Friends, 

Thank you. Your generosity has been overwhelming to both my students and myself. The success of this campaign has made clear what I already knew: Virginia Tech is a special place. I'll be in touch with each of you individually in the near future to more formally thank you for your gifts. As successful as we have been in replenishing the Bachelder Scholarship Fund for this year, the ultimate success of our work shouldn't be measured simply in dollars and cents. Instead, I'd ask you all to think of your gift as an investment. An investment in young people, in our great university, and perhaps most importantly, in the Virginia Tech community.

My travels as a professional musician have taken me to every corner of the US and around the world. During these journeys I've been struck by one thing: great art and strong communities go hand in hand. Artists need places that value and support the work they do, and they need colleagues to inspire them and to serve as collaborators, friends, and mentors. Your gift to the Bachelder Scholarship will do so much more than provide a tuition discount for a deserving student. It will sustain and expand our community of musicians and aid all of our students in reaching their goals. 

As you can see your gifts make a huge impact on our campus, but there are a lot of ways for you to help our community grow:

1. Come to concerts. The School of Performing Arts sponsors over 100 events per academic year, many of which are free. Attending any of these performances is a great way to engage with our community, support our students and faculty, and witness the return on your investment firsthand. Did I mention that Allen Vizzutti with be on campus this fall (September 28-30) for the Virginia Tech Trumpet Festival...

2. Spread the word. Whether you encourage a talented music student to apply to Virginia Tech or bring a friend to a concert, let people know about the great things happening in the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts.  

3. Sustain your gift. By making your gift to the Bachelder Scholarship an annual event you'll help us keep the ball rolling. Success doesn't happen all at once, it takes a sustained effort over a period of years. My students and I are in this for the long haul, we hope you'll join us. If you have specific questions related to giving please contact Janice Tawney (jtawney@exchange.vt.edu). 

Once again, thank you for your support. I hope I'll get a chance to see you all soon. Please don't hesitate to say hello at a concert or stop by my office the next time you're on campus. 

All the Best,

Dr. Jason Crafton 

Assistant Professor of Music (trumpet) 

Virginia Tech

School of Performing Arts

JCrafton@vt.edu

Hello everyone! We have three days to raise $155 to reach our crowdfunding goal. Thanks so much for your support. 

Over the last month we've told you about the alumni, students, guest artists and faculty that make the Virginia Tech trumpet studio so special. For those of you that made gifts, THANK YOU. For those of you thinking about making gifts, ONLY THREE DAYS LEFT. Even if you don't make a gift there are lots of ways to support our students, the best ways are to:

1. Come to a concert. The music department puts on over 100 events per academic year. These events feature students, faculty, and guest artists and many of them are free. You can find more details here. 

2. Come to the Virginia Tech Trumpet Festival. All the proceeds benefit the Allen Bachelder Scholarship Fund, plus this year's guest is the incomparable Allen Vizzutti! September 28-30, more details to come. 

Thanks again for all your support. 

We've only got one week left! Thanks so much for your support.

Just a short update today to remind you all about Ashley Hall's recital tonight at 8pm in the Recital Salon. Her performance is sponsored in part by the Virginia Tech Women and Minority Artists and Scholars Lecture Series (WMASLS). The trumpet studio has partnered with WMASLS to present several concerts by female trumpeters. Last year we featured cornetist Raquel Rodriguez and next year we'll host internationally renowned baroque trumpeter Kathryn James. These women not only perform at the highest level but serve as outstanding role models for our students. 

If you're interested in attending tonight's concert more information is available here.

As you can see from our previous updates there is a lot going on in the trumpet studio, your gift to the Bachelder Trumpet Scholarship fund will help us maintain a vibrant educational and artistic atmosphere for our students and the Blacksburg Community. Thanks so much for your support. 

