My first trumpet lesson with Benjamin Aldridge

Ok, before I start on this series:

Ben aldridge

Professor Benjamin Aldridge is my trumpet professor at Binghamton University. He is a serious, old fashion, traditional professor, you know, the professor that we’ve all had at some point! I was actually a little scared of him at first: I didn’t have the guts to make goofy jokes or do stupid stuff in front of him.

But then, I started drawing about him. Isn’t this a great topic?! The conflict between a serious old professor, and a naughty noisy student like me. Every lesson was a struggle, a war, a battle between a real, academical, knowledgeable, well-educated musician, and … and me!

Professor Aldridge is pretty much everything I am not. But guess what? He is the single person I have drawn about THE MOST in the world — because I guess I really want to be him. I guess if one day I can become someone like him, a real trumpet player who graduated from Yale, who plays in Binghamton Philharmonic… I might actually throw away my stupid pencils!

Well, long story short, I started drawing about him every week after every lesson as a joke between the two of us. A silly little joke became a majestic quest to draw about my trumpet journey with him. Unfortunately, I no longer study with him — Yo, one needs to graduate at some point!!! — But these comic preserve what we had. Professor Aldridge, if you’re reading this — you got any other student who draws?? No??? Yeah, that’s what I thought!!!

I love you, man!

My First Trumpet Lesson with Benjamin Aldridge 1