RODDY o-iii<O
Trumpet Celebrity Interviews
[ a celebration of the artistry of ALL styles of Trumpet ]
A N D R E A T O F A N E L L I
From jazz to classic and pop music he has performed in the USA ("Making Waves" Festival, San Francisco 1997), Malta, Finland (Oulu Jazz Festival 1999), Germany (Hannover Expo 2000 and Ludwigshafen Theatre, 1988), France (Radio France, 1988), Lichtenstein, Austria, Svitzerland, Holland (Concertgebow di Amsterdam, 1988), Belgium, Scotland (Usher Hall, Festival di Edimburgo, 1988) and Principato of Monaco (Sporting Club, 1996).
In Italy, he has performed as lead trumpet and soloist with a rainbow of very famous italian artists, singers, and some great international stars like George Michael ("Pavarotti & Friends For Cambodia and Tibet", 2000, TV live concert released on video and CD by Decca), Joe Cocker, Tom Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Randy Crawford, Matt Bianco, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Samantha Fox, Imagination, Patrick Hernandez, Tony Hadley and Paul Young.Andrea has also performed with great jazz musicians as Maynard Ferguson, Peter Erskine,
Paul Jeffrey, Carl Anderson, John Taylor and Palle Daniellson.
He has played as lead and soloist trumpet with many italian big bands:
Jazz Art Orchestra (Parma), Barga Jazz Big Band (Lucca), Evolution Big Band (Milano), New Sugar Kitty Big Band (Piacenza), All Times Big Band (Perugia), N.C.D.M. Big Band (Milano), Demo Band (Milano), Band IT (Como), JAM Big Band (Livorno), New Forties Big Band (Milano), Keever Big Band (Novara), Dino Siani Big Band (Lecco), Di Gregorio Big Band (Pesaro), Bansigu Big Band (Genova), Village Big Band (Bologna), Onda Sonora Big Band (Carrara) and the Orchestra Nazionale Giovanile di Jazz (Italian National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Siena), Teatro Comunale of Casalmaggiore with Maynard Ferguson and "Big Bop Nouveau" (2000).
In 1999 he also recorded "MATTIA'S WALK", his first CD as leader, released by italian label Splasc(H) Records, and in 2001 "RICORDO DI...NAPOLI", a tribute to the great neapolitan italian music released by italian label Fonotecnica.
Andrea cooperated with acid jazz group "Black & Brown" (Irma Records, 1995) and with salsa music latin bands "Raza Latina", "Latin Sound Perù" and "Syncopa Latina", accompanying famous salsa singers Ray Sepulveda, Jorge Louis and Johnny Rivera in their italian tours, performing at the latin-american festivals in Viareggio, Milano and Verona (1999/2000) .
He teaches trumpet at the "N.C.D.M." school of music in Cusano Milanino (Milan), and has been substitute at the "Istituto Musicale Pareggiato L. Boccherini" in Lucca.In this conservatory he actually gives a masterclass on lead trumpet playing and high range of the trumpet.
T H E I N T E R V I E W......
>>>Would you like to add your web address / email at this point?
http://www.andreatofanelli.com andtofa@tin.it
Yes, of course.
>>> Was your family background musical?
My father played a Eb bugle in the village band, non professionally but
with a great love for music. I was born and grow up in Torre del Lago
Puccini, here in Italy. it's the village (now a little city) where the
great opera composer Giacomo Puccini lived and wrote all his beautiful
music. No others members of the family knows and plays music. I think
the father of the father of my mother played a cornet for his personal
amusement...
>>> What made you decide to play trumpet?
My parents tell me that i was 4 years-old when, watching a tv show with
a great orchestra, i ran to the tv and shouted, pointing at the trumpet
players: "i will play that, when i will be grown!". In that period my
father still had not begun to play in the village band, no one talked
about music in the family, so it is a mystery...i don't know why, i only
can say that it was stronger than me...
>>> At what age did you start?
Well, at the same age of 4 i began to play a little keyboard with one
finger, repeating songs i heard at the tv and radio. No one told me to
do that, and my parents where very impressed...but i began to play the
trumpet only at the age of 11, because the family doctor adviced my
parents to wait until this age for giving me a trumpet. He told them
that if i had begun before i was 11 years-old, my lungs should have
suffered.
>>> On leaving your education, have you always been a full time musician?
