Trumpet Player

To hear some samples of Greg click here.

Atlanta trumpeter Greg McLean is a versatile musician who plays a variety of styles from classical to jazz, pop and everything in between. McLean prefers the expressive freedom of jazz, but enjoys making music in multiple genres. He says: “I’ve always tried to think like a studio musician and be prepared to play any style. For me the key is to play each style with integrity and honesty. Whether I’m playing in a brass quintet or playing cornet with Hotlanta Dixieland Jazz, or playing in a big band, I try to play what the style requires.”

McLean’s first professional gig was playing trumpet for the Harlequin Dinner Theater in Atlanta, GA. “As a sophomore in college I was playing eight Broadway shows per week. The rest of the pit orchestra consisted of my classmates from GSU. It was a professional outfit, though. I did have to audition, and I practiced a lot so I could pass the audition. My applied teacher at Georgia State, Bill Hill, devoted an entire lesson help me prepare. He took me through every note of the first show. That show was Where’s Charlie which ran for about six weeks. Then we had multi-week runs of Company and Guys and Dolls. It was a lot of fun and great experience. However, after about six months I realized it was too hard to play a full-time gig AND be a full-time music major, so I left the orchestra.”

Like many trumpet players, Greg experienced the travails of embouchure changes, braces, equipment changes, etc. But, through perseverance managed to maintain a high skill level. Greg credits his high school band director, Jack Foos, for guiding him towards a career in music. “Jack was strict, but an excellent teacher. He was also a fine trumpet player. ” Greg’s main trumpet teachers were: Jim Sedlack, Steve Winick, William Hill, George Rawlins and Larry Black.   He also had lessons with Keith Johnson and James Thompson.

“As a kid growing up in Chamblee, GA, I never expected to see the world or sit next to world-class musicians or write music for them. I’ve been lucky enough to do both.”