Session: The Mythical Trumpet Mouthpiece: the most discussed, least understood element of trumpet performance with Dale Olson

Prelude: University of Wisconsin-Plateville Trumpet Ensemble

This lecture for the 2023 Conference of the International Trumpet Guild exposes multiple opaque issues related to trumpet mouthpieces covering a span of 3,500 years, dating from 1,500 B.C. to current. Changes of every physical element of the mouthpiece is charted over this period, with emphasis on the concomitant performance characteristics associated with each component. Basic mouthpiece design will be explored, with a focus on interrelationships between the components, a subject that appears to be absent from contemporary mouthpiece technology. The issue of mouthpiece modification will be described with graphics that expose the hidden errors to which all craftsmen are exposed and of which performers should be aware.