Not completely till i was 18/19 years-old. I was playing with
professional musicians, here in Italy, since i was 14/15 years-old but i
was studying also in a languages school, and i finished my languages
studies regularly. At the same time i was studying also at the
Conservatory. Here in Italy the school system is different from US: the
Conservatory do not give to the alumni a general culture, so if you want
to learn it you must attend other schools. It is not obligatory, but my
parents wanted to give me also another opportunity of work, because they
said that one day i will have the possibility to choose: music or...something else.I can say that studying in a languages school and attending Conservatory at the same time has been...very hard, but useful!
>>> Describe your early experiences of semi / pro work.
In the semi/pro work period i played every genre of music, from
classical to big band: i wanted to learn to play everything! In that
period i worked and studied with a great trumpet player of the Tuscany
area, mr Bruno Franceschi. He was totally...amazing! I also played a lot
with a local big band directed by an old trumpeter who toured the world
playing all the life on the ships. He had the opportunity to know some
great trumpeters in the US and heard all the most important american big
bands. So i learned a lot from him about the "drive" and interpretation
of the lead trumpet. In that period i was called in a big band for
accompaning the canadian trumpeter Kenny Wheeler as special guest: i was
very impressed by his way of playing! When i was a boy i was working a
lot also with dance music little bands.
>>> Who were your teachers?
I have studied with a lot of different trumpet players, and tried to
learn the best from everyone of them. The most important have been:
Mr Bruno Franceschi, classical trumpeter and teacher till about 1980 at
the Conservatory in Lucca.
Mr Mauro Malatesta, teacher at the same Conservatory after mr Franceschi
was pensioned. He has been my official teacher, and i did my
Conservatory studies with him.
Mr Oscar Valdambrini, jazz soloist trumpet of the RAI orchestra (italian
State television orchestra) in Rome. He really was a great person and musician.
Mr Sergio Fanny, for a a few lessons, jazz soloist trumpet of the RAI
orchestra (italian State television orchestra) in Milan.
Mr Vinko Globokar, trombone player, when i won the audition for the
Italian Youth Orchestra.
Mr Bill Campbell, who was for a short period the 1st trumpet at the
"Maggio Fiorentino", in Florence. Only a few lessons.
Mr Vincenzo Camaglia, ex soloist trumpet of the "Accademia di Santa
Cecilia" in Rome. Great person and amazing musician. Now, after a lot of
troubles with his teeth, he is 3rd trumpet in the same orchestra.
But the teacher who really changed completely my life of trumpet player
was lamented trumpeter Armando Ghitalla, absolutely the greatest
influence on my trumpet playing ever!At today, still i cannot think of a good way to thank him. I jealously preserve the last
letter he sent me from the hospital a few weeks before he died, in which
he did a lot of compliments for my playing on my cd "Mattia's Walk"...
I really owe my range, sound and endurance to him. I have no words
enough...
>>> What Orchestral experience have you had?
A lot, in every genre of music.
Orchestral work includes...
- 1st classified at the national audition for the "Orchestra Giovanile Italiana" (Italian Youth Orchestra, Italy, 1988), with following european tour :
___________________________
Roma - "Auditorium RAI Foro Italico";
Amsterdam - "Concertgebow";
Montpellier - "Chateau de Castries";
Parigi - "Radio France";
Namur - "Festival Eté Mosan";
Festival di Edimburgo - "Usher Hall".
- 1st classified at the national audition for first trumpet, Orchestra Lirico-Sinfonica del Teatro del Giglio of Lucca (Italy, 1988), with following tour in Ludwigshafen (Germany).
- Finalist at the italian selections for the ECYO, European Community Youth Orchestra (1988).
- Collaborations with these italian symphonic/chamber orchestras:
ORT Orchestra Regionale Toscana (Tuscany Regional Orchestra).
Orchestra Lirico-Sinfonica del Teatro del Giglio of Lucca (Lucca Theatre Orchestra).
Orchestra da Camera Lucchese (Lucca Chamber Orchestra).
EUR Spettacoli.
- Recording on G. Pacini sacred music (italian composer, 1796-1867) with the Orchestra Lirico-Sinfonica del Teatro del Giglio of Lucca (1988).
- Compulsory military service in the Italian Air Force Band (Rome, 1989/90).
