“What I keep grabbing from being a leader is the exact opposite of what I thought it was gonna be. I thought it was gonna be ‘I need to grab the reigns’ when, quite frankly, it’s ‘what are you feeling?’ and ‘what can I do for you?’”
Lead trumpet of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and jazz cat since the 5th grade, Nick Marchione has always had his sights on being a musician. From 6am wake-up calls of his dad playing Mahler 5 trumpet excerpts to his mom playing concerts on piano with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Nick grew up surrounded by music.
By the age of 12, Nick knew he wanted to be a jazz cat in the Big Apple. He found his love for jazz thanks to Thad Jones & Mel Lewis records, and now, he’s playing lead trumpet in the very band his idols created. The journey to get there ranged from playing in the Disney Youth Orchestra to touring with Prince, with lots of lessons learned along the way about leadership and “folding”. Every step of the way, he’s been bringing people together.
“Playing lead trumpet, you’re in a leadership position… it’s such an awesome responsibility.
Keep up with Nick Marchione on Instagram @nickmarchionetrumpet and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra @vanguardjazz and https://www.vanguardjazzorchestra.com.
