William Adam was born on October 21, 1917 in Kansas City, Missouri. Before he graduated from Fort Collins High School in Colorado at the age of 16, he traveled with big bands. He continued to perform professionally while attending the University of Denver, University of Southern California, and Pasadena Junior College. Professor Adam graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Music degree in performance and from the Eastman School of Music with Master of Music degrees in theory and composition. He studied with such world-renowned teachers as Mabel Keith Leach, Hyram Lammes, Herbert L. Clarke, and William Vacciano. While performing with the Denver Symphony Orchestra and the NBC Radio Orchestras, he taught high school. In Los Angeles, he played in radio show bands and at the Paramount Theater. In 1947 he came to IU School of Music as a trumpet professor.

Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA

Indiana University, Bloomington, IN BM, BME, MM

Trumpet Instructor: William Adam

After completing his education Bob Platt and his wife travelled to Germany to perhaps study for a year before returning to the States to begin working.

As it turned out, after one year, during which time Bob studied with Horst Eichler, then Principal Trumpet with the Berlin Pilharmonic orchestra, Bob got the position as Principal Trumpet with the Dortmund (Germany) Opera and Concert Orchestra, Chief Conductor, Wilhelm Schüchter.

Three children later, he auditioned and received the Principal Trumpet position with the Cologne (Germany) Gürzenich Orchestra under Chief Conductors, Günter Wand and Istvan Kertesz.

Still later, a trumpet position with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra opened up and Bob auditioned again successfully (at age 43!) for the position. In Berlin he has performed under many famous conductors and, of course, under the Chief Conductors, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and Sir Simon Rattle.

During all of these playing years (as well as during the university years) Bob taught trumpet.

First, at the Dortmund Conservatorium, then at the Music School in Cologne and at the present time at the University of Music Berlin.Now approaching his retirement from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in September 2002, Bob looks back at a full and satisfying trumpet career. He is deeply thankful for the guidance he received from William Adam and from Horst Eichler.

Charley Davis is an active musician in the studios of Los Angeles. His career spans over 30 years, which includes hundreds of motion pictures, numerous television shows, jingles, big bands, Broadway shows, and Las Vegas showrooms. Charley has performed with Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, Placido Domingo, as well as other prominent artists. In addition to performing, Charley is sought after as a teacher and diagnostic problem solver. Currently he is on the faculty of California State Univeristy – Long Beach, Citrus College, and the Henry Mancini Institute. Charley’s interest in design and improvement of the trumpet has resulted in developing a line of mutes and accessories under the name “Charles Davis Music Products Inc.” Charley is a clinician for the Selmer Corporation and plays a Bach Stradivarius trumpet.

Robert Baca teaches Trumpet and is Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. His contributions to music as a performer and teacher have been widely recognized in jazz and classical areas of the performing arts.

He has conducted many all state honors groups and has performed as a soloist/clinician internationally for the Selmer-Bach Corporation.

After studying Bill Adam at Indiana University, Bob performed as a touring member of the Frank Sinatra , Buddy Rich, Mel Torme and Tony Bennett orchestras. He played trumpet on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show for a while as well as numerous free lance performances and recordings with other artists . He is a current member of the Phillip Brunelle Plymouth Music Series Orchestra whose concerts are broadcast on National Public Radio and has performed with the Milwaukee and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestras.

Mr. Baca also directs the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Jazz Ensemble I, recognized as one of the premiere jazz ensembles in the United States. The ensemble has recorded eleven CD’s and in the last ten years. Two CD's have been nominated for a Grammy Award. The ensemble has received the prestigious Down Beat Award for “Best College Big Band” five out of the last seven years.

Bob has also served as past Vice President of the WMEA (Northwest Region) and president of the International Association of Jazz Educators, Wisconsin Chapter. He is currently an advisory board member for the “Edwin Franko Goldman Band”, the brass columnist for Kjos Publishing magazine, and the United States Representative for the executive board of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE).