Great Teacher
Jessie is an incredibly smart and analytical person. He's able to point out issues in my playing and provide exercises to reduce/eliminate their occurances.
Christian Casey
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1% Trumpet Program
5.018 reviews
Last reviewed: Feb 12, 2026Do you agree with 1% Trumpet Program's TrustScore? Voice your opinion today and hear what 18 customers have already said.
www.toot-your-own-horn.com/free-trumpet-classMember since Mar 2026
1% Trumpet Program is an online company. Based on 18 reviews on TrustPlane, it has an average rating of 5.0 out of 5 stars. Last reviewed February 12, 2026.
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My Review of Jesse Gracias’ 1% Trumpet…
My Review of Jesse Gracias’ 1% Trumpet Master ClassTraining with Jesse Gracia for a full year has transformed my trumpet playing more than all my previous years combined. His 1% Trumpet Program is built on the simple but life‑changing idea of making small, consistent improvements every day. Those 1% changes have reshaped my habits, my technique, and my confidence.When I joined the program, I came in with serious embouchure problems. I had played from elementary school through college, but years of blasting at football games in high school damaged my chops. In college I was always stuck on second or third parts, constantly struggling in the upper register, and never able to break through.This past year changed everything.My embouchure is now secure, stable, and consistent. I’m no longer jamming the horn into my face. My lips are vibrating freely at a higher frequency, giving me relief and freedom in the upper register. My airflow is supporting my sound instead of fighting it. My range has expanded. I can play lead parts—something I never imagined at this stage of my life. I still need to keep building endurance, but that’s simply a matter of scheduling practice time and applying what I’ve learned.Jesse’s program has been a tremendous blessing. At 53, I prayed that I would be able to enjoy my trumpet playing well into my older years. Now that dream is becoming reality. The path is in front of me, and it’s up to me to keep pressing forward with the tools Jesse has given me.I also want to honor Jesse personally. During my time in the program, he walked through the heartbreaking loss of his wife. Yet even in that season of deep pain, he continued teaching, encouraging, and pressing forward with strength that only God can give. His perseverance inspired me as much as his instruction.To Jesse and the entire teaching staff: thank you. Your program doesn’t offer quick fixes—it offers real, honest change for those willing to work. I highly recommend the 1% Trumpet Program to anyone who wants to grow, rebuild, or finally achieve the musical goals they’ve carried for years.God bless you all.Nelson Sandoval A trumpet player who happens to be a Pastor
Nelson Sandoval
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THE program to help make you a better player
Although the classroom-type sessions are group participation, the individual private sessions help each participant address our personal needs, as well. Jesse and the mentors are playing professionals who are fully equipped to assist and guide us. We support each other and share info and personal experiences. We are family. Anyone who wants to improve their playing will benefit immensely. 1% is the mantra. Success is the result.
Leon Washington
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My experience has been amazing
My experience has been amazing. I’ve grown leaps and bounds on my trumpet playing. From range to attack, all parts of my trumpet has improved. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested.
Josh W
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1% Trumpet - A Road to Success
Jesse has created a masterful approach to analyzing the myriad aspects of playing the trumpet and presents his strategies in a way that is easy to understand. There is no question that he sincerely cares about each player's progress. His expertise and enthusiasm make this course a completely positive experience!
Kathryn Niemasik
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A Well Rounded and Complete Trumpet Program
I have been in the 1% Trumpet Program for about two years. What I have gotten most out of the program is that I have able to organize my practice in a way that I am able monitor improvement - or if something has not worked - very closely and quickly. In addition, Jesse has a lot of knowledge on the trumpet embochure, how it works and it has helped me discover things about that I did not know prior to joining the program. Currently, I am working on that in various ways. I am very happy with the results so far, as I contine to improve on my trumpet journey.
fernando marcano
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A senior amateur trumpeter still trying to improve
I’ve played trumpet for many (<50) years. A 15 year gap in the ‘80s and 90s. No lessons since high school. I’ve just played in local community bands. I started with the 1% program about 2 years ago because I was frustrated with my lack of endurance. From the very beginning I was impressed with Jesse’s attention to detail in all aspects of playing. We have worked on embouchure position, embouchure strengthening, breath support, tongue position, and posture. We’ve looked at practice techniques, length of practice, rest times, and indicators of the need to rest. He has taught me free buzzing. I learned about the CTS pressure gauge. So many of these aspects of playing were new to me. My endurance has improved and my practice routine is more goal directed. Jesse is focused on measurable results. He understands the struggles players like me experience. He’s an excellent instructor. The program has mostly group lessons and one on one lessons.Playing trumpet is hard, and many of us have bad habits which can be a challenge to break. He understands this fact and has techniques to break these habits.If you’re willing to put in the time and commitment, the 1% program with Jesse is a great choice.
