Bethany Vaughan has been a member of the Music Institute’s Nichols Concert Hall staff and now is a member of the trumpet faculty. She earned her bachelor of music degree at Indiana University and her master of music degree at Northwestern University. She is a core member of Axiom Brass. As a freelancer, she has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and National Arts Centre Orchestra, among many others. In the chamber music sphere, she has toured with Seraph Brass and Stiletto Brass (in addition to her work with Axiom). She has spent summers as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and Round Top Festival Institute and has performed at the Bravo! Vail, Ravinia, and Blossom summer music festivals. She maintains a private studio of students from all around Chicago and coaches the trumpets at Niles West High School.
Master of Music, Northwestern University
Bachelor of Music, Indiana University
I have studied with and been influenced by teachers from many different schools of pedagogical thought, but I count the teachings of Bill Adam and Vincent Cichowicz (and the Chicago school more generally) as my strongest pedagogical influences. I believe that, in most cases, the conscious mind should have a limited role when it comes to the mechanics of trumpet playing. While having a healthy setup and basic understanding of how the embouchure works is important (and I teach those things), of even more importance is your concept of how you want to sound. If we have a beautiful, resonant sound in our mind's eye when we go to play the trumpet, our subconscious mind will, over time, make minute changes to our body to bring us into alignment with our goal sound. We might be aware of these changes, but the goal is to not let them draw too much of our focus. A focus on sound (and musicality) is why I play back and forth with my students in lessons, providing them with a model. Imitation truly is one of the best teachers! I have taught students of all ages (beginner to retired) and student acceptances include CYSO and Interlochen.
Hobbies/interests outside of music:
My hobbies outside of music include pickleball, running, reading, and playing my Nintendo Switch!
Most memorable musical moment:
One of my most memorable musical moments was playing Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King live with the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom. The amazing score; the awesome, huge orchestra/choir; and the packed crowd combined into a truly electric experience.
What you love about playing your instrument:
I love the sound of the trumpet and feeling like it's an extension of my voice. From beautiful, tender chorales, to heroic, brassy fanfares, to jazzy big band charts—the trumpet can do it all!