Save by signing up together.
Sign up two or more students back-to-back at the same location and save $10 per lesson.
Students do not have to be related, so feel free to sign up with your friends, neighbors, bandmates, etc.
note: Rate only applies when two or more lessons are given. If one or more students drop, standard rate will apply. Lesson Policy still applies. May not be combined with any other offers or discounts.
Students often ask me about cleaning their trumpet.
All brass instruments need to be cleaned regularly. Just how often depends on how much you play. For the average school/hobby player, every few months should be fine. Players putting alot of hours on the horn may have to clean it out every few weeks. You can get an idea of how ‘dirty’ your horn is by pulling out the tuning slide and mouthpiece and simply looking down the leadpipe.
To clean your trumpet, you will need:
- A sink/tub large enough to fit your horn.
- A few bowls for the smaller components. Salad bowls work great.
- 3 or 4 towels of various sizes.
- Trumpet cleaning brushes (trumpet snake, valve brush, mouthpiece brush).
- Valve oil, slide grease.
The whole procedure should take about 45 minutes.
- Line your sink with a towel. Do the same with the bowls. You don’t want to scratch or dent your horn while you’re cleaning it.
Fill the sink/tub and at least one bowl with lukewarm water. Do not use hot water. Hot water can strip the lacquer off of your trumpet.
- Disassemble your trumpet.
Remove all slides (1st, 2nd, 3rd valves and tuning slide).
Remove the valves. Be sure to keep track of which is which. Most valves have numbers stamped on them, but not all.
If you want to, you can carefully disassemble the valves as well. Unscrew the caps, remove the felts, and keep felts and corks in a separate dry container.
- Soak all parts of your trumpet. Larger parts can go in the sink, small and delicate parts should go in the bowls. Let it soak for 30 minutes. Feel free to go watch some TV.
- Scrub all parts with the appropriate brushes. You can use any non-abrasive dish soap. I recommend putting a little bit of soap on the brushes themselves. You don’t want to use soap on the outside of the horn if you can avoid it. Brush and rinse all pipes, slides, valves, etc.
- After cleaning, let all components dry on a towel. Oil/grease appropriate parts and reassemble the trumpet.
Remember to take your time, especially when taking apart or reassembling your trumpet. Do not force anything. If parts are stuck, you may want to take it to your local technician.
Ryan Messina studied trumpet at SUNY Fredonia. He holds an undergraduate bachelor’s degree of Music Education. Currently, he is studying his graduate work at CUNY Queens in jazz performance. He is an avid teacher and performer in the New York area.
Lesson Policy
- Tuition rates are per weekly lesson for which you will be billed monthly in advance. A specific day/time slot will be reserved for the student. As such student absences will not be refunded and tuition must be paid regardless of student attendance. Student absences can be made up as described in the Attendance Policy though we are not required to do so. We will makeup or credit teacher cancellations.
- Lessons are taught in the student’s home. As such a parent or responsible adult must be present for any student under the age of eighteen (18). If a parent or responsible adult is not present, the lesson will not be taught and will be treated (and billed) as an absence without notification.
- To discontinue lessons, please notify your teacher in advance. If we do not receive notification, you will be billed for your reserved time slot.
Attendance and termination:
- You will be notified of any lesson cancellations.
- Please notify your instructor of any upcoming absences or cancellations on your part. You may do this by phone, eMail, or with the Makeup Lesson Request Form at www.scottkulick.com.
- Absences for which the instructor receives 24-hour advance notification will be eligible for a makeup lesson. Any lesson cancelled the day of will be ineligible for a makeup lesson with the exception of a true medical emergency.
Makeup Lessons:
- Makeup lessons will be scheduled at the discretion of the instructor.
- Makeup lessons must be scheduled within the same calendar year.
- Makeup lessons should be scheduled no more than two (2) weeks in advance.
- Makeup lessons must be scheduled within the same calendar year.
- A student will be entitled to no more than four (4) makeup lessons within a given year.