Trumpeting Success

Oakland University trumpet player Carlos Perez-Hijar made an audition video because the Drum Corps team he was interested in joining was located in California. The video would prove to be an important moment in his playing career.

The audition video not only landed him a spot on the team, but it has also made him a semi-celebrity in the Drum Corps world as it has more than 100,000 views on YouTube.

Oakland University student Carlos Perez-Hijar (left) values his relationship with Amanda Ross, Oakland University visiting assistant professor of music applied trumpet.

“His audition was so good that people use it as a reference to make their own,” says Amanda Ross, Oakland University visiting assistant professor of music applied trumpet.

“It’s very popular,” Perez-Hijar says. “There were even times this past summer where other Drum Corps competitors would stop me and ask, ‘Are you Carlos from the video on YouTube?’ It’s very cool that people like it. It’s sort of my way to give back to the community because there were many videos I saw for inspiration. Now, other people can use mine!”

Perez-Hijar’s Drum Crops team is the Blue Devils, who are considered one of the elite Drum Corps teams. The Blue Devils have won 21 world championships, including one in 2023 (Perez-Hijar’s first year on the team).

“It's a professional marching band that tours around the whole country and competes with dozens of other groups,” says Perez-Hijar, who was one of the team’s trumpet soloist’s this past season. “Fortunately, they offer video auditions, which you can post on YouTube and send them, which is what I did since the group is based in California.”

Perez-Hijar is a member of several ensembles at Oakland University, including the Oakland Symphony Orchestra, which is made of professional musicians, OU faculty and a select few students.

“It is a professional orchestra,” Ross says. “There are opportunities for students to audition in to be part of the orchestra. And Carlos was one of the students that successfully auditioned to be a part of the trumpet section. We accept only the highest level of students because of the fast-paced nature of the rehearsals. Our concert cycle is, we have three rehearsals, and then we go, so they not only have to be able to play the parts, but they have to know how to prepare.”

Carlos Perez-Hijar poses for a photo with the world championship trophy his Drum Corps team the Blue Devils won.

Perez-Hijar says he’s taken part in more than 20 performances since he started as a student at Oakland in the fall of 2022.

“The advantage of being music major at OU is the faculty are really good at exposing you to the career you want right away,” Perez-Hijar says. “Some other places might require a few years before you get that exposure, but here they want to give you opportunities right away so you can gain experience to prepare you for your career.”

Perez-Hijar has developed a good relationship with Ross and credits her for helping him improve during his time at Oakland.

“She's the one who’s seen me put my blood, sweat and tears into this,” he says. “She knows me not just as a musician, but as a person. We spend so many hours together. There’s lessons, playing together in ensembles and in studio, and sometimes we just sit in her office and have conversations. That’s one of my favorite parts about her as a teacher. In addition to being a spectacular teacher, she’s a humble person who is confident in herself, which is why I look up to her. I really want to be a performer and she’s helped inspire me. Oakland has helped me a lot, both as a musician and a person.”

Ross says Perez-Hijar is really driven to be a great musician and has put in so much work during his time at Oakland.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with him since he started here at OU,” Ross says. “He was just so open to trying out new ideas. When I told him, ‘If you want to be a performer this is what you have to do and these are the skills you have to learn,’ he didn’t even blink. He’s just someone who is willing to do whatever it takes and that’s really shown. His growth over the past few years has been remarkable. He’s a really hard worker and willing to do the things that some other people aren’t willing to do.”

Perez-Hijar began playing with the Oakland University Brass Band when he was just 15. He participated in a youth orchestra program and was encouraged by OU Professor of Music Kenneth Kroesche to join the brass band.

Carlos Perez-Hijar performs with the Blue Devils.

“He definitely saw some potential in me,” Perez-Hijar says. “He recommended me to one of the trumpet professors who was here at that time and they both invited me to play for the Brass Band, while I was still in high school.”

Perez-Hijar says the other members of the OU Brass Band were very welcoming and made him feel comfortable right away.

“The thing I remember the most was how good the culture was,” Perez-Hijar says. “They were kind of surprised to see me, but they were very supportive. That’s one of the strong traits of the brass studios here at OU, we’re always supportive and uplifting each other. As someone who’s been involved here for years now, I always look back to how my previous classmates cheered each other on and were there for each other. And that’s something I strive to enforce as a student.”

Playing with the OU brass band showed Perez-Hijar’s parents he had the potential to be a musician and he says they have been very supportive of him ever since.

“My parents were both born in Mexico and immigrated here to Michigan,” Perez-Hijar says. “They came to the United States because they wanted to give my sister and I the opportunity to pursue the career and dreams we wanted. Not going to lie, my parents were a little hesitant about me being a musician at first, but when they saw the potential I had while playing in Oakland’s Brass Band, they became much more supportive. They come to as many of my performances as they can. Their support means everything to me. They just want me to succeed and that’s very touching.”