Name: Henry Spencer
Nationality: British
Occupation: Trumpet player, composer, improviser, band leader
Recent release: Henry Spencer's "Here (for Chicca)" is out via AMP. It is the first single to be taken off his forthcoming full-length album The Defector, slated for release September 29th 2023.

Tool of Creation: Trumpet
Type of Tool: Brass
Country of origin: China, Egypt
Became available in: Around 2,000 BC.  

If you enjoyed this interview with Henry Spencer about the trumpet and would like to explore his music in more depth, visit his official website. He is also on Instagram, Soundcloud, and Facebook.



What was your first encounter with the trumpet? What was it about it that drew you in?

When I was about ten, I had a trial trumpet lesson at school. I immediately loved the physical challenge of it, just to play a single note.

I began to love the sound of the instrument and realise its incredible range of tonal possibilities, as well as how it fits into so many different musical genres.

Some see instruments merely as tools towards creativity, others feel they go hand in hand. What's your take on that?

I think instruments are the tools as well as the medium for personal expression and creativity; determined by the unique approach and ability of the player and the nature of the instrument, with its possibilities and its limitations.

Just like any other instrument, the trumpet has a rich history. What are some of the key points from this history for you personally?

From its use to give signals and for soldiers in battle, through to Louis Armstrong, the classical repertoire, Miles Davis and beyond.

I love the instrument’s versatility - from aggressive, exciting and raw to gentle, heartfelt and lyrical.

What, to you, are some of the most interesting trumpet recordings and performances by other artists in terms of your personal development?

Miles Davis’ album Kind of Blue is something I always come back to. It was, and is still now, such a powerful, poignant and innovative statement.



Then later, his album Bitches Brew was very exciting for me because of the musical possibilities he explored. This felt like he was giving me permission to explore myself and take risks creatively.



When talking about electronic devices, we often think about their “features”. But the trumpet is a complex device, too. What are some of its stand-out features from your point of view? How would you describe its sonic potential?

The trumpet has a huge and exciting sonic versatility, from sounding aggressive and direct, clean or harsh, to sounding like a heartfelt voice gently singing, whether using extended instrumental techniques, mutes and electronic effects or not.

Instrument design is an ongoing process. Are you interested in recent developments for the trumpet in this respect?

I’m always interested in the instrument’s development. Physically it is a very demanding and technically limiting instrument. This can actually sometimes be very positive creatively.

Having said this, I’m always interested in learning how to make it easier to play, to be able to more naturally express what’s in my mind on the trumpet. I also love learning about the different sounds and possibilities of different instruments.

Tell me about the process of learning to play the instrument and your own explorations with it.

I was immediately drawn to the challenge of the instrument when I started to learn. For me it started off as being a physical challenge rather than an emotional or creative means to express. This came later as my facility on the trumpet developed.

As I became more able technically on the instrument, I started to play and compose with the same emotive intent as when I would play the piano and sing lyrics.

What are specific challenges in terms of playing the trumpet?

The use of air, awareness of the body, the mind and the delicate control, development and ongoing maintenance of muscles, mainly in the face, required to play.

The range of the trumpet is relatively small, in terms of the notes available and this is, along with many other areas of technique, very much limited by the abilities of the player. This is very unlike, for example, being able to see and simply press any note on the piano keyboard.

What interests you about the trumpet in terms of it contributing to your creative ideals? How do you see the relationship between your instrument and the music you make?

According to the intention of the composition, sometimes I see the trumpet as an extension of the human singing voice.

Other times I see the trumpet as an abstract emotive sound that, sometimes perhaps even without melodicism, can express raw emotion and draw in the listener so they engage emotionally, relating it to their own experience.

How would you describe your personal style of playing the trumpet?

I aim to combine emotive, lyrical, heart-felt melodic playing with moments of exciting, raw, climactic emotional expression.

In the light of picking your instrument, how would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation vs perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

As long as it’s approached with sincere commitment, I think there’s a lot of value both in embracing the tradition of different genres, looking to develop within them, as well as growing from or out of them, into new areas, even if branching off into something very different.

The tradition often supplies us with the language which we can use to say something new. The language of a tradition also gives us a starting point and context from which we can build new vocabulary.

For me, I’m most excited about taking aspects from different traditions that I relate to, and move me, then combine them my concepts. I’m most interested in drawing in the listener with sincere emotive intent so that whether the listener ‘understands’ the music intellectually or not, they really engage and relate the music to their own personal experience.

What does playing your instrument feel like, what do you enjoy about it, what are your own physical limits and strengths?

How natural or easy it feels to play often depends on how much I’ve been performing or practicing recently! The trumpet is a very challenging instrument that requires constant work to at least maintain a level of technical facility - especially when it comes to range and endurance.

Although this takes time, dedication and some sacrifice, I think it can then feel even more satisfying and emotionally rewarding when able to naturally express creatively what is in my head.

I think the trumpet has a power, by its very nature, to be direct and clear in expressing a melody or idea that’s emotive to the listener and the performer.

Could you describe working with the trumpet on the basis of one of your pieces, live performances or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?

On the album The Defector, the composition ‘Without a Voice’ is about a friend that took his own life.

At times the trumpet playing is very delicate, lyrical, sorrowful and poignant, and at other times the trumpet playing is a raw outlet of energetic emotion, pain, anger and yearning to overcome.

How, would you say, does the trumpet interact with other instruments from ensembles/groups you're part of?

Often the trumpet takes the role of stating the melodies, like a voice. Other times the trumpet takes a more accompanying role, whether to punctuate the rhythm or support the melodies played by other instruments.

Are there other trumpet players whose work with their instrument you find inspiring? What do you appreciate about their take on it?

I love the greats from the past like Miles Davis - his unique concept on the trumpet as well as his approach to composition, innovation and the bands he put together.

Clifford Brown was an exceptional player with both a beautiful approach to melody as well as phenomenal technical ability. I love the energy and commitment in the sound of Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan.



Among the players around today, I love Ambrose Akinmusire’s very personal approach to melody and sound.