Erdmann, professor of music, had an article published in the professional trumpet journal.
Professor Thomas Erdmann in the Department of Music had an article published in the March 2022 issue of The International Trumpet Guild Journal.
The article, “Gunhild Carling: Building a Platform for your Heart,” is about the Swedish music sensation. Born on May 7, 1975 in Gothenburg, Sweden, Carling grew up in southern Sweden, near Malmo. Raised in a family of musicians and entertainers, her trumpet-playing father Hans Cooling (1942–2017) was widely known for his traditional jazz abilities while her mother is an accomplished banjo player.
Almost from birth, Carling started playing many different instruments. Even though she never had formal music lessons, she quickly became proficient on trumpet, trombone, bagpipes, recorder, banjo and ukulele, among others. As an accomplished dancer Carling placed third as a celebrity dancer in 2014 on the Swedish television competition series “Let’s Dance.”
While no single article can include everything Carling has done in her still young life, a brief recap includes playing in her first concert with the Carling Family Band at the Malmo Jazz Festival at the age of seven. She was featured on her family band’s 1985 album “I’ve Lost My Heart in Dixieland,” and by the age of 10 Carling and her family were appearing widely on television not only in Sweden but throughout Europe including many appearances at various jazz festivals.
Another family band recording was released in 1987 to wide critical acclaim, and by 1990 the band was touring the world. In 1998, Carling took up acting and appeared in the Swedish television show “Christmas Calendar,” playing the role of Mary.
More appearances at jazz festivals and on European television shows led her to form her own band in 2001 and toured with them for 14 years, all the while appearing on television and releasing albums. By 2015, her big band show grew to include dance troupes, circus acrobats and a string section. Her many awards include, but are not limited to, The Louis Armstrong Scholarship, the Kobe Jazz Street Award, The Anita O’Day Award, Scanian of the Year and the Thore Ehrling Scholarship.
Moving with her family to northern California in 2018, Carling lost many of her upcoming appearances when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, but she is poised and ready to jump back into performing widely once venues open back up. Known as Sweden’s “Queen of Swing,” she has delighted audiences worldwide for decades with her amazing musicianship and expert comic timing. Her storming of the United States is about to begin.