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Biography
Charles Colin, trumpet educator and publisher,
passed away February 7 in Port Chester, New York,
at age 86. Colin was born on September 22, 1913
and raised in Salem, Massachusetts. He began
playing the trumpet at age 11. His natural talent,
nurtured by the best teachers in the Boston area,
led him to the New England Conservatory of Music,
where he studied with Louis J. Kloepfel.
In the mid-1930s, he launched his career in New
York and performed with the WMCA [Radio]
Orchestra, and Charlie Barnet Band. After touring,
Colin was convinced that life on the road was not
for him, and he settled in New York City and
opened a teaching studio. After experiencing the
rigors of performing professionally, Colin devised
a series of exercises and techniques that became
the basis for two of his brass method books
Charles Colin's Lip Flexibility Studies and 100
Original Warmups. These books, and many of the
other editions issued by Charles Colin Music
Publishing (founded 1941), have been mainstays in
many trumpeters' and other musicians' libraries
for over 50 years. Early in his career, his
reputation as a teacher grew very rapidly, and he
often had a waiting list of hundreds of students.
In 1973, Colin founded the New York Brass
Conference for Scholarships, a nonprofit
organization that presents an annual three-day
festival that features every genre of brass music
from classical to jazz. Young musicians perform
side-by-side with established classical and jazz
performers, creating an inspirational experience
for the musicians and audience alike. The main
purpose for the conference is to raise funds and
draw attention to the need for scholarships for
young musicians. The annual NYBC Journal is an
invaluable chronicle of the conferences and the
many musicians appearing in its pages. The
upcoming 28th annual conference will be held from
March 31 to April 2 at The Lighthouse in New York
City. The event will be highlighted with a
memorial concert by the Empire Brass Quintet, a
group that performed at the first NYBC.
Colin is survived by Irene, his wife of 59
years; sons Allan and Charles, who operate the
publishing business; daughters Lois and Karen; and
three grandchildren.
For further information see: Andre M. Smith,
"The Life of Charles Colin and the Silver
Jubilee of the New York Brass Conference,
1973-1997," ITG Journal, February, 1997, pp.
4-37.
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