Anthony Gach More Sugar December 2015

Westchester County Trumpeter Anthony Gach’s Fortuitous Road to Funktastic

Written by: Jacque Roche

Anthony Gach recalls his decision to take up the trumpet when as a 4th grader his mother “forced me to join the school band. When my mom rejected the drums, the only other instrument I knew by name was the trumpet.”  With the reputation as “a good kid” and an active participant in the elementary & middle school concert & jazz bands, Gach easily picked up the traditional academic tools to become an adequate player. The instrument came naturally, and Anthony found himself in the top of the section, yet treated it as an extension of school lacking the discipline to do the work to become an advanced player.

It was during the rebellious pre-teen phase where the innovative teen picked up an electric guitar. “Begging for starter lessons,” hanging with a circle of hard rock friends and forming various bands, Gach continued to remain one of the better trumpet players in the school bands. The world of rock n roll offered a creative outlet the trumpet never had. During this period Gach found a passion for writing, singing and performing.  He also picked up bass and drums along the way.

Gach joined the Teen Choir in Yorktown’s St. Patrick’s Parish in 9th grade.  While with the choir, switching between trumpet, guitar, bass, hand drums & singing Gach flourished. It was here, while under the direction of Kathey Lewis that he developed an understanding of how the rhythm instruments lead a group.  “It was my first time playing in a serious group, not always] playing melody and I loved it”!

Gach entered Moravian College as a trumpet major, “I still had not fallen in love with the trumpet, and had started to play acoustic guitar to make money'.” Refocusing his studies from music education to composition & jazz trumpet, Gach, started to love playing the horn after being turned onto the sounds of the great jazz trumpeters by his professors, and took this new energy into the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, where he developed a love for funk & R&B.

In June ‘14, after years of unsuccessfully promoting his EP of funk rock compositions, Gach was recruited to perform a Funk & Soul night at Fontana’s in NYC. This unsolicited invitation led to the formation of his current passion - Anthony Gach and Harmonic Aggression.  A Nonet featuring a full horn and extra large rhythm section, with a focus on his original compositions and own arrangements of popular dance songs.

The Band will be performing on Nov 20 - 9:30pm at 12 Grapes, Peekskill, NY and Nov 28, 8:00pm at The Bitter End, NYC. Find them on Facebook and give them a listen.

Jacque Roche is a “More Sugar” contributor, author of a weekly “Positive Insights” newsletter, booker, FB Jedi Master and host of, Jacque’s Giant Hudson Valley Music Show on 103.7 WPWL, streaming Thursday from 8-9 pm EST on www.pawlingpublicradio.org.  Can I tell your story?  Send an email to: jacquebutterflypresents@gmail.com.