WOMAN TRUMPETER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23037, 14 May 1938, Page 25

WOMAN TRUMPETER

CLASSICAL ARRANGEMENTS UNUSUAL CAREER The only woman trumpeter of her kind in the world, Miss Gladys Adams East, who arrived at Auckland yesterday by the Monterey, has chosen for herself an unusual career in music. While to most minds the trumpet suggested a very masculine instrument j or a necessary part of a modern jazz band, Miss East said that she was interested in the use of the trumpet in classical compositions. Actually, the trumpet, understood and played as true music, could become a distinctly feminine instrument with the harsh notes usually associated with it, transformed into the sound of singing pipes. Tht* possibilities of the trumpet were numerous and its tones vastly varied. Unfortunately, there was no classical music transcribed for the trumpet, but this Miss East overcame by making her own arrangements for her instrument. Of this she had done a great deal, choosing her repertoire from the works of famous composers. At a performance given by Miss East for Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, wife of the President of the United States, prior to her sailing, her programme had included selections from such composers as Schubert, Mozart, Tschaikowsky and Ravel. The rendering of classical music on the trumpet required a great deal of hard work and hours of practice, said Miss East. As in few other instruments, a wrong note on the trumpet was most noticeable and very easy to play. Although she deplored the reputation given to trumpets by modern danoe bands, Miss East said that, of its type, a good jazz hand could express a mastery of that form of art. Actually, there was very little difference between the arrangement of modern jazz music and some of the work of famous composers. Both Gershwin an.d Wagner departed frequently from set methods of musical composition. In Miss East's opinion, a good player of jazz music oould be a good instrumentalist, while perhaps not a* good musician.