L Grossman
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Here are the Trumpet Tools to Make Major Improvements
As an older player, until recently I had accepted that I'd have to live with declines in trumpet sound, stamina and overall playing. However, through this masterful program I've learned to (finally) observe the real issues holding me back and fix bad habits to get where I want to be -- playing with a full sound, crisp attacks, confidence to hit notes, endurance and most of all the enjoyment I once had. This program is not a magic bullet and takes focus, patience and determination. It is like being given a mirror to see "where we are at" and make improvements with a combination of Jesse's expertise and our own intuition. And it is not a quick fix -- for example I had to radically alter my former embouchure while correcting overblowing and upper body tension and that has taken me 100+ days to settle into and I am liking it. As for online resources and self-learning, Jesse has pulled together an incredible trumpet knowledge base of hundreds of articles, links, and insightful teaching videos available to the group 24x7, and he's constantly adding to it. If you are willing to incorporate solid practice, identify and drop old habits, carefully log your progress, and put in focus time, the program is very much worthwhile and a great investment.
Steve
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Jesse is intense
Jesse is intense! a good intense. I have learned many new things about the way to play. From mind set to physical. Wish I knew all of this when I first started out.
Mark D
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Guiding the come back player
Being a comeback player it's important to have a program that gets you going in the right direction. For me after many years of not playing, unfortunately you don't just pick up the instrument and start from where you once were 20 years ago. A lot of things change. Motivation is also important, it's easy to give up. This program offers a wealth of information along with guided instruction so you continue your journey to reach your goals. Like most things you get out of it what you put in, and for those of us who are dedicated to improvement and enjoyment this program works.
Bradley Morford
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A Trumpet Program That Is Truly Transformative
I joined the 1% Trumpet Program in August 2024 with the expectation that it would help me improve my range, endurance, and overall technique as a freelance trumpeter performing weekly with a variety of ensembles. Having played the trumpet for more than forty years, and after retiring from a twenty-two-year career as a middle school and high school band director, I finally had the opportunity to devote greater focus to trumpet performance and more frequent gigging. However, as my playing increased significantly between 2022 and 2024, I began to realize that performing on the trumpet was becoming physically exhausting and, at times, painful. It became clear that I needed a more efficient and sustainable approach—one that emphasized proper tools and technique while avoiding excessive mouthpiece pressure, overblowing, and playing at unnecessarily high volumes over dance band rhythm sections. Additionally, despite my many years of experience, I had not yet achieved the level of proficiency I aspired to, particularly the skills required to comfortably and consistently perform commercial lead trumpet parts in big bands and dance bands. The 1% Trumpet Program appeared to be an ideal fit for my specific goals and needs. Several factors have contributed to making my experience exceptionally positive. The program offers an asynchronous learning environment that allows participants to progress at their own pace through a variety of modules, while also providing opportunities to schedule one-on-one sessions for individualized instruction. The coaching calls serve as an effective forum for guided practice with the instructor and fellow participants. The program clearly demonstrates what it means to practice efficiently and achieve measurable improvement in a shorter amount of time. Additionally, the instructor introduces new method books and explains multiple approaches to studying them, as well as how to integrate more traditional methods without becoming disengaged or stagnant. Participants also engage in discussions on how to evaluate and experiment with new equipment, including mouthpieces, trumpets, mutes, and CTS. Most importantly, the instructor and staff are able to closely observe my playing, identify areas in need of improvement, and provide targeted solutions to address my specific challenges as a trumpet player. This program demonstrates a strong commitment to flexibility by effectively meeting the needs of its clients within an encouraging and supportive online community. The content presented in the modules is highly informative and is continually updated in response to client feedback, as well as the instructor’s observations regarding improvements that would benefit the group as a whole. The 1% Trumpet Program / Toot Your Own Horn has fundamentally transformed my mindset and approach to trumpet performance, and it has also had a significant impact on how I teach my own students.-DMAS
Dara Adams-Smith
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Consistent Progress, Clear Direction, Real Results!
I’ve been a member of the 1% Trumpet community for the past two years, and it has truly been transformative. This program completely changed how I understand effective practice—helping me make consistent, compounding improvements in far less time than I ever thought possible.The instructor is phenomenal and genuinely invested in your growth. He has an exceptional ability to help you identify specific roadblocks and then map out the most efficient, personalized path forward. There’s no guesswork—just clear direction and purpose behind every practice session.What really sets this program apart is the community. You’re not practicing in isolation. Through the Skool platform, you connect with other trumpeters at different stages of their journey, share struggles, give constructive peer feedback, and tackle challenges together. That support system alone is invaluable.As a member, you also get ongoing access to a huge library of resources, recorded coaching calls, and structured modules that you can revisit anytime. Everything is laid out in a way that builds confidence and momentum.Because of this program, I finally feel equipped to reach my trumpet goals—1% at a time. I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone serious about improving their playing.