>>> Any funny / interesting on the road type stories?
When i was 14 years-old a famous italian arranger, Luciano Maraviglia,
called me in his orchestra for replacing the 4th trumpet for some
concerts. Somebody told him: "This Andrea Tofanelli is an interesting
young trumpet player. Hear him". Well, before the week was out i was
promoted to lead trumpet...! I was only 14 years-old and other (professional)
trumpeters in the section were 40/50 years-old...i can not forget this!
Another time, in 1998, i was performing with a popular italian big band
in a very popular tv show. I had to play a solo during a salsa piece,
and i thought to climb on my chair for making the solo more spectacular.
But in the middle of the solo i threw off my balance and...crashed on
the trombone and saxophone sections under me! It was very funny and
all the audience, and the presenter split their sides with laughter.
>>> What session (Jingles / TV) experience have you had?100's of TV programmes / concerts / singles etc...
http://www.andreatofanelli.com/page17.html
>>> Other playing experiences?
POP, DANCE, LIGHT MUSIC.
- Ivana Spagna, very popular italian singer "La nostra canzone" (Sony) (2001).
- "Pavarotti & Friends For Cambodia and Tibet" (Decca) (2000).
- Gianni Morandi, very popular italian singer: "Celeste, Azzurro e Blu" (BMG-Penguin) (1997).
- "Demo Morselli Big Band" (RTI MUSIC) (1997).
- "Ho vinto un viaggio" by Ricky Anelli (Nuove proposte Sanremo 2001).
- Bobby Solo, italian singer (2001).
- Pamela Prati, italian showgirl (RTI MUSIC) (1997).
- Natalia Estrada, showgirl (RTI MUSIC) (1997).
- Compilation remix "Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet" (RTI MUSIC) by Gonzales, for 'Watt Management Unit Of Power, Dublin (Irleland) p(1997).
- Fabrizio Casalino, italian singer: "Come un angelo" (Polygram) (1997).
- n° 6 albums: "Balli di Gara" series (volumes n° 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11) (Prandi Sounds Records) for international dance competitions (1994/95/96).
- n° 2 volumes of music for circus (RTI MUSIC) (1998).
- Recording of music for children TV shows (RTI MUSIC) (1998).
- Many remix and compilations for the "Aria Studio" and "Dipiù Records"(Milano, Italy).
JAZZ e LATIN MUSIC.
- "8 E MEZZO" with the Jazz Art Orchestra (1998).
- "CASINO ROYALE volume n° 36" with the Keever Big Band (RTI MUSIC) (1997).
- "SALSA QUE TE PASA" with the latin group "Sincopa Latina" (1997).
- "CANTAUTORI IN JAZZ" (Abeat) (2000).
(Others jazz albums with Barga Jazz Big Band and Associazione Siena JAzz will be published in the next future).VIDEOS
"LORENZO, RACCOLTO 1997" (Polygram).
"PAVAROTTI & FRIENDS For Cambodia and Tibet" (Decca).
Discography: MOTION PICTURES SOUNDTRACKS (Italy)- Soundtrack: "Nei Secoli dei Secoli" for RTI MUSIC (Mediaset Network) (1997).
- 2 soundtrack for japanese cartoons (1997).
- Soundtrack: "Professione: Fantasma" for RTI MUSIC (Mediaset Network) (1997).
- Soundtrack: "Lucignolo" for Cecchi Gori Productions (1999).
>>> have you a solo recording available?
Yes. My first cd is "Mattia's Walk", available at
http://www.jazzos.com web site.[ you gotta get this guys - it's a killer! - Rod ]
The other is "Ricordo di Napoli".
You can find info on my website
http://www.andreatofanelli.com
>>> Any news on new projects?
I will be guest of the Big Bop Nouveau Band of Maynard Ferguson for the
european tour this summer. Moreover, i work on projects about a jazz cd
and a (very hard) funky cd. I also want to try to record a pop cd.
Here in Italy i will keep on working for tv networks in shows, concerts...
It should be wonderful also to come in the US permanently, or giving
seminars there.
>>>Anywhere else we can see / hear you on the web?
