Timmy Trumpet Talks Skateboarding and Ultra Miami

One of the most energetic and unique stars in the electronic dance music scene is Australian producer, DJ, trumpeter, and skateboarder Timmy Trumpet, who shot to fame in 2014 with his hit single Freaks, a collaboration with New Zealand’s rap star Savage. Timmy Trumpet has enthralled fans around the world since then with his surprising blend of techno, rock, funk, and live brass instrumentation.

One thing you don’t usually expect to see on a stage like Ultra Miami is an artist pulling out a trumpet and shredding away on it, but that’s just the kind of energy that led to him being one of the top stars performing this year at Ultra Miami. With his captivating stage presence and rockstar energy, Timmy Trumpet represents the evolution of dance music, blending samples of classic rave and rap hits with collaborations, original mixes, and jazz-inspired solos that always bring the crowd to its feet.

Timmy Trumpet, known to his family and friends at Timothy Jude Smith, has had an exciting and eclectic career as a trumpeter. While most brass musicians relegate themselves to smoky clubs and orchestral compositions, Trumpet has chosen the road less traveled for brass musicians. However, he does have a traditional background as well, having been school captain of his band at Carlingford High School in Australia and the recipient of a full scholarship to the Conservatorium of Music, where he was personally tutored by star member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Anthony Heinrich.

Within two years he was landing spots as a leading trumpet soloist, but after recognizing the unparalleled popularity of EDM and rap music he soon branched his career into an unprecedented mixture of brass instruments, jazz music, funk, rock, and modern digital music. He taught himself how to produce, mix, and DJ electronic music and his career took off from there.

After Freaks went viral with over a million copies sold and five hundred million online plays, Timmy Trumpet became a familiar face on the Australian and New Zealand television channels, and even became the first trumpet player to play in zero gravity, in a special project involving the European Space Agency.

He’s now a regular at major EDM festivals like Ultra Miami, where he played one of the most energetic and recognizable sets this year in 2023, playing the main stage alongside major stars like Swedish House Mafia and Vini Vici. Fans jumped to their feet and sang along with his ultra-danceable brand of original solos and mixes combined with EDM bass music and rap.

Timmy Trumpet sat down for an interview and talked about his music, his love for skateboarding, and where he sees his career heading in the future:

You’ve talked about skate o’clock in your videos. Can you talk about skating while traveling the world, while making all your performances?

“I skate for fun whenever I can and that’s mostly when I’m on vacation or taking some time off at home with my friends and family. I don’t get much time on tour as most of my shows are international, but I wish I did!”

In our industry, sometimes it’s tough for skateboarders to get clearance for music rights for the background music of skate videos. Can you talk about your experience as a music producer and skateboarder? Have you been approached by skateboarders looking for music for a video part?

“That’s something the record labels and publishers handle. I would love for my music to be used in skateboard videos, but I couldn’t tell you if my songs have been requested or not. My music gets used a lot in sports like the MLB, NFL, and NBA, and back home a lot in Australia.”

What are your thoughts about making royalty-free content that skateboards can use in their video parts?

“It’s a great idea! I’m sure there are a lot of artists out there that would love to have their music used and would be down with royalty-free use.”

With more skateboarders embracing electronic music after the 80s and 90s punk wave and 2000s hip hop era, how do you see skateboarding tying into the electronic music scene right now?

“The electronic music scene is always evolving, and the sound is always changing. I’ve made music this year with elements of punk and rock and I have lots of new releases coming up that are out of left field. You never know where it’s gonna go and what industries will collide.”

Where do you find yourself now as a music artist and skateboarder, and what keeps you passionate about each of those roles?

“Skateboarding is just a fun pastime for me so I wouldn’t say I’m passionate about it. But I’ll keep jumping on a board every now and then until I’m too old to stand on two feet. Music is my life and it’s what I’ve been doing since I was old enough to hold the trumpet.”

You had an amazing set at Ultra Miami 2022. How does it feel to be asked to headline again and what do you have in store for us?

“It’s amazing. This year I’m headlining Ultra in countries all over the world but coming home to Miami where it all began is the pinnacle event. I have a brand-new set full of surprises and I can’t f***ing wait!!”

Whether he’s skateboarding, in the studio, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the business, or on stage killing it with his famous trumpet solos, there seems to be great things in store in the future for Timmy Trumpet.

Producers and organizers of events like Ultra are always looking for names that can not only bring in the crowds but provide a new and unique sound, and Trumpet fits the bill for both. As much as everyone loves to hear their favorite techno songs and EDM mixes, it’s nice to see someone bringing creative, fresh ideas to the table as well.

Trumpet seems to have a futuristic insight into where EDM music is heading in the future and hopes to skate his way to the top, riding a fresh new wave of sounds that incorporate more than just a sawtooth pad and an 808 kick. Will live instrumentation like Timmy Trumpet’s become more prominent, paving the way for a different style of EDM in the future? Only time will tell, but based on Trumpet’s extraordinary success it seems to be likely.