Notes Newsletter Student Spotlight: Jude Lockwood

Posted on January 2, 2025

Jude Lockwood plays the trumpet in PYCO. He is also a Junior at Rex Putnam High School.

What first brought you into music? What attracted you to your instrument?

From a very early age, my parents started me on piano, which I didn’t particularly like at all. I only saw piano as a barrier to playing video games, and a painful, slow, dragging process that made 20 minutes feel like 20 hours. However, as I matured, the piano became a tool I could use to boast a skill others could only dream of, rather than a walking stick that helped me to a Playstation. I was first introduced to the trumpet in sixth grade at the start of the year. I had joined the band program at my middle school then because I figured “why not?” and none of the other electives were very appealing. However, like with piano, as I grew in skill at this instrument my liking and will to play it more grew as well.

How has the season been going so far?

The season has been going pretty well so far. Mahler’s 10th Symphony does not bring a lot of actual playing time for trumpets, so it has been a real challenge to keep myself engaged while counting all the rests! Luckily, The Spirit of the Columbia has presented some rhythmic and interpretational challenges that keeps the trumpet section on our toes.

What is your favorite piece of music?

My favorite piece of music changes all the time, but as of now I am most into the fugue from Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D major (bwv 532). I particularly like how Bach plays with the theme and modulates it into its relative minor while ramping up the grandeur of the piece until its end.

What are you most excited about for this holiday season?

Lately, I have been really getting into and practicing the pipe organ as much as I can. Winter break has allowed me the opportunity to practice for hours on end at a local church, and I hope this endeavor will continue for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, Winter break will be the longest stretch of time I have to practice this much every day for several months, but I am hoping to find practice time wherever I can.

Why do you like composing? May you give some insight into your composition process?

I like composing because it allows me to process and develop ideas and gives me a lot more creative freedom than adding ornaments and unique phrasing to an already written piece. When I compose, I like to first develop a central theme to base everything else around, and then develop ideas and progressions from there. Since most of my compositions are solo piano, I will often sit at the piano and improvise until I find a development I believe suitable for the progression of the piece.