Larry Meregillano has been performing on the trumpet professionally since he was 15 years old.

In that time, he has performed all over the world, performing in the background, in the foreground, and everywhere in between.

As you can imagine, he needed to develop a great deal of endurance in order to meet the demands of his profession, playing lead in the Disneyland Band, leading cruise ship bands, and much more.

His experience and knowledge led to him creating the The Compression Training System (CTS), a tool that is taking the brass world by storm, and changing the way thousands of players approach their craft and improving their range and endurance.

I wanted to get Larry on the show to discuss the CTS, its founding origins, how it works, how it benefits any type of player. And while this might sound like an infomercial, I humbly suggest the info shared in this episode favors the "info" more than the "mercial".

Enjoy the episode!

What you'll hear in this episode:

-Larry shares some of his travel and performing adventures!...01:45

-Why major stars wear a "mask" when among the public vs. their private selves...04:15

-The trumpet has somehow managed to remain relevant in pop culture over time...06:15

-The greats don't need to mimic or compare themselves to other great players...09:45

-Fear of success, and why we're terrified of creating something truly unique...11:55

-The basic science behind the The Compression Training System (CTS)...16:45

-Compression described as it relates to playing trumpet...20:30

-What's going on inside the mouth is the "missing link" when it comes to trumpet pedagogy...26:40

-How the CTS enables trumpeters to utilize "progressive overload training" as incorporated by professional weight lifters...31:00

-How the CTS works in improving ranger, power and endurance...36:20

-Plus whatever your discerning ears deem worthy of your time and interest...

Episode sponsor:

Odd-Meter Technical Exercises by Michael Hengst: Original exercises and adaptations of your favorite exercises, all in 5/8 and 7/8 time.

Resources mentioned:

The Compression Training System (CTS)

About the Guest:

Larry Meregillano is a Eclipse artist/clinician. He started his professional career playing in big bands in San Diego in the early 1970’s. In 1976, he was hired to play in Tom Ranier’s Show band at Disneyland.

A year later, Mr. Meregillano joined the gospel group Truth and soon after went on to perform and tour with The Bill Gaither Trio. While traveling and recording with The Bill Gaither Trio, he also recorded with Sandi Patti, David T, Clydsdale, Ron Huff, Don Marsh and many others.

In 1980, Larry returned to California and became the lead trumpet player for the world-famous Disneyland Band. In the late 1980’s, Larry was hired to play in the PTL Television Orchestra with Jim and Tammy Faye Baker. From there he joined Princess Cruise lines as Musical Director.

After many years, Mr. Meregillano moved to Orlando, Florida, where he performed with many bands at Walt Disney World, MGM Studios, Epcot Center, Universal Studios and Pleasure Island. He has also been the Musical Director and performer for many cruise lines including the world-famous Queen Elizabeth 2.

Larry has toured with the Temptations and The Four Tops, and has been a sideman for Rosemary Clooney, Joe Williams, Jack Jones, Bob Hope, Celia Cruz, Frankie Avalon and many, many others. Mr. Meregillano has recorded with many artists including Hubert Laws, Latoya Jackson, and Rick Dees.

Mr. Meregillano is a busy freelance musician playing recording dates, theater, and stage shows in the Los Angeles area and around the country.

Thank you for joining us on "Trumpet Dynamics" – telling the story of the trumpet, in the words of those who play it.

For more captivating episodes and exclusive content, visit our official website at trumpetdynamics.com. There you can dive deeper into the interviews, discover additional resources, and connect with your fellow trumpeters.

Also be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform, and even leave a rating and review. It really helps with the visibility of the show.

Until we meet again, may your fingers be fluid, your breath unimpeded, and your chops ever fresh.

Play hard!

Many thanks to the great Alexis Baro (listen to his interview on the podcast here) for allowing the use of "Come Together" from his outstanding album Sandstorm for the intro and closing music for the podcast.

Discover Alexis' incredible playing and his terrific contributions to the music world at alexisbaro.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Odd Meter Technical Exercises for Trumpet by Michael Hengst

Original exercises and adaptations of your favorites, all in 5/8 and 7/8 meters.

OTME