R. Dale Olson

Biography

Dale Olson began the serious study of the trumpet while still in high school in Galveston, Texas, when he studied with Everette James, father of Harry James. Upon entering the University of North Texas in 1952, he began a five year period when his teacher was John James Haynie, one of the last of the true cornet virtuosi, and a brilliant teacher.
After receiving the Bachelor’s of Music degree in Music Education in 1956, Dale earned two Master’s Degrees from the same school in one year, 1957. One Master’s was in Composition, in which he studied the Schillinger System of Musical Composition. The other was the very first Master’s degree in Trumpet Performance ever granted by UNT. Over fifty years later, in 2008, Dale was recognized as a “Distinguished Alumnus” by the University of North Texas. The only other trumpet player to ever receive this honor was one of Dale’s very close friends, Marvin Stamm.

During his tenure at UNT, Olson developed a deep interest in the history, design, and acoustics of brass instruments. After graduation, Dale spent a short period of time in the US Army, and later continued his study with teachers such as Robert Weatherly (Principal of the St. Louis Symphony), Vladimir Drucker (Principal of the San Francisco Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic), and John Clyman (MGM Studios). On several occasions, Olson visited Chicago and worked with Renold Schilke on trumpet design and acoustics.

Even during his study of the technical aspects of the trumpet, Olson continued a career in professional performing, working in all musical idioms: He played in excess of 30,000 television and live performances for one of Hollywood’s most famous film makers.

At age of 25, Dale was named Director of Research for the firm of F.E. Olds, and Son, Inc. of Fullerton, California. During a decade with Olds, Olson continually participated in extended research related to brass instruments with co-researchers Dr. Robert W. Young, then President of the Acoustical Society of America, and William T. Cardwell, recognized by some as one of the dominant trumpet acousticians of the 20th. Century. During the decade of the 1960s, Dale Olson and Zig Kanstul worked together, and were equally responsible for the creation of new models for Olds.

After leaving Olds, Olson served as consultant in design, acoustics, and testing for the firms of LeBlanc, Besson, Benge, and Kanstul. Continuing his quest for scholarship, in 1987 Dale earned a Master’s in Experimental Psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and is now engaged in the study of Applied Computational Mathematics to assist in his current research of brass instrument mouthpieces. Specifically, Olson seeks to clarify the relationships between specific areas of the mouthpiece and their effects on musical and performance concomitants. In what little time remains after his focus on the trumpet, Dale maintains and restores his collection of vintage English automobiles.

SPECIALTIES:
Brass instrument organology
Brass instrument design and construction
Brass instrument history
Brass instrument historical patents
Pedagogical theories and practices regarding brass instruments
Brass instrument objective testing
Human mechanisms of brass instrument performance (i.e. interoral air pressure, facial tension,
Embouchure)
Mouthpiece force
Brass instrument mutes
Brass instrument mouthpieces
Scholarly / Technical literature related to brass instruments

LANGUAGES:
English