Portland State University Magazine Fall 1991

I i J principal trumpet in the Boston Pops and assoc iate principal trumpet in the Boston Symphony. Sautter says that John Williams , the Pops' director, is so impressed with Morrison that he wrote a solo for him when he composed the music for the film, Born on the Fourth of July. "I knew within six months that Tim was a spec ial talent," Sautter says. "It had a lot to do with the hard work he put into it-the devotion to learning." It takes a combination of manual dexterity and good work habits to succeed as a musician, says Sautter. But there are spec ific technical skills to be learned , too. And Sautter found that he was spending more and more time correcting his students' improper– ly molded music technique. Several years ago, he began a project that would a sist trumpet instructors in teaching proper techni– que, and could also be used directly by students at the stage where their technique needed refinement. The result, a video titled "Sound the Trumpet," uses a straight-forward , common-sense approach in what Sautter ca lls "a technical book, in video, on how to play the trumpet." The video is interesting as well as informative. Practica l demonstrations such as learning trumpet technique by whistling are juxtaposed aga inst a tuxedo-clad Sautter playing with the Oregon Symphony. Released in 1988, the video h'as ga ined pos itive attention in profes– sional music circles. Marvin Stamm, formerly with the Stan Kenton and Woody Herman bands, was an early rev iewer, and he recommended it highly. And Marvin Clark, an elementary band teacher in Beaverton, is enthusiastic about the video's applica– tion. "It's the best aid to teaching I've encountered in 35 years," he says. One innovative approach contained in the video is X-rays taken of the insides of trumpeters' mouths as they play. But not just any old trumpeters-students can see how Doc Severinsen, Maurice Andre, and members of the American Brass Quin– tet move their jaws, tongues, and lips to produce master-quality sound . Ultimately, improv ing the quality of sound is what it's all about fo r a musician . And it was part of a quest to increase the quality of sound by im– proving horn quality that led Sautter to what he considers one of the greatest adventure of his professional career. In the early 1980s, Sautter heard about a young trumpet maker named David Monette , who was doing some extraordinary trumpet customizing work out of the basement of a music store in Salem. Sautter arranged to meet him, and had Monette do some work on his trumpet. "The sound that resulted was immedi ately on a different level," Sautter says. Before too long, Sautter was making regul ar trips to Salem. He helped Monette refine his trumpet ' making techniques, a craft that has ultimately earned Monette the reputa– tion of being, according to Sautter, the "Stradivarius of trumpets." Sautter was Monette's first tester. He spent months with Monette, rating-on a scale of one to four– components for building a revolution– ary new instrument. Using heav ier materials, an altered mouthpiece, and a meditative approach that allowed him to "hear the music" as he bent the brass tubing, Monette was in the early stages of des igning trumpets that would produce richer, fuller tones with less effort. Now operating out of Chicago, Monette is recognized for producing the most beautiful sounding trumpets in the world, regularly supplying them to artists like Wynton Marsa llis, Maurice Andre, and jazzman Art Farmer. Monette, who was in Portland this July to deliver a custom-made trumpet to Wynton Marsallis just hours before he performed in concert, says that Sautter's help proved crucial. "With someone as accomplished as Fred Sautter," Monette sa id, "[ was eliminating the musician as a vari– able. We could know, then, that any problems we found originated with the instrument." Sautter is content in his relation– ship with Portland these days. Portland State University provides a '' That's where the strength thing comes in," Sautter says. "It's in helping young people learn, through music, to recognize and transcend their own limitations. '' stimulating environment by continu– ing to attract quality musicians, he says. And certainly the combination of playing with the Oregon Symphony and teaching creates a balance that allows for continuous profess ional growth. "T eaching allows me to clarify my thoughts in relationship to playing, and playing keeps me clear in relationsh ip to teaching," he says. And if there is an ultimate payoff to both , it is in the ability to see that art and the disc ipline of music can shape a young person 's value systems. "That's where the strength thing comes in," Sautter says. "It's in help– ing young people learn , through music, to recognize and transcend their own limitations. "And life's limitations are va luable. "When I take on a project," he says, "I look for the limitations. They show me where I can create." O (Eva Hunter is a Portl.andfree-lance writer.) PSU 15