Grammy award winning pianist, trumpeter, composer, and arranger Jeffrey Holmes has written a work specifically for the UMass Trumpet Studio to compete in the National Trumpet Competition. We are psyched to have placed in the semi-finals this year with this piece, titled "Seven's Realm". Our performance will feature several facets of the UMass music program: the trumpet studio, the jazz program, and our faculty featuring the composition of one of our incredible faculty members. This kind of piece has never been done before at this competition, and the reaction from it could spark new ideas for music. We are looking for support to be able to premiere this brand new work on a national stage and to compete with peers from across the nation.
The competition lasts from March 15-18, and will pit us against several schools from around the country, including the Juilliard School, Florida State University, and UCLA. Professor Berlin and the Department of Music and Dance have generously contributed about half of the funds needed to cover registration, travel and living expenses for our trip to George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. We need your help for the rest!

We feel that music always has a way of giving back to the community and culture, and our rewards allow us to give back in our own special way! And based on the quality of the musicians here at UMass, it would definitely be worth your while checking it out! Even if you aren't able to contribute up to $25, any contribution, no matter how small, is a great help and would be greatly appreciated!
*NOTE* Your payment will be processed the day after the competition ends (March 19th) only if we reach our goal. If we don't reach our goal by that point, then the transaction never takes place and we don't receive anything, and no one receives goodies. So we encourage you to do the best that you can, and spread the word!

Ensemble Personnel

• Steven Bailey, 1st year graduate student from Edgewood, MD
  B.M. in Music Performance from Towson University
  3rd Place, 2009 Towson University Concerto Competition
  Invited to perform at the Poland Embassy in Washington, DC
• Allison Cockshaw, senior year, from Brockton, MA
  Recipient of 2010 ITG Conference Scholarship in Sydney, Australia
  Undergraduate Conducting Intern at UMass Amherst under James Miller
• Dan Fleury, senior year, from Derry, NH
  Recipient of 2010 ITG Conference Scholarship in Sydney, Australia
  President, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia chapter
• Adam Mejaour, sophomore year, from Millbury, MA
  Recipient of 2011 ITG Conference in Minneapolis, MN
  Lead trumpet, Chapel Jazz Ensemble
• Nate Wilson, 2nd year graduate student from Minot, ND
  B.S. in Music from University of Oregon
  3rd Pace, High School Division, 2002 National Trumpet Competition
  Semi-Finalist, Graduate Division, 2011 National Trumpet Competition

In addition, two more of our members are not only in the Seven's Realm Ensemble, but have also placed in the semi-finals of their respective divisions and will also be competing on their own:

Micah Maurio, Semi-finalist, Jazz Division, from Caribou, ME
2nd year graduate student in Jazz Composition and Arranging
B.M. in Jazz Performance from the University of Southern Maine
Micah has been an active competitor on the national level, earning a spot as a Jazz Division Finalist and Undergraduate Division Semi-Finalist at the NTC (National Trumpet Competition) in 2008.  He was ranked 3rd in the Jazz Division at NTC in 2011. He has toured and taught abroad, in Colombia, and has been accepted as one of only six collegiate trumpeters in the world to attend and participate in the 2012 IASJ Conference (International Association of Schools of Jazz) in Graz, Austria this June.

Scott Nichols, Semi-finalist, Graduate Division, from Dayton, OH
2nd year graduate student in Trumpet Performance
B.M. in Trumpet Performance from Bowling Green State University
Scott has performed with several symphonies and ensembles, including the Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra, the Dartmouth College Symphony Orchestra, the UMass Symphony Orchestra, and the Infinity Brass Quintet. He is currently a graduate teaching assistant at UMass Amherst, and is also part of the adjunct music faculty at the Deerfield Academy.