Who IS This Guy?

I’ve been playing the trumpet since I was seven years old. My father was a professional trumpet player and bandleader, so I was surrounded by it for as long as I can remember. Honestly, I can’t imagine my life without the trumpet in it. Now, I just want to share my passion and love for the trumpet with everyone!

Allen J. Venezio

Allen J. Venezio, the 5 Foot High Trumpet Guy, is the Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at the College of Central Florida in Ocala. His teaching responsibilities include directing the Wind Ensemble, the Patriot Jazz Ensemble, the Brass Ensemble and the pit orchestra for musical theatre, and teaching courses in Music Theory. He has been a music educator and private studio instructor for over 30 years.

For his teaching work, he was nominated three times for Teacher of the Year, was nominated for the Oliver Hobbs Award by the F.B.A. and was awarded the Linda Mann Award for 5 consecutive concert band Superior ratings by a middle school band director. In 2021, he was awarded one of the first F.B.A. awards for 5 consecutive jazz band superiors.

Outside of his school obligations, Allen is an active professional trumpet player and private instructor and the author of Trumpet 101: the ULTIMATE Resource Manual for Trumpet Players. From 2011–12, he spent two years as the lead trumpet player of the Maitland Stage Band in Maitland, FL. In December 2015, he founded the Same Is Lame Jazz Ambassadors, a professional big band based in Clermont, FL. He is currently the band’s music director and plays lead trumpet. In October 2018, Allen joined the Osceola Arts Big Band in Kissimmee, FL as lead trumpet, a post he held until the COVID-19 pandemic.

Allen graduated from the University of Central Florida in December of 1997 with the Bachelor of Music Education Degree and in May of 2012 with a Master’s Degree in Music Education. He is completing his doctorate in music education at Liberty University. He studied trumpet with John Almeida, Lyman Brodie, Ramona Peronto and Al Venezio and has performed with jazz greats Zoot Sims, Scott Whitfield, Mark Zauss and Carl Fontana.

Allen is a certified Florida Bandmasters Association marching, concert and brass S&E adjudicator. He has served the F.B.A. as an officer in numerous capacities at the District and State level. He is a member of many other professional organizations including the Florida Music Educators Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Bugles Across America, the International Trumpet Guild and is a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus.

Allen is also President of Venezio Enterprises, LLC, the founder of Forte Leadership Solutions, and a licensed REALTOR® in the State of Florida.

Allen is the proud father of one son, Allen, Jr., who is a college lead trumpet player and is well on his way towards being the “6-foot-high trumpet guy”.

Today, as the 5 Foot High Trumpet Guy, Allen is happy to talk trumpet with anyone who wants to. Every Monday night he does exactly that, live from Band Central Station.