For sure...
http://www.trumpetstuff.com/Home.html http://www.trumpetguild.org/ http://www.whc.net/rjones/trumpage.html http://www.whc.net/rjones/trumptext.html http://www.deccabroadway.com/selection.asp?selection_id=3547 http://www.universalclassics.com/usa/selection.asp?selection_id=3547 http://jazz-art.euroweb.it/ http://www.bargajazz.com/ http://www.ijm.it/splasc(H)/ http://www.jazzos.com/ http://www.lomellina.it/keever/ www.R-o-d-d-y-T-r-u-m-p-e-t.cC
>>> Any funny / interesting stories about other famous trumpet players?
Arturo Sandoval loves italian shoes, particularly an expensive mark
called "Valleverde". He only wear this kind of shoes in the free time.
Well, when he toured in Italy in 1998 with Tito Puente and Steve Winwood
i drove him with my car and spent all the day with him throught Milan
searching all the "Valleverde" shops! He really bought a lot of shoes,
that day...
Another little story is about drummer Mr. Peter Erskine:
I accompanied his trio in 1996 during his italian tour with the Italian
Jazz Youth Orchestra. One day i decided with my friends of the trumpet
section to play the "Metro Goldwyn Meyer signature tune" when the presenter
introduced mr Erskine; a little joke. We decided to play it harmonizing
the melody in fourths. At the concert, the presenter introduce Mr.Erskine
and we played it and all the people laughed and applauded us.
Mr Erskine turn back towards us and seriously said: "Tomorrow we will
see on your voicings...". Well, the following day he called us on the stage
one hour before the sound check, put his hands on the piano and,
smiling, teach us the right voicing of the sig. tune...and he wanted us to
play it at the concert!!!
Now hear this spectacular anecdote:
Armando Ghitalla gave a 10 days seminar in Italy in the summer of 1987 and i followed it. There were some of the best italian classical trumpet players following the seminar with me.
One day, mr Ghitalla told us to go on the street, choose one common man from any of the crowd and bring him to the place where we were attending the seminar. Mr Ghitalla wanted to show us that he could make everyone able to play in the high register also if this one has never played a horn!
So, two of us went on the street and after ten minutes came back with a
young man, probably an office worker, with his beautiful bag under the
arm.
Armando explained to him what kind of experiment wanted to do and
the young man agreed, also if he knew nothing about music. Mr. Ghitalla
give him a chair and began to explain what playing a trumpet means and
all the right things to do for trying to play it.
Then Mr.Ghitalla spent less than 30 minutes for giving him a right embouchure, according to what he was teaching to us in the seminar. And, after this 30 minutes,
he told to the young man: "Blow strong and try to hit high notes"...
Well. In the general astonishment the young man began to play very loud
high E, F and G, till double C with incredible facility!
Obviously, the notes were not tuned, his way of playing was confused and after 10
minutes his lips were down, but it was the first time that he played a trumpet and immediately he was able to hit those high notes! Really incredible...
_________________________________
>>> Favourite four albums?
"Message From Newport" and "MF Horn & MF Horn Two" by Maynard Ferguson;
Sandoval's "Danzon" and TOP's cd "Tower Of Power-Soul Vaccination-Live".
But i also love all the Bill Chase releases and "The Duke Ellington 70'
Anniversary" and "Skechtes Of Spain" of Miles Davis...but i could list
other 200/300 favourite recordings!
>>> Favourite two movies?
"The Mambo Kings" and "Mo' Better Blues", but in general i am not
fanatic of cinema or movies. Anyway i like very much "X-Files" tv series...
>>> Favourite three foods?
Fish in general, meat in general, cakes in general...and pizza (and red wine!).
>>> Non-musical hobbies / points of interest you enjoy?
I try to be in good form, so when i have time i do some simple physical
exercices. I also like the nature and animals in general.
But i think that my family and, moreover, my two sons (Mattia, 3 years-old, and
Dania, 1 years-old) are my principal...non-musical hobbies in the free time!
>>> Do you take days off from playing? (How does it affect you?)
Yes, if i can. One day in a week is dedicated to lips relax, but only if
musical engagements allow me to do it.
If, for some reasons, i must stop for 2 days or more, surely i feel it on the trumpet...
>>> Three Trumpet tips you wish to share with the readers.
I don't know...
>>> End of interview sentiment.
...for example,
Armando Ghitalla loved to narrate that in the middle of his beautiful
career in the Boston Simphony Orchestra he decided to stop for a period
for changing his embouchure. Incredible, isn't it?
