normal for at lease 3 days. But I always have moutpiece with me to make sure I keep the "feel" of the mouthpiece to my chops.


Any chop problems / solutions you've personally had you can share?


I have had so many chop problems, I don't know where to begin. I used to use crazy-glue to patch up my cuts on my chops when I was on Buddy's band. Basically being a lead player means "You have to do it!". Buddy and Maynard told me once that the audience shouldn't care or don't need to know how your chops feel, they deserve your best in any given night. Most chop problems starts with over playing your limits. But if you are a lead player on a road band, you can't send in a sub or take a night off. The "Art of Pacing" is a must for any trumpet player.


Three Trumpet tips you wish to share with the readers.

Try to get over the mechanical part (mouthpieces,instruments,gadgets,etc.) of the trumpet playing as soon as possible. I used to have as many as 5 mouthpieces ,4 trumpets, 3 leadpipes on the band stand, and when ever I clammed...........you know......I blamed it on everything else but ME!

I couldn't concentrate on making music. Balance out the energy, too many teachers and players blame or stress only on air. Sure, air is important, but we need to use the whole body to play. All of the muscles involved in playing trumpet works together,as a team. If you watch a great player , they use their whole body to play, much like great singers. Learn how to focus your energy, I don't mean start pumping iron, but try to be in a good over all health,do some stretch before gigs, etc. When we have a "good day", we usally don't think about anything, but when things are not going too well, our mind panics, and start to over do something to try to make things work. If you can develop a strong musical concept, you can use that to overcome the good-day bad-day thing. I saw Maynard many time with bad cuts on his chops, and in real trouble many times. Even when he couldn't play anything above high C, he always managed to bring the house down! (you can learn more from Maynard on his "off-days")


End of interview sentiment.

Always be honest when you are in front of an audience. What come out from your bell is a very honest reflection of who you are. Experience as much as you can in your life, get out of the practice room, take the mute out, don't miss a chance to play in front of any size audience. You never know who might be listening, and you might change some kid's life, My father's death, divorce, second marriage,birth of my daughter, all the sadness and happiness I experinced so far has affected and has become part of my "sound". I am so excited about how my "sound" is going to change in the future. Thank you Roddy, for giving me a chance to be a part of your great site!!!