Reprinted from the September 2014 issue of Allegro:

’ll never forget Mr. Al Burbank, who was my junior high school band and jazz band director. Mr. Burbank was a trumpeter. He had the last joint of his ring finger missing, which I always found fascinating. I believe the secret to his success was his relaxed attitude – an attitude I try my best to cultivate not only in my playing but also in my approach to teaching. Mr. Burbank’s famous aphorisms? “Don’t play during the rests,” and “Let’s do it again to make sure we didn’t get it right by accident.”