One of the really special things about attending Virginia Tech is that it's often a family affair. Many of our students are 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th generation Hokies. But many connections to Blacksburg are forged outside of a student's family, via teachers, friends, and mentors. This is especially true of another of this year's Bachelder Trumpet Scholarship recipients, Caroline Bingham. Caroline  is a Senior, full IB Diploma Candidate at Mountain View High School in Stafford, VA. She has served in multiple leadership positions within the school and community to include: Drum Major, Tri-M Secretary, and County Fine Arts Advisory Committee member. Her trumpet instructor is Zack Smith. Her band directors include: Gene Welch and Doug Armstrong, both Virginia Tech Alumni, and Arlene Mandoudis. Caroline has auditioned and participated in All State Band, Senior Regional Orchestra, District Band and All County Bands. Caroline also had the distinguished opportunity to participate in the 2017 VT Trumpet Festival and the 2018 VT Honor Band. She is very excited to join the VT Trumpet studio this fall, where she will pursue a double major in Music Performance and Biology. 

It's also worth noting that Caroline's current band director, Mr. Gene Welch (pictured below with Caroline), is a past recipient of the Bachelder Trumpet Scholarship. We hope this makes clear the impact your gift can make. Our students leave Blacksburg ready to apply the lessons they have learned during their time here to an ever changing world. They are, like Mr. Welch, community leaders that serve, mentor, and shape the next generation of students. Many of whom, like Caroline, will become Hokies and follow in the footsteps of their mentors.

Your gift to the Bachelder Trumpet Scholarship Fund will help us continue to attract the best students to Virginia Tech. Our students want to excel as scholars, teachers and musicians, they want to serve their communities, and they want to lead. In other words, these people want to change the world for the better. We hope you'll continue to help them reach their goals. 

Thanks for your support!

We did it! We reached our fundraising goal two whole weeks ahead of schedule. Thanks to all of the Hokies from across the country that have made gifts to support the Bachelder Trumpet Scholarship. Here's the thing...we still have two weeks left on our campaign. So today we're updating our crowdfunding goal to $3500. Remember all the money given to this campaign goes directly to offset the college expenses of an undergraduate trumpeter at Virginia Tech. In addition to tuition and living expenses, students have to buy books, instruments, and other supplies in addition to paying for graduate school applications, summer festivals, etc. College can be expensive, the Bachelder Trumpet Scholarship allows students to focus on their studies more and their finances less.

Your gift can go a long way towards both supporting a young musician and honoring the legacy of Dr. Allen Bachelder. Speaking of Dr. Bachelder, today we'd like to update you on one of his students, Kelley Corbett. Kelley is currently the principal trumpet for "Pershing's Own" US Army Band, after his time in Blacksburg he received a master's degree from the Mannes Conservatory in New York City. You can read more about Kelley and his work in the Army band here. 

Kelley is a great example of the sort of hard-working and talented students that attend Virginia Tech. Don't miss an opportunity to invest in the future of the next Hokie that will make their mark on the world of music. 

Thank you so much for your support...but we have one more favor to ask. Please share this update with your friends, family, or other Hokies; anyone that may have an interest in supporting our efforts to help our students succeed. 

LET'S GO!

We're so close! Only $40 from reaching our goal with 2 weeks remaining! Thank you for your support. 

A huge congratulations to Elizabeth Kania for an outstanding senior recital on Saturday. Additional congratulations go to senior trumpeter and composer Brandon Hale for his excellent senior composition recital on Sunday. 

While the semester may be winding down there is still a ton happening tin the trumpet studio. We're very excited to welcome our friend Ashley Hall to campus next week. Ashley will present a solo recital at 8pm on Monday, April 23rd in the Recital Salon and a master class at 2pm on Tuesday, April 24th. If you're interested in attending the concert, learning more about Ashley or for ticket information click here. 

While Ashley isn't a Hokie, she does have a deep connection to Virginia Tech. A native of Wytheville, VA, Ashley studied with Dr. Bachelder as a high schooler. We're thrilled to welcome her back to campus to perform, teach, and share her experiences as a professional musician with our students. 

Thanks again for all of your support! We are all overwhelmed by the success of this campaign. 

We're almost there!

