Freelance Musican, Author, and Educator

Biography

 

Dr. Donny Albrecht enjoys an active career balancing his love of teaching and performing as a freelance trumpet player in the Washington, DC, area. Dr. Albrecht is the professor of trumpet at Frostburg State University, where he teaches Undergraduate and Graduate jazz and classical trumpet. He has held teaching positions at several musical institutions over his 16-year teaching career. Dr. Albrecht's students have gone on to many careers as professional musicians and attended several top colleges and universities. Dr. Albrecht is a member of the Local 161 - 710 Musicians Union, where he can be heard playing at various theaters and performance locations around the DMV.

Dr. Albrecht has had the privilege of freelancing all over the US, performing with The Eagles, Blood Sweat and Tears, Alison Krauss, Doc Severinsen, Tony Succar, Tito Puente Jr., The Latin Jazz All Stars, Brenda K. Starr, The Machito Orchestra, Eddie Palmieri, Oscar Arriaga, Don Braden, Ernie Watts, Glen Wilson, The US Army Ambassadors, and countless others. Dr. Albrecht has performed with the likes of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, American Pops Orchestra, Defiant Requiem Opera Orchestra, National Menorah Orchestra, National Tree Lighting Orchestra, Urbana Pops Orchestra, Champaign Symphony Orchestra, and Oakland Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Albrecht can be heard on countless recordings in the Studio A Band and Washington Winds at Omega Recording Studios.

Dr. Albrecht is a graduate of Berklee College of Music. At Berklee, he studied with Charlie Lewis and Lin Biviano. Upon leaving Berklee, Dr. Albrecht moved to study with Jay Saunders at the University of North Texas. Dr. Albrecht continued his musical studies in New York City, attending the Aaron Copland School of Music under the tutelage of Michael Philip Mossman with additional studies with Tony Kadleck and Nick Marchione. Upon graduating with his Master's in Music from Aaron Copland School of Music, he would earn his Doctoral Music degree at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign under Tito Carrillo, Ronald Romm, and Charles Daval. Dr. Albrecht would also start to study with Bobby Shew at this time.

Dr. Albrecht's dissertation, Lead Trumpet Style: A Stylistic Analysis of Modern Lead Trumpet Playing through the Examination of Five Prominent Lead Trumpet Players, features the stylistic analysis and interviews of Wayne Bergeron, Tanya Darby, Jon Faddis, Tony Kadleck, and Bobby Shew.

 

 

Audio Recordings:

Here is a sample of my playing, I hope you enjoy!

 
 

Classical Recordings:

Jazz/Comercial Recordings:

Lead Trumpet:

Dissertation: Lead Trumpet Style: A Stylistic Analysis of Modern Lead Trumpet Playing Through the Examination of Five Prominent Lead Trumpet Players

Abstract:

Playing lead trumpet in a big band setting is a position that demands a great deal from a musician. The needed skills go beyond the ability to play high notes and to have tremendous endurance. Both skills are required, but the job is much more than that. The lead trumpet chair requires the ability to set the time feel for the whole band and dictate the articulations, phrasing, dynamics, and other stylistic nuances. Each of these nuances is varied by the band and the era the music was written or intended to emulate. Prior knowledge of how the music developed and who the significant lead trumpet stylists are past and present is essential for playing the lead trumpet in a big band. This analysis explores the stylistic expectations for playing lead trumpet in a big band. These expectations are examined through the analysis of charts and performances of five prominent lead trumpet players. Little has been written about interpreting big band music through the lens of lead trumpet playing, and a written performance guide practice has not been documented. This study intends to establish a guide and performance practice that others may use as a guide to their stylistic development.

Lead Trumpet Materials: Use these to help you improve your Lead Trumpet Playing!

 

Additional Educational Materials

These are original trumpet exercises that I composed or adapted to custom-fit my students' needs. They might work for you, too…

Feel free to reach me here…