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Howdy,
The Taps for Veterans organization is asking for people to sound Taps on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (Nov 11, 2020 at 11:00 am). If you go to their website:
https://www.tapsforveterans.org/the-national-salute/ ,
you can sign up on that page to be acknowledged (but your contact information will be kept private) and also to enter a chance to win a pretty unique Challenge Coin. I think for the Memorial Day playing of Taps last May, it seemed you could play most any instrument to sound Taps. I have not seen that for this particular ceremony. You can play Taps on your front or back porch if you like.
Since that May event (I played Taps on my euphonium), I have obtained a Getzen American Heritage Field Trumpet (which is a really nice bugle), and I have joined Bugles Across America, a non-profit organization that provides live buglers (as opposed to a recording) for Veterans funerals across America. There are several thousand members in this organization. It does a similar mission that Taps for Veterans does. Being retired military, I plan to purchase a new Army dress uniform (a retro uniform styled after the uniform worn at the time of World War II - they are really sharp). So, I will be getting a uniform within a year (they are just in the process of being rolled out), not only because they are really sharp and it is legal for me to wear it for a funeral, but also because my other old Army uniforms (dress and blues) seem to have shrunk over the years hanging in the closet.
As for the bugle that I own (and also a John Packer cornet which I bought before I got the bugle to see if I could actually play on a small mouthpiece), I also got an extra slide that replaces the tuning slide in the bugle and puts the Bb instrument into G. So, I can play Taps a minor third lower, and that helps with the high notes. I started on trumpet when I was in 5th grade and switched to baritone in junior high school. I was terrible on trumpet. After noodling around on the JP cornet and now the bugle, I feel like I will be able to pull this off. I just have to spend some time each day or every other day on the small mouthpiece (I am using a 7C) to get some sort of playable chops for Taps. I can now muster a not too bad version of Taps, but I couldn't play it 10 times in a row yet. My goal is to get Taps sounding excellent, Veterans deserve nothing less. I am excited and proud to be doing this for our Veterans.
The Taps for Veterans organization is asking for people to sound Taps on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (Nov 11, 2020 at 11:00 am). If you go to their website:
https://www.tapsforveterans.org/the-national-salute/ ,
you can sign up on that page to be acknowledged (but your contact information will be kept private) and also to enter a chance to win a pretty unique Challenge Coin. I think for the Memorial Day playing of Taps last May, it seemed you could play most any instrument to sound Taps. I have not seen that for this particular ceremony. You can play Taps on your front or back porch if you like.
Since that May event (I played Taps on my euphonium), I have obtained a Getzen American Heritage Field Trumpet (which is a really nice bugle), and I have joined Bugles Across America, a non-profit organization that provides live buglers (as opposed to a recording) for Veterans funerals across America. There are several thousand members in this organization. It does a similar mission that Taps for Veterans does. Being retired military, I plan to purchase a new Army dress uniform (a retro uniform styled after the uniform worn at the time of World War II - they are really sharp). So, I will be getting a uniform within a year (they are just in the process of being rolled out), not only because they are really sharp and it is legal for me to wear it for a funeral, but also because my other old Army uniforms (dress and blues) seem to have shrunk over the years hanging in the closet.
As for the bugle that I own (and also a John Packer cornet which I bought before I got the bugle to see if I could actually play on a small mouthpiece), I also got an extra slide that replaces the tuning slide in the bugle and puts the Bb instrument into G. So, I can play Taps a minor third lower, and that helps with the high notes. I started on trumpet when I was in 5th grade and switched to baritone in junior high school. I was terrible on trumpet. After noodling around on the JP cornet and now the bugle, I feel like I will be able to pull this off. I just have to spend some time each day or every other day on the small mouthpiece (I am using a 7C) to get some sort of playable chops for Taps. I can now muster a not too bad version of Taps, but I couldn't play it 10 times in a row yet. My goal is to get Taps sounding excellent, Veterans deserve nothing less. I am excited and proud to be doing this for our Veterans.
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