Trumpet - Brandon Dicks
When playing the Warburton backbores for the first time, it felt as if my agility, dexterity, and fluidity were tuned in, and I was able to execute what I was perceiving in my thoughts. I immediately had to test the backbore more to see what I was capable of doing. It felt like chains were lifted and I was able to express what I wanted to. After breaking it in for the last few months, I have noticed a new depth of sound that I originally wasn't able to perceive. I am now more easily able to express lyrical passages in new and creative ways thanks to Warburton backbores. Changing to the setup was one of the clearest decisions I was able to make.
- Brandon Dicks
Brandon Dicks (b. 1994) is a Trumpeter, Composer, and Teacher, in the Tempe, Arizona region. Brandon Dicks has many job titles including Vice-President of the Salt River Brass, the Co-Director of the Trumpeter’s Multi-Track Competition and Seminar, and Program Director of Rhode Island Recording Ensemble. Alongside his career as a musician and manager, he also runs his own YouTube channel called BDicksmusic which has over 1K subscribers and over 100K channel views.
Brandon holds a Doctorate in Trumpet Performance at Arizona State University while being a former Teaching Assistant to Joe Burgstaller. Brandon received his Master’s Degree in Trumpet Performance and Music Composition at the University of Hartford where he studied with trumpeter Phil Snedecor and composition with Robert Carl, David Macbride, and Gilda Lyons. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Columbus State University where he studied with Robert Murray.
As a Trumpeter, Brandon is a current member of Valley Trio [a virtuosic brass trio] and the Phoenix Brass Collective. He was a trumpet artist for the Next Generation Trumpet Competition as well as a soloist at the International Trumpet Guild Conference. He also has performed with the Broad Street Orchestra, Manchester Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Ivoryton Playhouse, and Playhouse on Park. He was a semi-finalist in the Graduate Division of the National Trumpet Competition and a finalist in the Paranov Concerto Competition at the University of Hartford.
As a Composer, Brandon Dicks’s works have been performed by many different groups including Ångström Brass, Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra, Manchester Symphony, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Hartt Wind Ensemble, Foot in the Door, Black Bayou Brass Trio, and Up/Down Percussion Quartet. His music has been performed at many festivals and conferences such as the International Trumpet Guild Conference, New Music on the Bayou Festival, the International Double Reed Society Conference, and IMMERSE: performing and interactive art event. Brandon won the audience choice award at the IDRS Composition Competition in 2016 and he won first prize in the State Division of Music Teacher’s National Association while receiving an honorable mention in the Southern Region of MTNA. Brandon also was a finalist in the NBA Young Composer and Conductor Mentor Project in 2019 as well as 2022. In the past, Brandon was also the Associate Music Editor and Production Manager of the New Baroque Soloists.
As a Teacher, Brandon was an Adjunct Professor of Trumpet at Northern Arizona University. In the past, Bandon was a Teaching Assistant at Arizona State University. He also taught at the Farmington Avenue Music Academy, Artist Collective, and Schwob Preparatory Division. Brandon has also published a trumpet method book called, Scales with Character: Scales Exercises and Character Studies, as well as a 250-page Method Book for the Beginner Trumpet entitled, The Building Blocks of Trumpet.