The sound of trumpets will soon echo through Pitt State campus this weekend as the 15th annual Midwest Trumpet Festival takes the stage Oct. 5-6. This two-day event brings together performers, students, professors, and the community members to celebrate trumpet music with concerts, recitals, and master classes that are all free to the public.
Director Todd Hastings, a trumpet professor and jazz ensemble director, has grown fond of the tradition since its beginning in 2009. What started as an idea for a one-day event turned into a two-day gathering that drew people in from across the Midwest.
Hastings explained that the festival was created because of a persistent student who wanted to see more trumpet-focused events on campus. “There was a student 15 years ago who constantly asked me to do a trumpet day,” Hastings said. “Finally, he wouldn’t stop pestering me, so I said okay, we’ll do a trumpet day.” The request has created an opportunity for students every year since.
In its early years, planning was a challenge. Hastings recalled not knowing how much funding or how many supplies he’d need to host musicians and educators. “It was a tougher job because it had been the first time,” Hastings said. “So, it was tough to know how much money and supplies we needed, or what all you were going to do and such.”
Now, the Midwest Trumpet Festival runs swiftly on its own. Fifteen Pittsburg State students will open the festival by performing fanfare, setting the tone for the days of performances and opportunities to come.
An important detail Hastings recalled is the opportunity it brings for students to network with professors from other universities and meet professional trumpet players, including Wayne Bergeron, who performed two years ago. “They get to socialize with professors coming from KU, MU, Oklahoma, Northwest Missouri, and all these places,” Hastings said.
While the festival inspires young musicians, it also serves as a professional boost for faculty as well. Hastings emphasized the benefits of teachers bringing students to perform and participate, as it adds valuable experience to their own resumes and dossiers. At the same time, the festival helps promote Pittsburg State’s music program. “It’s a great recruiting tool,” Hastings said. “They’re getting all these different perspectives, I remember there was a teacher from Oklahoma last year who was just in awe of the Bicknell Center.”
Even through the excitement, Hastings admitted that organizing such an event is still stressful. He’s found that registration is a big hurdle, since there’s no existing model for a trumpet-focused camp or day. “Anytime you bring guests to campus, it’s a huge responsibility,” Hastings recalled. “You want everything to go just right.”
Sometimes the stress makes him question whether he should continue. “Every year I ask myself, do I really want to keep doing this?” Hastings said. But the enthusiasm of students keeps him motivated. “If I know these kids learned something, if I learned something, it’s going to happen next year.”
Even after the two-day schedule, the festival leaves its lasting impression. Hastings said students often leave with a burst of inspiration. “After the festival ends, they practice like crazy,” he said.
Pamphlets are handed out during the festival with information on each event, but on the back, a QR code that encourages donations to ensure the event remains free to the community.