Well, dear Roddy, thank you and excuse me if i have made some language mistakes.
Let me know if my answers have been good and useful for your interview.
This from Roddy:
"At this point in the interview I decided to ask Mr.Tofanelli if he understood the concept of "trumpet tips"...I thought perhaps we had a language / translation problem.
While describing in a more formal manner the term "trumpet tips" I took him at his word, and cheekily, I fired back at him his own two chop questions :
Have you ever had problems with embouchure?
How did you resolve them?
Read on for his interesting replies......
_______________________________________________________________
Dear Roddy,
i have understood the question about tips but i really don't know what
new advice i can give to your readers.
By now, there is a lot of books, methods, web sites....talking about these themes.
All the things written about are good.
Anyway, for me, quite important are :
* Long tones:
i play every day the first pages of the 2nd and 3rd books
of the A.Sandoval method, in the way as he describe. Sometimes i also
use to warm up playing a pianissimo central G (second staff, isn't it?)
for about 20 minutes. I think that playing long tones, using air column
and lips muscles in the right way, is a good medicine for endurance and
sound.
* Muscles around the lips:
they must support the playing effort, above all, in the high range and playing loud.
* Air column:
concerning quantity and speed of the air.
But the best advice i can give to everyone is this...
....all the body movements and mechanism we operate during the trumpet playing are important. If all is done in the right way the result will be good. Analyze yourself if something does'nt come out from your horn, and try to understand why.
Methods are important, but a free mind is more important; it means that
you can progress and improve youself in everything you play (not only
studying methods), if you try to play it in the right way.
>>> Have you ever had problems with embouchure and -
- how did you resolve them? [ hehehe gotcha !! ]
Well, here is a "scabrous" theme...i only wanted to do an example for
other questions you could put in the schedule, but in effect in a period
of my life i had some problems with embouchure, and i have studied a lot
on this subject (you can not imagine how much...)
When i began to study at the Conservatory (i repeat that here in Italy
is different from US, where the Conservatory is considered like an
University), as i narrate you before, i was already working in the
Tuscany area with bands, dance music bands, big bands and also something
with classical music.
My embouchure was strong, i played with 1/4 higher lip and 3/4 lower
lip, with my trumpet inclined up (like now) and the lower lip open on
the red part.
You know that embouchures are different from trumpeter to trumpeter.
There is not only one right embouchure for everyone, because everyone has
his own face, jaw and teeth formation, so i think your embouchure should
be the most natural possible.
But my teacher got the terrible idea to change my embouchure, telling me
to play in the most known classical embouchure, that is 3/4 higher lip
and 1/4 lower lip, inclining my trumpet down ...what a disaster!
I can not play like anything more, and after two lines of an excercise my lips
were... cooked. I did 3 years like this, and my teacher did not know
what to do.
I keep on working in the Tuscany area as before but playing 3rd or 4th trumpet in the sections. I really was down, and very sad. One day i decided to talk with my teacher, with the suppot of my parents, and told him that i wanted to come back to my natural embouchure. It was the only thing to do, because also other experiments we tried were been a failure.
He agreed, and i started again to study my embouchure.
In less than 4 months i was ok, but not completely. In fact, i was not able
to find again the exact embouchure i had before entering at the
Conservatory. So, i was able to play and do again lead trumpet and take
successfully my intermediate examinations at school, but there was
something different, and i was not completely satisfied.
Two months before my final examination for the diploma i read about
Mr Armando Ghitalla's seminary in Italy and i went there immediately.
He told me to put my lips into the mouthpiece, but without changing my high
inclination of the horn, and try to play very closed, building a wall
with my lips...it's hard to explain with words, but when my alumns see
it, they immediately understand.
Anyway, mr Ghitalla did the miracle...i changed again my embouchure, as mr Ghitalla told me, and i followed and practiced all the things he explained during the seminary. After a month i was a new trumpeter, a new life was started and i did my final
examination at the Conservatory successfully, with highest full marks (10 and praise, the only one in trumpet in all the story of the Conservatory of Lucca).
You know the rest...
Take care and keep in touch Roddy.
Andrea Tofanelli
Thank you very much indeed for sharing your thoughts with the
' Trumpet Web Community '2nd April 2002 .
Greg Evans' Trumpetstuff.com w/Andrea's video / audio clips
(Click Here)