Though she was tooting a trumpet in her "Focus" video, don't expect pop star Ariana Grande to join a third wave ska band any time soon. Turns out she was only pretending to honk the horn, much to the ire of trumpeters all over the world.
Some savvy teens pointed out that Grande and her back-up dancers were totally flubbing their horn-holding techniques:
Investigating the matter further, the New York Post reached out to Robert Sullivan, a music professor at Northwestern University and aa former trumpet star in the New York Philharmonic.
"Her hand position holding the trumpet is not ideal, [n]or what most trumpet teachers would recommend," he said. "It is obvious, however, that she is not playing the trumpet, based on the lack of an embouchure."
But wait! Perhaps she's actually a serious trumpet expert with a deep knowledge of the instrument's minutiae. That's a suggestion sort of made by Detroit Symphony Orchestra player William Lucas. "Although not a traditional grip, this is a modified trumpet grip made famous by the late, great Maynard Ferguson."
In other words, Ariana Grande is either a total trumpet faker, or one of the instrument's most knowledgeable students.
Some savvy teens pointed out that Grande and her back-up dancers were totally flubbing their horn-holding techniques:
Focus sucks bc frickin ariana grande isn't even holding the trumpet correctly
— Allison McCurdy (@allisonmccurdy_) October 30, 2015wtf is this ish pic.twitter.com/Rkt6zUWpco
— Allison McCurdy (@allisonmccurdy_) October 30, 2015when everyone in the ariana grande video is holding the trumpet incorrectly... #fail pic.twitter.com/xxw2IfVTEC
— bridget (@bsmitherdither) October 30, 2015Investigating the matter further, the New York Post reached out to Robert Sullivan, a music professor at Northwestern University and aa former trumpet star in the New York Philharmonic.
"Her hand position holding the trumpet is not ideal, [n]or what most trumpet teachers would recommend," he said. "It is obvious, however, that she is not playing the trumpet, based on the lack of an embouchure."
But wait! Perhaps she's actually a serious trumpet expert with a deep knowledge of the instrument's minutiae. That's a suggestion sort of made by Detroit Symphony Orchestra player William Lucas. "Although not a traditional grip, this is a modified trumpet grip made famous by the late, great Maynard Ferguson."
In other words, Ariana Grande is either a total trumpet faker, or one of the instrument's most knowledgeable students.