As professionals and experts in our art, we should present ourselves to others so they would desire to emulate us.
The Curse of Oak Island has been a series my family and I have watched since its first airing in 2014. If you have never had the opportunity to watch the show, I will attempt to supply a brief synopsis.
Two brothers read about a possible buried treasure on a Canadian Island when they were young. They always wanted to search for it, so they became successful in business, started buying land on Oak Island, and began looking for the treasure, TV people heard about their search, they made it a series, and now we watch it.
For those of you who know about it, yes, we know that they use cliffhangers in order to keep us watching, but, you have to admit, the history is amazing.
On one episode in 2017, my son and I both exclaimed, “BILLY!!!”
The two brothers had brought in a person described as the “Heavy machinery expert,” and he instantly became one of our favorite people working on Oak Island. His name is, Billy Gerhardt.
We enjoy all of the personalities that work on the island. The brothers bring in experts in order to find, expose hidden structures, and interpret their discoveries. Each and every person contributes to the story of the TV series as well as educate about the mysteries of the island.
However, no one elicits the response we give other than Billy Gerhardt.
As a trumpet player, I want to be like Billy.
He isn’t loud, boisterous, cocky, arrogant, or too much of a talker on camera. He will give expert opinions or guidance when needed while operating all types of machinery with expert skill. It is amazing to watch him skim six inches of soil from the top of the ground without disturbing a cobblestone pathway that was possibly built in the 1600s-1700s. He is a master of his craft and those who work with him appreciate him and acknowledge his expertise. Whenever he says anything, everyone listens.
Too many times a trumpet player, especially a person playing lead, will embrace an attitude that parallels one of Mr. Wormwood from “Matilda”.
“I’m right, you’re wrong, I’m big, you’re little, and there is nothing you can do about it!”
Someone may be a great lead player, but if they have that type of personality or attitude, they would not be a pleasant person to work with and there would be a good chance their services would not be needed for too long.
So, as I keep working on my lead chops, improv chops, and getting jobs, I strive to be like Billy.
I want to be an expert with my machinery (trumpet), give helpful advice (when appropriate), and be the type of person that people will eventually enjoy watching (supporting live music by attending my gigs).
Maybe that is what I could call a new horn band, “Be Like Billy!”
I wonder if he would require me to pay him royalties.