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Over the summer, Professor Eric Berlin of the Department of Music and Dance, brought together current students and alumni contribute to a video recording project of Herald Emeritus Fanfare, a piece of music with special significance at UMass Amherst. The piece was written to honor Berlin’s predecessor and Trumpet Professor Emeritus Walter Chesnut, whose fanfare was a fixture to the opening of University events for many years. Prof. Holmes incorporated Chesnut’s actual fanfare into his piece at Berlin’s suggestion. Professor Berlin explains the history of the piece:

"My predecessor, Walter Chesnut, was a fixture on the UMass campus. For decades, his famous fanfare signaled the official start of most university events. After his accident and paralysis, this fanfare, performed from his wheelchair and followed by his standing to accept the applause, was proof of the inextinguishable human spirit. Upon his retirement, he was named "Herald Trumpet Emeritus" of the University.

When Walter was no longer able to perform his fanfare, I was asked to play in his place. Understanding the special nature of Walter's tradition, I instead asked my colleague Jeffrey Wayne Holmes to write a fanfare to be used for these events. This fanfare was written incorporating Walter's fanfare, to be performed by current students of UMass, many of whom were taught by Walter's own UMass alumni. Whenever we perform this fanfare, we honor Walter and the spirit of joy, determination, and love of music which he embodied."

Prof. Berlin, as well as current students and alumni of the trumpet studio, have shared the finished product as a gift to the campus.

Current Student Participants 

• Matt Dao
• Cristovao Fagundez
• Ethan Cogswell
• Zoe Cohen

Alumni Participants 

• Steven Bailey 
• Tom Bergeron 
• Ryan Caster 
• Donald Clough 
• Scott Daugherty 
• Sean Elligers 
• Justin Esiason 
• Dan Fleury 
• Daniela Garcia 
• Joseph Goguen 
• Melissa (Willis) Griffin 
• Joe Heffernan 
• Jared Iverson 
• Robert Leatherbee (fmr. studio member)
• Emily Levesque 
• Alisha Lopez-Morerro 
• Adam Mejaour 
• Ryan O'Connell 
• Hanna Pajalahti
• Mark Santolucito (Five Colleges–Amherst)
• Nairam Simoes 
• Andrew Stetson 
• Greg Waite