BIOGRAPHY
"Playing the trumpet is such an intangible experience. The player is compelled to start from the beginning and build anew each day. It isn't like building a house, where we can resume building where we left off the previous day's accomplishments. Each new day we must rebuild the foundation of our musical structure."
-Armando Ghitalla
Christopher Underwood hails from Roanoke, Virginia. He is an active educator and performer throughout the United States and Europe. Underwood is 3rd Trumpet of the Asheville Symphony, former Principal Trumpet of the Durham Symphony, former Solo Cornet in the North Carolina Brass Band, a former member of the Piedmont Wind Symphony, and frequently performs with Roanoke Symphony and Carolina Philharmonic. Underwood currently is on faculty at the University of Delaware as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Trumpet. At the university Underwood teaches trumpet, leads masterclasses, and coaches the undergraduate and graduate quintets. Previously, Underwood has held positions at UNC Pembroke and East Tennessee State University leading master classes, conducting trumpet ensemble and teaching studio lessons.
While studying in Sweden at the Malmö Academy of Music, Christopher performed as Principal Trumpet with the Lunds Stadsorkester, and as auxiliary trumpet with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra. Christopher then entered a one-year intensive masters program in orchestral studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, U.K. where he garnered the opportunity to perform throughout England as a soloist, chamber musician, and principal trumpet of local orchestras and brass bands. At the end of this program, Christopher was requested to perform as a featured soloist and chamber musician at the British Museum in London and to participate in an orchestral residency in Montepulciano, Italy, where he performed with the Royal Northern Symphony Orchestra and Brass Ensemble in various capacities.
Christopher Underwood received his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in trumpet at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro while serving as a graduate teaching assistant. He has attended the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, U.K., and Malmo Academy of Music in Sweden. Additionally, Underwood holds a Masters of Music in Trumpet Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a Bachelor’s in Music Business from Radford University.
Christopher's teachers have included Mark Clodfelter, John Miller, Rhys Owens, David Hendry, Bo Nilsson, and Mark Camphouse. While at the Malmö Academy of Music Underwood also participated in masterclasses with Håkan Hardenberger. He has also attended and performed in festivals throughout Europe working with Reinhold Friedrich, Kristian Steenstrup, Ole Edvard Antonsen, and Pierre Dutot.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
As a teacher and mentor, my aspiration is to inspire, to encourage, and to instill a sense of excitement in students, while sharing my love for music. As a trumpet teacher, I do not teach a class, I teach a person. It is not always the highest notes or the brightest lights of the stage that embody the pinnacle of our collaborative efforts with a students, rather, it is a quiet moment shared in the studio; when a struggling student overcomes a challenge and begins to find their way down a path leading towards artistic achievement and expression.
Of course the challenges of the trumpet are many, and must be approached systematically with respect to the body of knowledge required to develop proficiency. However, within this framework, there must exist the understanding of each individual’s need. This is because organic growth on an instrument occurs in different ways dependent upon the individual in question. As part of this individualized teaching process, I assess each student’s learning style. In areas where a student may posses deficiencies, I develop a curriculum personalized to fit the pedagogical needs of that player. These efforts, while labor intensive, are always fruitful and facilitate a trust-based relationship.
Emphasis on strong fundamentals, repertoire development, entrepreneurial skills and professionalism, are integral to a well-rounded program. There are innumerable books containing a myriad of exercises and etudes that are geared towards the development of the trumpet skill. This is clearly illustrated in my Plan of Study included earlier in this document.
The element that makes or breaks a prescribed plan of study is implementation. It is how one practices, not what. When introducing new material to a student, I am prudent to foster an understanding of context and musical application, without which, the skill is reduced from an art, to a utilitarian craft. Every slur study leads to a legato phrase, each crisp articulation drill yields it’s results in a noble fanfare. Solfeggio, mouthpiece buzzing, theory and ear training all come to bear in teaching the most complete musician.
Throughout my musical life, I have been struck by the array of emotions, memories, and mental imageries that live and breath in each performance. The camaraderie and collaborative energy have always compelled me to reach for the next level of ability in order to contribute at my highest level. These are the values that I strive to instill in my students. They are the drive behind my artistry and I consider it a privilege to pass these standards forward to the next wave of emerging musicians.