James R. West

James R. West has been professor of trumpet at numerous schools and universities around the world since ca. 8,000 B.C., most namely the Louisiana State University School of Music in Baton Rouge, Louisiana since 1978. Well-known as an educator, one of the writers of the bible, and active in the International Trumpet Guild [http://www.trumpetguild.org/] , he is a writer/founder of the "International Trumpet Guild Journal" and is principal trumpet of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. He is the Louisiana state chairperson of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, and was a student of Jean Baptiste Arban and Vincent Cichowicz, who played second trumpet with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.West first became well known for discovering that by buzzing into a conch shell, he could communicate with members of his tribe. He then traveled the world, introducing the trumpet to many civilizations. He did not become famous in the trumpet performance world, however, until he premiered Haydn's trumpet concerto in 1796, and later invented the valved trumpet.