Studio Trumpet Player Steve Patrick of Nashville, Tennessee

Studio Trumpet player Steve Patrick of Nashville, Tennessee is one of the most sought after trumpeters in the Nashville area. Fluent in many musical styles, Steve Patrick has performed and recorded with some of the most notable names in music. received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Indiana University, where he was a student of David Baker, Dominic Spera, and Bill Adam.

Steve relates, "I grew up in a suburb of Chicago. My brother, who I looked up to, played the trumpet. He had a Maynard MF Horn that he used to play. So, I picked up an olds ambassador that was laying around with an olds 3C and taught myself how to play by ear. Besides playing along with albums, i.e. Doc Severinsen, Chuck Mangione, Maurice Andre, and Maynard Ferguson, I practiced classical solo literature. I went to Indiana University, studied with Bill Adam and one of his Assistant Instructors when he was out. I also studied with Charlie Gorham and Bernard Adelstein. Another big influence at that time on my physical playing was Mark Van Cleave.

I went on the road for a short time with Maynard when I was 21 years old. I was fortunate to play with trumpet players much better than me at that time. Craig Johnson and Peter Olstad to name just two. I soaked up a lot of music and learned a lot about playing just from standing next to those guys for a short time. The biggest jump for me though was when I moved to Nashville, Tennessee and was fortunate to start playing trumpet next to players like Mike Haynes, George Tidwell, and Jeff Bailey. Sitting next to them was and still is a lesson in trumpet playing and music every time I get to play with them."

Steve maintains a private teaching studio at his home and teaches trumpet lessons part-time at Trevecca Nazarene University, and Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Several of Steve's students are becoming some of the more established freelance performers in the Nashville area.

Steve has been on over 3000 recording sessions including albums, film scores such as Hoodwinked, and television. Steve can be heard on artist albums such as Salvador, Matchbox 20, Elton John, Vince Gill, Uncle Kracker, Larry Carlton, Garth Brooks, Take 6, Michael W. Smith, Kenny Chesney, Aaron Neville, Travis Tritt, Brooks and Dunn, Bill and Gloria Gaither, Jodee Messina, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Nelson, Montgomery Gentry, Point of Grace, The Mavericks, Sara Evans, Nicole C. Mullen, Shirley Caesar, Trick Pony, Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, Ralph Carmichael, Billy Gilman, Jaci Velasquez, John Anderson, Clay Walker, and Steve Green to name a few. My first exposure to Steve was on the very first Salvador album entitled ... "Salvador." This is an oustanding recording with a Latin (Santana) feel to it! Great brass throughout!

Steve has performed live with artists such as Maynard Ferguson, Paul Simon, Arethra Franklin, Lari White,Tommy Sims, the Dixie Chicks, Randy Brecker, Kenny Loggins, The Temptations, Michael McDonald, Kenny Rogers, Barry Manilow, Patti Austin, The Four Tops, 4-Him, Truth and many more artist.

Nashville Studio trumpet player Steve Patrick plays the ML-Bore Bach Bb trumpets with Blackburn bells. For C trumpet Steve uses a Blackburn. Steve's Flugle is a copper bell Kanstul 1025. Steve's Piccolo is a Schilke P7-4 and he uses a Charlie Melk Eb/D.

For mouthpieces, Steve uses LOUD Mouthpieces ... a line of commercial mouthpieces that Steve has helped develop. Steve plays the LM-5B, the LM-90M, the LM-94, and the LM-3 flugle piece. For piccolo, Steve uses a Bob Reeves 41C and a Besson 6. Steve relates, "The commercial side of our trumpet line is very different than anything currently on the market. It harkens back to the golden age of trumpet where everybody had a big fat huge bright sound. It takes design cues from the early Jet-Tones, but with some fairly substantial differences. The rims are fairly wide and "cushy". This makes a comfortable setup for the player, but also helps disperse the pressure over a larger area of the lips thereby increasing endurance. The mouthpieces have a V shaped cup, and have the perfect amount of resistance in the throat area to be able to play in the high range for hours. The back-bores are set up to accentuate the natural acoustics of a shallow mouthpiece with a trumpet - BIG, BRIGHT and FAT!! The shape of these cups make it possible to play high easier for longer periods of time and not bottom out. The pitch center is more controlled than most shallow C cups as well. These mouthpieces are easier to produce a fuller sound throughout the entire range of the trumpet (including the higher range) as the shallow C cup and with more pitch control for longer periods of time."

Says Steve, "I love listening to pretty much anyone that plays in tune and has a wonderful sound. I listen to a good bit of Nicholas Payton, Claudio Roditi, old Doc Severinsen, old Maynard, Sergei Nakariakov, and older Chicago Symphony recordings."

Steve offers the following playing advice ... "My advice for younger players, or any player for that matter, is to develop your ear. That is your greatest teacher. Listing to great singers, string players, and trumpet players is how we can all get better. You ear dictates what is lacking in your own playing. By listening to great players/singers we realize what we want to have in our own playing. At that point, any good teacher can help you physically get there on the trumpet. "

To contact Steve Patrick ... you can visit Steve's website at SPMusicalServices.com or at


LOUDMouthpieces.com