Eric Baker, a music social media content creator, said that trumpet players often develop a confident attitude because their instrument plays prominent, exposed roles in performances, leaving no room to hide. Baker was a guest on a recent episode of the Best of Midland Podcast.
“I think I escaped without too much of the arrogance part,” said Baker on a recent edition of the Best of Midland Podcast. “I want to be a very humble trumpet player. The trumpet players are the egos.”
“I think I'll give it the most charitable interpretation: if you play the trumpet, there's nowhere to hide,” Baker said. “ Your bell faces the audience, and you play high and loud and important fanfare-type things. A composer will use the trumpet voice when something important is happening. You have to be brave, you have to be courageous, you have to have a little bit of self-satisfied ‘I got this’ swag about you. You've got to kind of own it because there's no hiding in the trumpet world."
Baker is a social media content creator and professional musician, now serving as the director of community engagement in music and visual arts at the University of Texas Permian Basin.
Best of Midland Podcast is hosted by Ryan Shewchuk and Terra Avery. It is an extension of the broader Best of Midland program, which aims to support small, local businesses by showcasing them and the people behind them. Their website lists top businesses and upcoming live events happening in the area.
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.