About

Hi I am John Simpkins. I grew up in Denver Colorado and started playing the trumpet in a school band at Horace Mann Middle.  After attending North High School I went to College to study trumpet and received a Bachelor or Arts in Music from Metropolitan State University of Denver.  I began teaching private trumpet lessons after completing college in 2011.  In 2015,  I started repairing band instruments for schools and professionals in the Denver Metro area.  The trifecta of playing, teaching, and repairing has led me down a pretty cool path as a musician. 

I believe through music, a young student can learn how to improve their posture, articulation, health, and ability to adapt to or communicate with others.  I was blessed by having great teachers that motivated and inspired me as a young musician. As a budding musician I studied trumpet with Keith Harms, Gerald Endsley, and Ron Miles. I hope that my work as a private instructor is not just making better trumpet players but also giving young students the self motivation and pride that my teachers instilled in me.  In addition to private lessons, I  have volunteered and/or been adjunct staff in the band programs at North High School, East High School, and Beach Court Elementary.

At age fifteen I started playing in bands outside of school and my main gig was a group called Askimbo.  In the years I  played in this group we performed approximately 2000 shows, released four albums, and played hundreds of venues ranging from the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater to the intimate El Chapultepec.  These days I am putting out music as a solo artist and primarily playing with the group Muchly Suchwise.  Muchly Suchwise is a collection of childhood friends which started as a songwriting club.  The group would be best described as Nerd Rock. It is a combination of seasoned musicians having a little fun.  

In my solo project I have recently been inspired by my job repairing band instruments.  Over the years I have been replacing parts on my trumpet either out of fun or necessity. In late 2019, I rebuilt my trumpet using parts from Bach Stradivarous, Blackburn, and Harrleson trumpets.  This unique combination created a tone and response that inspired me to start writing.  The subsequent result was the single Cowboys and Pelicans recently released, and the album with the same title coming soon.