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The Best Music Podcast #5 | Alex Parchment — Trumpet | #1 on Billboard Smooth Jazz Vibin' In Time

Alex's social media handle on all platforms: @mrparchment

Alex has had the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Blues Alley with jazz luminaries Patti Austin, Christian McBride, David Sanborn, Chick Corea, and Marion Meadows. In 2015, he was selected for the world-renowned Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program at the Kennedy Center. He now performs as a solo artist while also leading the Alex Parchment Quintet, a traditional jazz ensemble and AP.Chemistry, a musical experiment fusing soul, funk, hip hop, R&B and jazz to form a unique and energetic sound. In April 2020, Alex released his debut album entitled Burnin’ Up, which yielded two placements on the Smooth Jazz Billboard’s Top 30 Chart (“Vibin’ In Time” rising to #1, and “It’s Real” rising to #11).  

His new single “When It’s Hot” is out now on all major streaming platforms.

0:00 Intro

1:33 Warm-up questions

2:29 How Billboard works

4:12 Alex #1 song: How it happened

11:18 Alex's mission

13:54 Teamwork: The case for record labels

16:40 Roots and research before the studio

19:48 Album: What was your inspiration?

21:25 Smooth Jazz vs Traditional Jazz

24:51 How to make the trumpet sing

26:50 How Alex writes a melody: singing

33:15 Using synthesizers in smooth jazz

35:47 Using effects on trumpet

38:30 Alex's rhythmic choices

45:08 Don't let the culture of music school ruin music

48:00 When It's Hot: New Single

51:24 How to convey emotion in instrumental music

53:43 Lifestyle: Sleep

57:52 Lifestyle: Mindfulness & meditation

59:10 Why Alex likes 80 BPM

1:00:37 Lifestyle: Exercise

1:01:06 Lifestyle: Support system

1:06:07 Practice: Time of day and long tones

1:08:45 Practice: How many hours a day and days a week

1:12:50 Practice: Max hours

1:14:51 Classical vs Jazz trumpet

1:17:14 Practice: What Alex practices: Maintaining technical freedom to serve artistic choices

1:27:34 Practice: Injury

1:32:10 Creativity: Steps to stay creative

1:34:55 Creativity: Time of day

1:35:46 Creativity: Burn out

1:37:54 Performance: Performance anxiety

1:40:09 Alex's closing words: Wholistic musicianship

Logo, Intro Video, and Branding: Arron Leishman

Audio and Video: Zach Ramey zacherylramey@gmail.com

Video Thumbnail: Jean Tomasulo https://www.behance.net/jeantomasulo

Dan's Thumbnail Photo: John Mollura Photography