Trumpet pedagogy and audition culture have increasingly standardized measurable fundamentals (intonation, rhythm, articulation, even tone) to the point of producing interchangeable-sounding players, rewarding safety and predictability over risk and individuality.
Manny Laureano laments that expressive traits like vibrato would be penalized today and cites William Vacchiano’s legacy of training players who did not sound like him.
The episode spotlights Roger Voisin: longtime Boston Symphony principal trumpet known for vocal, vibrato-rich, flexible playing and teaching that fostered individual voices, highlighting the tension between modern uniform excellence and recognizable artistry.
00:53 How Standardization Took Over
01:38 Auditions Reward Safety
02:17 What Great Players Share
03:04 Teaching Without Cloning
03:30 Making Space For Risk
04:41 Manny Laureano On Identity
07:06 Who Was Roger Voisin
08:24 Voisin Sound And Vibrato
09:51 Legacy For Players Today
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