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Band Name: Gaelic Brass (Liza Zumbrunnen, director/arranger)
Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas
Gaelic Brass plays only Celtic arrangements by Liza Zumbrunnen (the director and trumpeter). Although the music is played by two trumpets and a trombone, the songs stay true to the original Celtic style. The arrangements can be described a brass interpretation of traditional Irish and Scottish tunes.
What Celtic countries have you visited or do you dream of visiting?
I haven’t been to any Celtic countries yet. The closest I’ve been is England and France. Although I absolutely loved London, I dream of visiting Ireland and Scotland as a tourist and a performer. I want to experience the music culture as well as sight-see. I would also like to do research in my personal Irish and Scottish roots.
What’s your favorite song or band and why?
My favorite artists include Ewan MacColl, Kate Rusby, Regina Spektor, and Sufjan Stevens. One of the most influential bands for the Gaelic Brass has been Gaelic Storm. They inspired a lot of my arrangements as well as our band name.
What instrument do you play and what do you wish you know how to play?
My main instrument is trumpet, which I focus on playing in the style of a fiddle. Although I play many different Celtic instruments such as guitar and bodhran, I’d like to be able to play fiddle at an advanced level. However, I wouldn’t give up playing fiddle tunes on trumpet- it’s too much fun!
What do you do in your downtime?
In my downtime I usually am arranging new tunes for the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. I’ve written over 75 arrangements so far and I’m getting ready for the next festival season in August. When I have nothing to do I like to watch comedies or anything with Norman Reedus. I’m also a born-again Christian so I make time for Bible study.
