Testimonials

As told by Celebrations users:

Chris Gekker – Trumpet Professor University of Maryland
“Your duets have been a great addition to my teaching. I like to do some sight-reading at each students’ lesson, and in your book there is so much variety and range of styles. Some duets are very simple, which can be deceptively challenging, and others have intervallic and rhythmic demands that are quite ambitious. I also appreciate the “swing” duets, of which there are a number: gone are the days when any trumpeter can ignore being able to play well in this manner. Congratulations on such a fine book, and I’m grateful for your contribution to our quest of becoming better musicians and trumpeters.”

Lonny Lalanne
“I own a copy of Eddie Lewis’s Celebrations (duets for trumpets). I use it to practice sight reading, in preparation for hard reading gigs, such as Broadway shows, or Salsa shows. Eddie Lewis covers a wide range of styles, key signatures, time signatures, with easier material in the beginning and a slow progression to moderate difficulty, and then things get challenging. Eddie Lewis has incorporated in these duets a tricky use of multiple accidentals, and other brain twisters. I highly recommend this book for reading development, technique, and added endurance. A wealth of material! I am ready for a new book, is there a new release?”

Brian Winegardner (His review for the ITG Journal)
“It has long been acknowledged that regular playing of duets will help a trumpet player with sight reading, intonation, musicality, style, and general musical awareness while also serving as an enjoyable and recreational activity. Eddie Lewis has composed an intriguing and compelling collection of duets that are a worthwhile addition to every trumpet player’s library. Duets at the beginning of the book are only a few lines long and eventually progress to three pages in length. There are duets written in every major key; additionally, the duets explore diminished, augmented, and whole-tone scales as well. The book also contains duets with complicated time signatures, difficult rhythms, and many types of musical forms, including canons, and theme and variations. All together, these features make Celebrations an outstanding pedagogical resource. Perhaps the most important aspect of the duets in this book is the exploration of a wide variety of musical styles including Baroque, ground bass, fugue, swing, salsa, polytonal, atonal, gospel, marches, and fanfares. In short, as Lewis writes, “There’s a little something for everyone.” The musical quality and ingenuity found in these short compositions is unique, making the playing of the duets extremely enjoyable. Eddie Lewis has created an extraordinary collection of trumpet duets. The variety of styles and difficulty levels found in Celebrations make it a valuable and versatile duet book for all trumpet players, from a high school student to a professional.”

David Bailey
“I have used Celebrations (duet book) in my private teaching since I first received the book, and have to say that the wide range of styles as well was the wide range of difficulty in the duets makes it a perfect addition to any teacher’s library. The students who have played the duets with me have enjoyed them, as have their parents who heard them through the closed door of my studio. It’s a great book at a great price and will provide a lot of great music-making.”

Kayla – El Paso, TX
“I love your Daily Routines and music. They’re absolutely wonderful. They have
tremendously helped me with my tone, range, and articulation. Your Celebrations duet book is also great for these things on so many levels. I hope someday I can meet you and listen to you play live.”

Dick Schaffer – New York/Houston
“Just received the books. What a wonderful, cheerful, joyous book “Celebrations” is! I intend to “beat my students up” with it. It has something for everyone, from beginner to professional. It’s a playing encyclopedia, pure and simple.”