Dale Thompson

Dale Thompson joined the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) at the remarkable age of 11, already showcasing his talent on the trumpet. Ironically, Dale would later serve as a dedicated steward of the AFM. Before that, he performed with the Escovedo Latin Jazz Band while attending San Francisco State College. Among his many playing highlights, one of the most significant was his six-year tenure with the renowned Glenn Miller Orchestra under the direction of Buddy DeFranco, starting in 1967. During that period, he was invited to test-play Yamaha trumpets while on tour in Japan. Yamaha engineer Yoshihiro Kaji provided Dale with a custom trumpet, the YTR920X with serial number 001. Once Dale played that horn, he knew it was truly exceptional and never wanted to part with it. In fact, the engineering team reviewed the trumpet after Dale took it on the road, making several improvements based on his feedback and experience. In 2024, Dale proudly donated this historic instrument to the National Music Instrument Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota. Dale's career in the music industry was as illustrious as his performing career. He worked for Yamaha’s Band & Orchestra Division, serving as District Sales Manager in 1988 and later advancing to National Sales Manager. In 2001, Dale joined Guitar Center as Vice President of Development for the American Music Group, which eventually merged with Music & Arts. After his retirement from Music & Arts (Guitar Center) at the end of 2015, Dale was hired by the National Education Music Company (NEMC) as a consultant, which led to his position as Vice President of Development. Despite his various roles in the music business, Dale never lost his passion for performing; he continued to play actively and even produced albums for the Glenn Miller Orchestra, including the beloved holiday classic In The Christmas Mood.