Darian Robinson
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The Road to Recovery - My Experience with the 1% Trumpet Program
The Road to Recovery — and So Much MoreMy Experience with the 1% Trumpet ProgramAbout a year and four months ago, I virtually lost my ability to play the trumpet.When I found Jesse, I was at a point of real struggle—honestly, a point of weakness. I was facing the possibility of quitting something I had done for decades. I was still an active band member, and the thought of walking away from the trumpet was terrifying.So I reached out to Jesse. I explained what had happened, where I was, and what I hoped might still be possible.For context: when many of us start playing in middle school or high school (Jr school in my case), there are a lot of things that either aren’t taught—or aren’t taught clearly. Over the years, even with lessons, some teachers struggle to fully explain the what, the why, and the how in a way that sets you up for long-term success and longevity on the instrument.Long story long—I’ve dealt with recurring fever blisters since marching band and my early college years. About a year and four months ago, I got a particularly severe one. I had always played through them, and at that moment, that turned out to be the worst thing I could have done.The result was devastating.I went from being someone who could reasonably command the trumpet—playing solos, functioning confidently—to someone who suddenly played like a kindergartner. It was shocking. This was an instrument I had lived with for decades, and suddenly, I could barely make it work. I’m not a virtuoso, never claimed to be—but I could play. After that injury, I absolutely could not.I tried for months to fix things on my own. Eventually, I realized I had two choices: get real help, or be done.That’s when I committed to working with Jesse.We talked. I had an intro lesson. He listened. He was genuine. He also shared that he had experienced his own injuries and setbacks—and had rebuilt himself from them. That mattered. He took me on personally, and we went to work.Here I am almost a year later—and I can play again.I’m not exactly where I was yet, but I am so much better than I was. I’m close to regaining real command of the instrument, and more importantly, I finally understand why things work—or don’t work.What separates Jesse and the 1% Trumpet Program from everything else I’ve tried is this:he understands the trumpet deeply—its physics, its mechanics, and how the body actually interacts with it—and he knows how to translate that knowledge into clear, actionable coaching.Over the years, I tried researching, gathering tips, listening to different opinions. So many players can’t explain what they’re doing in a way you can actually apply. Jesse can. He explains things in ways that move the needle—plain and simple.The progress I’ve made in one year has been significant. I’ve uncovered so many things I had been doing wrong for so many years—without even realizing it.I’m coming up on my one-year mark, and I’m re-upping without hesitation. I don’t plan on stopping. I believe another year will not only get me back to where I was, but put me in a place where I can survive, play healthier, and continue moving forward with confidence.This program isn’t just about recovery.It’s about understanding the trumpet in a way I never did before—and finally building something that will last.
Michelle
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1% Trumpet Program is FANTASTIC!
Jesse is a FANTASTIC teacher. He goes above and beyond for you, both personally and on the coaching calls.In terms of my playing, I went from not being able to articulate on the horn, not being able to make it through gigs without my face falling off, and G on top of the staff being a struggle most days…To clean articulation across registers, making it strongly through 4-hour gigs, gigging 3 nights in a row no problem, high Bb being in my every day range, and knowing how to continue developing even while being a working trumpet player!I can’t give Jesse and his program enough praise. Definitely worth every penny and more!!
Bruce McKinnon Jr
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Jesse Garcia is a great trumpet player and a man with a strong work ethic and the highest level of integrity you will find!
I have played the trumpet for many decades. I have studied with some phenomenal teachers, such as Vince Cichowiz, Arnold Jacobs, Alan Dean and others. I have a MM in Trumpet Performance and completed all of my coursework for a DMA in Performance and Pedagogy. I have played professionally and have 5 years of full-time college teaching. As an older player, I was looking for a trumpet class that would keep me motivated to practice and constantly improve. I tried a different class first and felt it was a total waste of time and money. Then I found Jesse’s class. I am so impressed with Jesse’s knowledge and work ethic. He really cares about everyone in the program and is very generous with his time and efforts. I am very impressed with his knowledge, his commitment to the program, and his incredible work ethic.I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to learn and become a better player. Or if you want to maintain where you are at. Or if you just want play for fun. Or if you are a comeback player. You get the idea! Sign up and learn and grow and become a better player! You can’t go wrong with this program!!
KAREN K GRIFFIN
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Helped bring structure and intention to my practice
I joined the 1% Trumpet Program about two years ago as an experienced lifelong player who had returned to serious practice after balancing career and family. The biggest benefit for me has been developing a much more intentional and structured approach to practice; before this, my work at the horn was often effective but fairly random in what I chose to focus on.Jessie does an excellent job of organizing a wide range of concepts - technique, sound, efficiency, endurance, mindset, and practice structure - into a coherent system. The depth of content hosted on the Skool platform is impressive, and the regular live calls, discussions, and periodic challenges create meaningful opportunities to apply ideas, submit recordings, and get thoughtful feedback.Jessie is very accessible, and the other coaches are also available for private sessions when you want to go deeper. While the program doesn’t have an in-person component, the level of structure, interaction, and ongoing support more than makes up for it. Overall, it’s been a very positive and valuable experience for my playing.
