Sydney Baker 1921-2010

A recent post regarding influential teachers in my life got me thinking about Mr. Sydney Baker.

Mr. Baker was born Sidney Beckerman in New York City in 1921. At the age of 15 he entered The Juilliard School of Music, later at age 19, served as Principal Trumpet in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and during World War II played in Army Air Corps ensembles.

I met Mr. Baker at High School of Music and Art in the winter of 1978 at my audition to get into the school. I played my prepared piece very well but then he asked that I play certain scales starting in the lower register, knowing that because of my unique circumstances I would struggle getting from low D to C# descending and D to Eb ascending (no worries, he later taught me how to get around that.) I figured I was cooked and would have to attend my neighborhood school but I was accepted.

I later asked him why he did that, to which he replied that it was impossible for anyone, including him, to pull it off with only two fingers but wanted to see how I would approach trying to do so. This began a three year journey into alternate fingerings and lipping up and down with sharp tongue attacks that basically made the impossible possible for me for the next 30 years, learning to play trumpet with him became more of a chess match.

Now my favorite Mr. Baker story. The beginning of each year at M&A, every trumpet major would be assigned an instrument. Most of these trumpets were Bundy trumpets (since Mr. Baker and I got along so well, he assigned the lone Olds Ambassador to me every year I was there.) He assigned a functional albeit beat up Bundy to a classmate of mine who said the trumpet didn't work and protested. Mr. Baker proceeded to take his mouthpiece out (he used to carry it at his waist lodged with his belt) put it in the Bundy, looked up at the ceiling and played the Carnival of Venice, every variation flawlessly, and I mean flawlessly. As we all picked up our jaws off the floor, he calmly took his mouthpiece out, put it back under his belt and told the student, "There's nothing wrong with this trumpet" and gave it back to him, classic. During brass ensemble, rehearsals that started at 7:30 a.m. before the school day commenced, he would sometimes play euphonium when a student was late and played that flawlessly as well.

George Bernard Shaw said, "Those who can't do, teach," this could not be further from the truth in Mr. Baker's case, one of the top 3 technical trumpeters I've heard live in my life.

RIP Mr. Baker.