As of today we're 2/3 of the way to our fundraising goal! Our success to this point has largely been on word of mouth, so please spread the word to fellow Hokies and music lovers about the opportunity to make a gift to the Bachelder Scholarship Fund. 

In the meantime don't forget about Elizabeth Kania's senior recital tomorrow at 7:30pm in the Squires Recital Salon. If you can't make it to Blacksburg you can watch the livestream here:

http://www.performingarts.vt.edu/live-stream-events

If you're really in to planning ahead don't forget that the 2018 Virginia Tech Trumpet Festival will be held on September 28-29 and will feature the legendary Allen Vizzutti. While all proceeds from the event go to support the Bachelder Scholarship, attending the trumpet festival is a great opportunity to come back to campus, reconnect with fellow alumni, and hear a whole lot of really good trumpet playing. If you have any questions about the festival please feel free to contact Dr. Crafton (JCrafton@vt.edu). We hope to see you there!

One more thing...the trumpet studio received some great news today that involves both the Bachelder Scholarship and the VT Class of 2022 (more on that next week). 

The donations keep rolling in! Thanks so much for your support. 

Before we launch into today's alumni profile, we want to extend a huge congratulations to 2015 Bachelder Scholarship recipient  Elizabeth Kania on her acceptance into the master's program and the University of Missouri- Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. Elizabeth was also accepted to the graduate programs at the Eastman School of Music and Oklahoma State University. Needless to say we're all thrilled and extremely proud of Elizabeth and her accomplishments. If you'd like to hear her perform you can attend her senior recital this Saturday in the Recital Salon or watch the live stream here:

http://www.performingarts.vt.edu/live-stream-events

Our featured alumni today is Pickett/Blackburn founder, Peter Pickett. Few would have guessed in 1998 that Peter would embark on a journey of creating a world renowned brass mouthpiece and accessory manufacturing company. However, after accepting a mechanical engineering job out of Virginia Tech, Peter spun up his first lathe to do just that.  With the new shop situated in his backyard, Peter was able to turn his fascination with trumpet aesthetics into trim kits for his instruments. In the process of developing and creating a firm business foundation, his focus turned to the design of brass instrument mouthpieces.

Peter’s engineering graduate studies revolved around acoustic modeling of the trumpet air column and active control systems. Combining this work with his BA in trumpet performance brought to bear passion and skill, ensuring a lasting drive and ultimately an efficient and effective business.  

The design and creation process of Pickett Brass mouthpieces is not a replication or reproduction of any other company’s process in the industry. Process design, from the ground up, has been painstakingly thought through to provide the best possible quality in a strikingly efficient manner.  From in-house CAD software and one of a kind tooling to heavily customized shop management software, we have created a business system that allows us to focus on the musician, resulting in an unmatched experience in the creation of truly one of a kind mouthpieces that are second to none in quality and design. From humble beginnings, Pickett Brass has transformed through the years into a world renowned brass mouthpiece and accessory manufacturing company. 

In 2016, Pickett Brass expanded by acquiring the Blackburn Trumpet company and moving all instrument production to Lexington.  Pickett Brass now carries on the legacy and craftsmanship of Cliff Blackburn in the making of Blackburn trumpets.

Congratulations to Peter on all his success! You can learn more about Peter's work by visiting the Pickett/Blackburn website: https://www.pickettblackburn.com

Peter was and early and frequent contributor to the Bachelder Scholarship fund, we hope you'll follow his lead and invest in the futures of young musicians at Virginia Tech. 

We're almost there! 

Thanks to several generous donations we crossed the $1000 threshold over the weekend. Still thinking about making a gift? Don't forget that Profs. Crafton and Bachelder will match the next $1000 in donations ($742 at this point). This is a great way to maximize the impact of any gift you make. 

