Photo by Matthew Hicks MSH Photography
If you were able to make it to any previous concerts during the school year, you’ll remember a certain person killing the trumpet with the solos he had throughout the concert: Logan Smoot.
“I started playing when I was in 5th grade,” says the sophomore trumpet player for the Ottawa University Music Program. “It was the first opportunity I got to join the school’s band, and I thought it would be fun since my brother was about to graduate high school and had done band since he was in 5th grade as well.”
Smoot appreciates the passion that drives the music.
“My favorite thing about playing the trumpet is when I’m playing with friends who are also passionate about creating and performing music. This creates an atmosphere where musicians can try new things, and when musicians feel like they are in a safe environment to do that, it makes the group sound phenomenal,” he says.
Smoot recalls his favorite musical memory to place during his junior year of high school. He was busking at the Crossroads’ First Fridays festival on a street corner with five of his friends when a large crowd began to assemble.
“I would estimate the crowd to be about 200 to 250 people who were all interested in what we, six random high schoolers, were doing,” he says. “Looking out into the crowd while you play can be nerve-wracking sometimes, but in this moment, I looked out and felt the most confident and proud of what I’d created in my entire life. I often look back on that moment to inspire me to keep working toward my goals in music.”
The trumpet player wishes he can continue what he loves doing by becoming a professional.
“I am hopeful that I can make a liveable career out of playing music with other people who have the same ambitions,” he says. “Musicians often struggle to make ends meet by only playing music, so I hope that I am able to make money doing what I love.”