Joe Long
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Beginner on Trumpet
I just started playing the Trumpet 2 weeks before starting with the 1% Trumpet Program. It has made a huge difference already; not only in my playing but in my approach to the trumpet. This is giving me all the background that I need to rapidly advance. There are a variety of resources [Videos, live classes (group and individual), detailed written documents) - so matching your learning style is not a problem. The instructors are very knowledgeable and have a plethora of professional knowledge and playing experience. Plus, the community of students really is engaged and supportive of each other! Such a positive place to learn and have fun.
Kelly Carter
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Thorough - potentially life changing
I retired about 8 months ago and decided to get serious with my trumpet playing. I had been mediocre for many years. I had many different teachers over the years who told me to just practice more. It didn't help much. One teacher told me I had not only made every mistake she had ever seen a trumpet student make, but I had shown her new ways to play trumpet wrong that she had never seen before! I attended weekly community band rehearsals, and sometimes church orchestra but I seldom practiced. I never got any better. Upon retirement I started taking lessons and practiced every day. I took more private lessons for a few months and improved a little. I doubled down on my practice time, but then my lips started swelling so much that I could no longer play! I tried ice packs on my face that helped a little -- but that is no way to live. When I joined 1% Trumpet I learned that the lead instructor had once had some bad experiences very much like mine, (possibly worse!!) so I felt comfortable telling my story. It also gave me hope that he'd have some insight into my issues! He did!! The first point was "rest before it's too late" and not simply "rest as much as you play". That is the foundation, but there is so much more. As I got stronger with appropriate rest, I was given some embouchure exercises. I could hardly do them at all! My embouchure was wrong! The reason was I had let the red of my lower lip creep into the mouthpiece! I didn't realize it. My resulting embouchure was so weak, I gave out so quickly I couldn't meaningfully do the embouchure exercises. Not at all! Working to do the exercises correctly resulted in fixing my embouchure! I confirmed the previous improper embouchure with a visualizer and have made constant progress ever since! As my embouchure strength improved, I started sounding better and had way more stamina, practice became consistent resulting in better muscle memory with correct playing! I had several music teachers over the years who pointed out that I had a problem, but none had a solution other than "keep practicing"! Jesse immediately told me to stop it because practicing when you are hurting just reinforces bad muscle memory. The 2:1 method used in the 1% Program requires that you have a ratio of at least 2:1 of good vs bad in a practice session. This makes certain that your muscle memory is trained with rested, correct technique. It makes so much sense! If you practice with tired chops, you learn all sorts of incorrect techniques! Breathing exercises are also encouraged. Not only for physical trumpet playing, but for the mental aspect of controlling stress. I suspiciously started doing the breathing exercises just following instructions and doing what I was told, not expecting much. Now I look forward to them each morning. Whenever I feel performance anxiety creeping in or some other stress, I turn to the breathing exercises for relief. It works! Just recently I used the technique in band rehearsals, right before an audition for a community theater acting part, and when I had to be stuffed into a tight tube for a medical MRI! The breathing exercises always drain stress and allow for better mental control! I think I'm also a little more confident at choir practice. I think it also helps me smile and tolerate the big egos of others in the trumpet section! I'm not timid at rehearsals, not fretting with new music and being afraid of cracked notes and incorrect counting. I just don't stress over that anymore -- that's important! In summary, I look forward to two band rehearsals each week. I no longer stress on whether I will hit notes, because I'm always rested and have practiced rested with a correct embouchure. I am confident the note I can hear in my head will be the one I will play. It is a wonderful experience compared to in the past sometimes showing up to rehearsal not knowing if anything at all will come out! I still need more significant improvement, but it is a great feeling to have great confidence that it will happen! The 1% Program encourages slow, consistent improvement. Since I'm close to the beginning, I can't brag about how high I can play and all that. I can say that I have gained confidence where I had none and look forward to rehearsals that I once stressed about. I have had zero instances of swollen chops due to over practice since I started! I am a very happy trumpet player. Given I had been unable to play at all for 2 weeks before I started due to swollen lips, I truly believe this program saved me from quitting. I would not have been able to sustain the roller coaster of over practice/recovery for very long. Retirement and having the extra time brought this to a head. 1% Trumpet saved me!
John
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According to TrustPlane, 1% Trumpet Program has a 5.0/5 rating based on 18 verified reviews as of March 2026. Source: trustplane.app/company/toot-your-own-horn-com