Demand led Nathanael Moe to trumpet junior year of  high school:

By Abrielle Backhaus

Growing up, Nathanael Moe was required to play an instrument, and now he says he doesn’t plan to stop.

“We were required; all of us siblings had to play piano, that’s where we all started out,” Moe said. “I heard the brass band play and I just really liked the sound of it; and it was a great excuse to stop playing the piano.”

Moe started playing the cornet in fourth grade when he joined the Salvation Army Brass Band. He said he didn’t have a choice in which instrument he played. The Salvation Army starts everyone out on the cornet.

In Moe’s junior year of high school, he began his course with the trumpet when he started playing with the Rockford Youth Orchestra.

Moe decided to earn his general education credits close to home at Rock Valley Community College.

After transferring to UW-Whitewater last fall, Moe is able to see who has been most influential in his life.

“I think there are three big people who have been influential,” Moe said. “First person was my first private teacher; his name was Darrell Bartel, and he laid the base the groundwork. Second was my second private teacher named Mark Baldin.”

Baldin helped Moe decide on his major: Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance; and also instructed him in preparing auditions for college.

Now a senior at UW-Whitewater, Moe acknowledges Dr. Frank Hanson as the reason he chose this University and also as his third strongest influence thus far.

“Third would be Dr. Hanson,” Moe said. “The way he teaches, he pushes you to be a better musician; it’s really great.”

Hanson has been advising Moe for nearly two years and has built a strong connection with him.

“He’s a very talented kid,” Hanson said. “He can play in all styles, but we’ve worked on orchestral playing. You know, more traditional orchestral playing in addition to what he can already do.”

Moe plans to continue his musical education by attending graduate school in the future. When he completes his schooling, Moe hopes to become a college professor or professionally play trumpet.

Hanson is aware of Moe’s goal and encourages the idea of continuing on in his instrumental instruction.

“He’s very ambitious,” Hanson said. “I mean, he’s got aspirations to go on and be a performer after he finishes his degree at Whitewater, whether that’s graduate school or professional. And I think he has the ability to do that.”

Moe’s upcoming recital has had him practicing continuously.

The recital is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5, in Light Recital Hall.

Fellow trumpeter and housemate, Kevin Rhodes, said he admires Moe’s work ethic in preparing for the recital.

“He definitely takes the time over the little things,” Rhodes said.  “He practices for hours and hours every day. The way he plays kind of makes me jealous sometimes because I wish I could play as good as him.”