Posts by James Newcomb
“Settling” for a gig with a Top-5 orchestra
When Tony Prisk, second trumpet with the Philadelphia Orchestra, told me about some of his colleague’s attitude about their day job (in the most recent installment of the Trumpet Dynamics podcast, which you can access here ) I thought he was joking. How could a person devote their entire life from childhood to excelling at a craft,…
Read MoreThe reason I still play trumpet (for better or worse)
Interesting story for you. In May 2021, my wife Sana and I were riding in a taxi from our apartment to a mall in Hanoi, Vietnam for a relaxing Saturday lunch and stroll through the mall. I had been active playing trumpet for pretty much my entire life, yet the trajectory of my professional career…
Read MoreNew podcast recorded on the Oceanfront
Good evening, Short email for you, kind of a “proof of life” if you will. We ended up having an extremely busy week, as we apartment-shopped, packed up out of one house and moved into another one in the space of less than 72 hours. More than 24 hours of recovery time was needed for both mind and body,…
Read MoreWhat would the Rockefellers do?
Got a hot new podcast thrown through the sausage factory and published super early this morning. I was tossing and turning at about 3 am, so I decided rather than futile efforts at sleeping, may as well get some work done. Today’s episode of the Gone Newclear podcast features financial adviser Sarry Ibrahim of thinklikeabank.com. Sarry has helped…
Read MoreSecret mind hack to thrive in stressful situations
It’s no secret that performance anxiety is a problem for a lot of people. I’m not necessarily referring to musical performances; far more than that. I’m talking about everyday encounters where we’re forced to choose between saying what’s on our minds or conforming with the norms established by the Gatekeepers of Polite Society. That adrenaline…
Read MoreIt’s Been a Year
I type this email on my iPhone exactly 18 minutes prior to midnight EST on Dec 31, 2022. And although I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, it’s interesting to reflect on the past 12 months to think about what went right, what went wrong, and what just went. In 2022, I traveled between Virginia…
Read MoreI believe in Sensitive and Kind Men…
I believe in the mystical men who believe in themselves. I believe in men who seek temperance and peace inside them. I believe in men poets, dreamers, magicians, writers, alchemists, artists, teachers, and angels. I believe in men who like to dance and sing and make life a celebration. I believe in men who embrace…
Read MoreWhy I do a trumpet podcast
When I began my Trumpet Dynamics podcast in January 2016, I knew two things for sure: I am a fan of the trumpet I’m a fan of podcasting I do both fairly well I’m the last person I would ever ask to count anything Well, this is going on 7 years ago, and I’m still…
Read More“More trumpet, less music!”
Merry eve of Christmas Eve! The headline for this email might sound tongue in cheek to my fellow trumpeters, yet with a bit of explanation, even the musical neophytes among my loyal subscribers will have at least a cursory understanding of my message for today. The last four years, my musical performing presence has not…
Read MoreIf I’m not #1, then #2 on you
There seems to be a trend among online marketers within a very narrow circle of influence to take on what seems to be on the verge of a flippant attitude toward one’s customers. My theory is that one particular individual named Ben Settle, who is very influential in his own market, has a policy toward…
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