[ad_1]
25-year-old trumpeter, 2017 Booker T. Washington High School graduate bishop swamp is a fixture on the Tulsa music scene.You may have seen him with Mike Cameron Attend LowDown’s twice-monthly “Free Energy: Jazz for All Ages” or be a member of the King Cabbage Brass Band. Marsh, who was born in Atlanta but grew up mostly in Tulsa, learned to play trumpet in a sixth-grade band class in Butte, Montana, where his family lived for a time. Although Marsh’s first choice was actually the tuba, he quickly grew fond of the instrument. More than a decade later, it’s hard to imagine his life without it.
Marsh’s father, who worked alongside many jazz musicians in his job as a bartender, nurtured his son’s musical passion early on, encouraging him to do more than just listen to the great trumpeters, e.g. Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespiewhile also exploring a variety of music.
“That quote from my dad made me realize that as long as I pay attention to other things and enjoy the music I enjoy playing, it’s okay,” Marsh said. “This allows your brain to understand different situations that you wouldn’t normally be able to understand.”
Marsh tries to bring that philosophy to students at Tulsa Community College, where he volunteers several days a week in the music department.
“I really try to make sure kids know there’s nothing wrong with being yourself. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to listen to other types of music besides jazz and letting that flow into the music you make,” he said. “Music can bring joy. It can be about happiness. It can be about greed. It can be about jealousy. Music is one thing that speaks for itself. Everyone can talk about their own human experience.”
For Marsh, life, like jazz, is all about finding your voice.
“Ultimately, you choose your own destiny. You should be able to say whatever you want,” he said. “For me, as a jazz player, I think risk-taking is very important. I think risk-taking is part of the development of the human experience, especially your own personal mind – part of being yourself.”
For more information about Marsh, who is working on a new album with his Bishop Marsh Quintet, visit facebook.com/bishop.konopkamarsh.
[ad_2]