The trumpet studio at Virginia Tech has a long history of excellence. Today we'd like to highlight Dr. Peyden Shelton, a 2009 graduate of Virginia Tech. Dr. Shelton is an accomplished performer, teacher, and clinician. In 2014, he was the winner of the National Trumpet Competition's Graduate Soloist Division performing Joseph Turrin's Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra. Since that time, he has performed recitals and solo performances at universities and new music venues across the country. As an ensemble and chamber musician, Dr. Shelton has performed with numerous ensembles including the Rochester Philharmonic, the New World Symphony, the U.S. Army Field Band, and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. He currently serves as the principal trumpet of Baltimore's premier new music ensemble, Symphony Number One. 

As an educator, Dr. Shelton currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Utah.  Dr. Shelton has also served on the faculties at the University of Rochester and Cornell University. He is a frequent guest at festivals and clinics throughout the United States providing a unique and effective approach to fundamental brass development. In addition, Dr. Shelton is a strong supporter of new music, especially that which reflects a contemporary compositional voice for trumpet and piano.

If you're interested in investing in students like Peyden, we hope you'll consider a donation to the Allen Bachelder Trumpet Scholarship Fund. Your gift could help launch the career of the next great trumpet player to come from the Virginia Tech trumpet studio. 

What a great start to our campaign!

We’ve already raised nearly $1000 for the Bachelder Trumpet Scholarship! Don’t forget the challenge offered by Profs. Crafton and Bachelder to match the next $1000 in gifts. If you’re looking to maximize the impact of your gift this is a great way to do it.

There are a lot of ways to contribute to the work our students are doing. One of the best ways to support their efforts is to attend the Virginia Tech Trumpet Festival, September 28-29 in Blacksburg. This year’s guest is the great Allen Vizzutti! Allen will be performing with the Virignia Tech Jazz Ensemble, giving master classes for both high school and Virginia Tech students and performing on the festival concert. The festival concert will also feature performances by Dr. Jason Crafton, featured alumni Kelley Corbett, Senior Chief James Bean, and Scholarship winner Chris Thomas.

The Trumpet Festival is a great event that attracts trumpet players and VT alumni from around the region. All the proceeds from the event go to the Bachelder Scholarship Fund. We hope you’ll plan to attend. 

We're making great progress! Several more donors have made gifts over the past few hours, a huge thank you to all.

The Bachelder Trumpet Scholarship is an investment in a young musician. Over the next few weeks we'll be highlighting alumni/current students that have found great success in a variety of musical pursuits. You've already heard about this year's Bachelder Scholarship recipient, Chris Thomas. Now we'd like to introduce you about 2015 scholarship recipient, and soon to be alumnus, Elizabeth Kania. 

Elizabeth is a senior trumpet performance major from Crozet, Virginia. At present she performs as principal trumpet with the New River Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Tech Wind Ensemble. She has attended the Hawai'i Performing Arts Festival and was a scholarship particpant in the Raphael Mendez Brass Insitute in Denver, Colorado. Upon graduating this spring Elizabeth will pursue a graduate degree in trumpet performance (She's been accepted to several really great schools and is still weighing her options). Elizabeth has a bright future as a musician, a future made possible through hard work, talent, and determination...as well as the support of the Bachelder Scholarship. 

If you'd like to hear Elizabeth perform come to her Senior Recital on April 14th at 7:30pm in the Squires Recital Salon, if you're not able to make the trip to Blacksburg you can live stream the concert via the SOPA webpage (information on live-streaming is available in the above link). 

Students like Elizabeth are what make Virginia Tech special. We hope you'll continue to invest in their futures. 

Greetings! 

After only 48 hours we are already over 30% of the way to our goal! To all of you that have made a gift so far, thank you. For everyone that is on the fence...have we got a deal for you. 

If you're looking to maximize the impact of your gift now is the time to get involved. Professor Bachelder and Professor Crafton have generously offered to match the next $1000 in donations to the scholarship fund. Both Profs. Crafton and Bachelder have witnessed firsthand the impact that these scholarships can have on deserving students. We appreciate their support and hope that it will inspire you to make your own gift. 

Still not convinced to make a gift? Over the next few days and weeks we'll be showing you how an investment in a member of the Virginia Tech trumpet studio can pay dividends for years to come. Stay tuned.