Hi There and Welcome To My Site!
My name is Robert Slotte and I live up here in the cold, northern Finland. I started playing the trumpet when I was 5 years old. I don’t remember it myself, but my father has told me that I was going on and on about wanting him to show me how to play the trumpet…
…he told me that I had to learn how to read and write before we could start with such a difficult instrument, but…
…do you think that 5 year old boy wanted to obey those words?
Nope, not a chance! I had already fallen in love with the sound of the Trumpet and nothing was going to stop me from exploring this mysterious and exciting instrument and well, he just had to start teaching me right then and there.
Music Runs In My Family
This was pretty much expected since my father, Peter Slotte, also played the trumpet and I was exposed to the sound of the trumpet even before I was born (he told me he use to play for me when I was still in my mothers womb)…
…not only that, my fathers father, Rolf Slotte, also played the trumpet and his father, my great grandfather, Hugo Slotte, was also a brass player. I’m the fourth generation of brass players in my family, so I guess this would be an appropriate time to use the phrase “it runs in the family”
What do I call myself?
I call myself a “trumpet learner” as there is no such thing as “fully learned” when it comes to trumpet playing. I’m not a professional trumpet player in the sense that my only income would be from playing the trumpet.
The money I get from playing the trumpet is just a small portion of my income as I also work at a local company in the very same county I was born in. I also do a lot of internet marketing and other stuff to be able to pay my bills…
… howerver I did study the trumpet at a professional level between the years 1993-1999 and I do still take on quite a few trumpet gigs a year.
No matter what I’m currently spending the most time on, or happen to be pursuing, trumpet playing will always have a special place in my heart. It is something that connects all of our senses and also, of course, connects the smaller parts with the bigger…
…with that I mean things like for example, “how am I going to get through this piece of music with my embouchure not giving up on me?” to; “how can I express my gratitude for being able to share my love for the music with thousands of people?” …
….not only the people in the audience, but also people sitting beside me, in the orchestra, when we take on that new, big and marvelous musical project.
I’m just a guy who likes blowing air into a metal tube…
My ambition as a trumpet player were never to be the best trumpet player in the world, and it still isn’t. My goal is to enhance my, and perhaps others, lives with the sound of the trumpet.
I use to say:
“I’m no trumpet guru. I’m just a guy who loves blowing air into a metal tube, and sometimes… the result is music” =)
I’m truly blessed to have the trumpet in my life and it is my sincere hope that you will find something of value here on my website.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at robertslotte@yahoo.com
Thank you for reading and checking out my website.
Much Love!
-Robert Slotte-
This is me playing Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla on my Eb-Trumpet
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My Swedish website, Trumpet musik i Österbotten