BEHIND THE SCENES: Interview with Paul Goodchild
Paul Goodchild, Principal Trumpet, Sydney Symphony
CLAUDIA: How many years have you been playing professionally as a trumpet player?
PAUL: I started playing professionally in the mid 70's and joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at 18 years of age in 1979.
CLAUDIA: Where did you go to school?
PAUL: I went to school Waverley College in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney near the famous Bondi Beach.
CLAUDIA: What or who was your guiding influence in music as a student?
PAUL: As my father was the Tuba player in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to many of the great musicians in the orchestra and particularly the wonderful soloists that visited Sydney on their Australian tours. The SSO also had a great Principal Trumpet, John Robertson, who I listened to and admired on many occasions and of course the great soundtracks of the John Williams scores featuring the late Maurice Murphy from the London Symphony Orchestra.
CLAUDIA: Did you listen to and study only classical music while in school?
PAUL: Classical music was often played at home but I loved to listen to jazz and popular music with lots of horns!
CLAUDIA: What types of music do you also listen to besides symphonic repertoire?
PAUL: I am really into chamber music when I'm not playing symphonic music, so brass quintet, string quartet and many other forms of chamber music are my loves these days.
CLAUDIA: Who are some of your favorite pop, jazz or rock artists?
PAUL: Sting, Madonna, Brandford Marsalis, Chris Botte, Clarke Terry, Chet Baker, Clifford Brown
CLAUDIA: Who are your favorite classical composers?
PAUL: Handel, Bach, Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Puccini, Verdi
CLAUDIA: What types of opera or symphonic music do you think the enthusiastic fans of Nobuo Uematsu’s music would like as well?
PAUL: The opera's of Pucnini and Verdi and the works of Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev are full of big tunes, full of emotion and very rhythmical. I find Nobuo Uematsu's music is somewhat similar in that it is very descriptive, rhythmic and very powerful, and above all, has catchy tunes that you whistle on the way home.
CLAUDIA: Do you usually get an audience like this for your regular symphony concerts?
PAUL: Not exactly, I wish we did. The power and emotion coming from our audiences in Sydney was fantastic and I hope they come back to hear us again with the same emotion.
CLAUDIA: Are you friends with any gamers who like listening to the works of Nobuo Uematsu?
PAUL: I have a few "geeks" who are into computers but they are not very musical but love the games all the same. When I told them I was performing the Final Fantasy Themes in a concert they immediately wanted to come along and they now play the games with a completely new perspective, especially seeing the composer in the flesh.
CLAUDIA: What made the Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy performance memorable for you as a performing artist?
PAUL: I have to say the standard of the arrangements, the great themes and most of all the audience. It was really a great series of concerts to be a part of and to see their reaction when Mr Uematsu came on stage, it was quite remarkable and hopefully we can perform them again. Happy gaming everyone!
CLAUDIA: How many years have you been playing professionally as a trumpet player?
PAUL: I started playing professionally in the mid 70's and joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at 18 years of age in 1979.
CLAUDIA: Where did you go to school?
PAUL: I went to school Waverley College in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney near the famous Bondi Beach.
CLAUDIA: What or who was your guiding influence in music as a student?
PAUL: As my father was the Tuba player in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to many of the great musicians in the orchestra and particularly the wonderful soloists that visited Sydney on their Australian tours. The SSO also had a great Principal Trumpet, John Robertson, who I listened to and admired on many occasions and of course the great soundtracks of the John Williams scores featuring the late Maurice Murphy from the London Symphony Orchestra.
CLAUDIA: Did you listen to and study only classical music while in school?
PAUL: Classical music was often played at home but I loved to listen to jazz and popular music with lots of horns!
CLAUDIA: What types of music do you also listen to besides symphonic repertoire?
PAUL: I am really into chamber music when I'm not playing symphonic music, so brass quintet, string quartet and many other forms of chamber music are my loves these days.
CLAUDIA: Who are some of your favorite pop, jazz or rock artists?
PAUL: Sting, Madonna, Brandford Marsalis, Chris Botte, Clarke Terry, Chet Baker, Clifford Brown
CLAUDIA: Who are your favorite classical composers?
PAUL: Handel, Bach, Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Puccini, Verdi
CLAUDIA: What types of opera or symphonic music do you think the enthusiastic fans of Nobuo Uematsu’s music would like as well?
PAUL: The opera's of Pucnini and Verdi and the works of Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev are full of big tunes, full of emotion and very rhythmical. I find Nobuo Uematsu's music is somewhat similar in that it is very descriptive, rhythmic and very powerful, and above all, has catchy tunes that you whistle on the way home.
CLAUDIA: Do you usually get an audience like this for your regular symphony concerts?
PAUL: Not exactly, I wish we did. The power and emotion coming from our audiences in Sydney was fantastic and I hope they come back to hear us again with the same emotion.
CLAUDIA: Are you friends with any gamers who like listening to the works of Nobuo Uematsu?
PAUL: I have a few "geeks" who are into computers but they are not very musical but love the games all the same. When I told them I was performing the Final Fantasy Themes in a concert they immediately wanted to come along and they now play the games with a completely new perspective, especially seeing the composer in the flesh.
CLAUDIA: What made the Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy performance memorable for you as a performing artist?
PAUL: I have to say the standard of the arrangements, the great themes and most of all the audience. It was really a great series of concerts to be a part of and to see their reaction when Mr Uematsu came on stage, it was quite remarkable and hopefully we can perform them again. Happy gaming everyone!