| boston horns | (c) 2008 |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Lowell Sun
He trumpets joys of music
By Alexandra Mayer-Hohdahl
January 11, 2008
WILMINGTON -- As a child, Garret Savluk thought he might want to pursue oceanography or a career with NASA when he grew up. Then, he got his hands on a trumpet.
Music eventually took him all over the United States and abroad, partly through his involvement in the 1990s touring with the popular Boston rock band Extreme. Savluk, 40, has also found his own measure of
fame in the Northeast through the Boston Horns, a jazz/funk group he co-founded in 1999.
The 10-year resident of Wilmington is now passing on his musical knowledge to younger generations through his involvement with local schools and tutoring at his Faulkner Avenue home.
Q: How did you first get into music?
A: It was in the fifth grade. My best friend played the trumpet, and I missed him at recess. So I tagged along one day and it turned out that I was actually good at playing the trumpet. I did my first professional,
paying gig when I was 15. In tenth grade, a teacher had exposed me to jazz music. It was like, all of a sudden, a light bulb went off.
Q: Did you immediately envision pursuing this as a career?
A: That same teacher actually told me that I shouldn't go into music as a career, since it's such a hard path. But I loved traveling with my high-school band and working on stage. It was natural to me. But now I
tell my students the same thing my teacher did. At the same time, you have to try to pursue your dreams. You shouldn't have to say "what if."
Q: How did you first break onto the music scene?
A: For some reason, I have been very fortunate in my life. Things seem to always fall in my lap. While studying at Berklee (College of Music), I met (saxophonist) Henley Douglas Jr. He really opened doors for
me. We ended up founding the Heavy Metal Horns. That is the group that went on world tour with Extreme in the 1990s as their horn section. The Miami Horns were supposed to go on that tour but had just
been asked to play with Gloria Estefan. A friend who worked on the security crew for Extreme slipped them our name.
Q: What was that experience like?
A: It's quite a thrill to be playing in front of thousands of people. Even though (playing professionally) can be a tough road, the peaks are well worth it. I really had found my passion.
Q: How did the Boston Horns come along?
A: After 10 years, the Heavy Metal Horns ran out of gas. So Henley and I decided to start another band -- the Boston Horns. Wow, that's almost 10 years ago also. Time goes by quick when you're having fun.
Q: How has the group been received?
A: We have actually had a lot of success in Japan. We sold more CDs there in three months than we had in the U.S. over six years. To some extent, it shows the power of a record company getting behind
you. We've never had that here, not that we haven't tried. The U.S. companies are not interested -- it's not Britney Spears or the Backstreet Boys. It's instrumental jazz.
Q: But your most recent record, Shibuya Gumbo, has gotten noticed here also, partly because it features Boston jazz great Barrence Whitfield. How's that going?
A: We've got one of the funkiest bands around, so why not get one of the funkiest artists involved? Having Barrence on that record really was a validation for us. It took an already incredible band up a couple
of notches.
Q: You have also been teaching music for several years. How did that come along?
A: All I ever wanted to do was be a musician. By the time I was 24, I was touring the world and making good money. But that fizzled out a little bit. So I started doing odd jobs. I knew a trombone teacher in the
Natick schools who told me one day that they were looking for a trumpet teacher. I had never really taught before, but it beat climbing up ladders and painting houses.
Q: Do you enjoy teaching?
A: Absolutely. I was given a lot of opportunities as a student, and I feel like this is my turn to give back, while doing what I love.
Q: Is there a big interest in jazz among your students?
A: Definitely. It's there and it's not going to go away, especially if I have anything to say about it.
For more information on the band, visit http://www.bostonhorns.com. Anybody interested in studying trumpet or jazz can contact Garret Savluk directly at (978) 657-7494.
He trumpets joys of music
By Alexandra Mayer-Hohdahl
January 11, 2008
WILMINGTON -- As a child, Garret Savluk thought he might want to pursue oceanography or a career with NASA when he grew up. Then, he got his hands on a trumpet.
Music eventually took him all over the United States and abroad, partly through his involvement in the 1990s touring with the popular Boston rock band Extreme. Savluk, 40, has also found his own measure of
fame in the Northeast through the Boston Horns, a jazz/funk group he co-founded in 1999.
The 10-year resident of Wilmington is now passing on his musical knowledge to younger generations through his involvement with local schools and tutoring at his Faulkner Avenue home.
Q: How did you first get into music?
A: It was in the fifth grade. My best friend played the trumpet, and I missed him at recess. So I tagged along one day and it turned out that I was actually good at playing the trumpet. I did my first professional,
paying gig when I was 15. In tenth grade, a teacher had exposed me to jazz music. It was like, all of a sudden, a light bulb went off.
Q: Did you immediately envision pursuing this as a career?
A: That same teacher actually told me that I shouldn't go into music as a career, since it's such a hard path. But I loved traveling with my high-school band and working on stage. It was natural to me. But now I
tell my students the same thing my teacher did. At the same time, you have to try to pursue your dreams. You shouldn't have to say "what if."
Q: How did you first break onto the music scene?
A: For some reason, I have been very fortunate in my life. Things seem to always fall in my lap. While studying at Berklee (College of Music), I met (saxophonist) Henley Douglas Jr. He really opened doors for
me. We ended up founding the Heavy Metal Horns. That is the group that went on world tour with Extreme in the 1990s as their horn section. The Miami Horns were supposed to go on that tour but had just
been asked to play with Gloria Estefan. A friend who worked on the security crew for Extreme slipped them our name.
Q: What was that experience like?
A: It's quite a thrill to be playing in front of thousands of people. Even though (playing professionally) can be a tough road, the peaks are well worth it. I really had found my passion.
Q: How did the Boston Horns come along?
A: After 10 years, the Heavy Metal Horns ran out of gas. So Henley and I decided to start another band -- the Boston Horns. Wow, that's almost 10 years ago also. Time goes by quick when you're having fun.
Q: How has the group been received?
A: We have actually had a lot of success in Japan. We sold more CDs there in three months than we had in the U.S. over six years. To some extent, it shows the power of a record company getting behind
you. We've never had that here, not that we haven't tried. The U.S. companies are not interested -- it's not Britney Spears or the Backstreet Boys. It's instrumental jazz.
Q: But your most recent record, Shibuya Gumbo, has gotten noticed here also, partly because it features Boston jazz great Barrence Whitfield. How's that going?
A: We've got one of the funkiest bands around, so why not get one of the funkiest artists involved? Having Barrence on that record really was a validation for us. It took an already incredible band up a couple
of notches.
Q: You have also been teaching music for several years. How did that come along?
A: All I ever wanted to do was be a musician. By the time I was 24, I was touring the world and making good money. But that fizzled out a little bit. So I started doing odd jobs. I knew a trombone teacher in the
Natick schools who told me one day that they were looking for a trumpet teacher. I had never really taught before, but it beat climbing up ladders and painting houses.
Q: Do you enjoy teaching?
A: Absolutely. I was given a lot of opportunities as a student, and I feel like this is my turn to give back, while doing what I love.
Q: Is there a big interest in jazz among your students?
A: Definitely. It's there and it's not going to go away, especially if I have anything to say about it.
For more information on the band, visit http://www.bostonhorns.com. Anybody interested in studying trumpet or jazz can contact Garret Savluk directly at (978) 657-7494.