In Paul's own words, "I was first hooked on the trumpet at six years old when my uncle let me play his horn. He liked to say that the first note I played was a clear middle C but I’m sure the story had been embellished. There probably isn’t a letter name for what came out. I had trumpet lessons from very early on but it was the “apprenticeship program”, as I like to call it, where I learned the most. I played in community bands almost right away, although I didn’t know the fingering for a G. I was fortunate to have friends that were about four years older and more experienced so my beginning years were spent hanging on for dear life to their coattails and playing catch up. At about twelve I had a teacher who played a lot of recordings for me. It all started the first lesson when I came in with an autographed Conrad Gozzo LeBlanc trumpet. I had no idea what the horn was or who this Gozzo guy was. Well, the first lesson was an incredible ear opener for me. My teacher played "Trumpeter’s Prayer" from an album called Tutti’s Trumpets featuring Conrad Gozzo and I’ve been a huge fan of the legendary lead player ever since. After that, listening to recordings and live players was the best teaching I had.
"When my friends went away to study and returned with material to share from the legendary teacher Carmine Caruso, another with Mr. Bill Adam material having studied the “routine” with Charley Davis, and another a student of Claude Gordon who shared his experience. It was through trial and error with this material that I really got the most".
"I was also fortunate to grow up in a city, Vancouver, British Columbia, with some of the greatest talents on the Canadian scene who were very welcoming and eager to share their wisdom. I remember way back playing one of my first dance jobs with “the old guard” and Stew Barnett on lead trumpet (nobody could swing like him) and was a little too young and eager with my time. He leaned over, after we’d finished playing something like In The Mood, and told me, “You know, there’s no prizes for getting there first”. It was a very subtle but wonderful lesson that I’ll always remember.
"Canada, where I grew up, with one of the best big bands in the world, The Boss Brass, with lead trumpeter, the late Arnie Chycoski, was a huge influence on me and probably every other aspiring trumpeter. I was very lucky to have played with Arnie, one of my heroes, and learned as much by what he said verbally as what he said on his horn. It was when Arnie and I were playing a long run of a show where much to my terror at first, I was hired to play lead with Arnie in the section. He was a most gracious and supportive section player and after a couple of weeks on the show paid me the most amazing compliment. After the gig that night when we were having a little taste, he said he was going to call me “L’il Goz” from now on. I don’t think he knew that Gozzo was one of my heroes and whose sound I tried to emulate, but that was such a heart warming compliment coming from him that I'll remember it for as long as I live".
"Another huge lesson for me was sitting next to Wayne Bergeron for two weeks playing a show in LA. I often ask players whom I admire if there were one or two exercises or methods that had the biggest impact on their playing. Wayne laid a version of James Stamp’s routine on me and it’s been an amazing transformation for me. Thanks Wayne!!"
"Thanks to all the wonderful players I’ve been fortunate to sit next to, and the ones I’ve grown up listening to".
- Paul Baron
"When my friends went away to study and returned with material to share from the legendary teacher Carmine Caruso, another with Mr. Bill Adam material having studied the “routine” with Charley Davis, and another a student of Claude Gordon who shared his experience. It was through trial and error with this material that I really got the most".
"I was also fortunate to grow up in a city, Vancouver, British Columbia, with some of the greatest talents on the Canadian scene who were very welcoming and eager to share their wisdom. I remember way back playing one of my first dance jobs with “the old guard” and Stew Barnett on lead trumpet (nobody could swing like him) and was a little too young and eager with my time. He leaned over, after we’d finished playing something like In The Mood, and told me, “You know, there’s no prizes for getting there first”. It was a very subtle but wonderful lesson that I’ll always remember.
"Canada, where I grew up, with one of the best big bands in the world, The Boss Brass, with lead trumpeter, the late Arnie Chycoski, was a huge influence on me and probably every other aspiring trumpeter. I was very lucky to have played with Arnie, one of my heroes, and learned as much by what he said verbally as what he said on his horn. It was when Arnie and I were playing a long run of a show where much to my terror at first, I was hired to play lead with Arnie in the section. He was a most gracious and supportive section player and after a couple of weeks on the show paid me the most amazing compliment. After the gig that night when we were having a little taste, he said he was going to call me “L’il Goz” from now on. I don’t think he knew that Gozzo was one of my heroes and whose sound I tried to emulate, but that was such a heart warming compliment coming from him that I'll remember it for as long as I live".
"Another huge lesson for me was sitting next to Wayne Bergeron for two weeks playing a show in LA. I often ask players whom I admire if there were one or two exercises or methods that had the biggest impact on their playing. Wayne laid a version of James Stamp’s routine on me and it’s been an amazing transformation for me. Thanks Wayne!!"
"Thanks to all the wonderful players I’ve been fortunate to sit next to, and the ones I’ve grown up listening to".
- Paul Baron
