Photos: Trumpeters play a fanfare for the record books

Trumpet player Arturo Sandoval plays "Here's That Rainy Day" by Jim Olcott as part of the festivities to kick off the first day of the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove.
A trumpet player and fan takes a selfie with Doc Severinsen after he lead over 350 trumpet players in playing the John Williams' 1984 L.A. Olympic Fanfare outside the the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove for the first day of the International Trumpet Guild annual conference.
Doc Severinsen, center, shakes the hand of one of the 350 trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove that gathered to play John Williams' 1984 L.A. Olympic Fanfare outside the hotel to kick off the first day of the conference.
Doc Severinsen, right, leads trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove in rehearsal as they prepare to play John Williams' 1984 L.A. Olympic Fanfare outside the hotel to kick off the first day of the conference.
Trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove gather outside the hotel to play John Williams' 1984 LA Olympic Fanfare with Doc Severinsen conducting. Severinsen was the leader of the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
One of the trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove makes a quick phone call before 350 trumpeters played John Williams' 1984 L.A. Olympic Fanfare under the direction of Doc Severinsen.
Trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove prepare to rehearse in the ballroom as they prepare to go outside the hotel to play John Williams' 1984 LA Olympic Fanfare under the direction of Doc Severinsen.
Trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove rehearse in the ballroom as they prepare to go outside the hotel to play John Williams' 1984 LA Olympic Fanfare under the direction of Doc Severinsen.
Over 350 trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove gather outside the hotel to play John William's 1984 L.A. Olympic Fanfare with Doc Severinsen conducting. Severinsen was the leader of the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
The Guinness record for most players in a trumpet fanfare is 105. While the local group Tuesday easily beat that mark with 350, they didn't pony up the $10,000 needed for Guinness World Records to make it official.
Trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove rehearse in the ballroom as they prepare to go outside the hotel to play John Williams' 1984 LA Olympic Fanfare under the direction of Doc Severinsen.
An attendee to the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove, left, grabs a photo of Doc Severinsen, who was the leader of the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Severinsen lead over 350 trumpeters in playing John Williams' 1984 L.A. Olympic Fanfare outside the hotel.
Over 350 trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove gather outside the hotel to play John Williams' 1984 LA Olympic Fanfare with Doc Severinsen conducting. Severinsen was the leader of the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Over 350 trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove gather outside the hotel to play John Williams' 1984 LA Olympic Fanfare with Doc Severinsen conducting. Severinsen was the leader of the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
More than 350 trumpeters attending the International Trumpet Guild annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove gather outside the hotel to play John Williams' 1984 LA Olympic Fanfare with Doc Severinsen conducting. Severinsen was the leader of the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
A trumpet player wears a GoPro camera as he joins 350 other trumpeters in playing the John Williams' 1984 L.A. Olympic Fanfare outside the the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove for the first day of the International Trumpet Guild annual conference.
A trumpet player takes a photo Tuesday with Doc Severinsen, the longtime bandleader on “The Tonight Show.”
Doc Severinsen leads 350 trumpet players Tuesday outside the Hyatt Regency Garden Grove in a rendition of “Olympic Fanfare” by John Williams. The event kicked off the International Trumpet Guild's 41st annual conference, taking place at the hotel through Saturday.

By Timothy Mangan | Orange County Register

June 1, 2016 at 4:55 p.m.

GARDEN GROVE – If you were anywhere near Chapman Avenue and Harbor Boulevard a little before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and maybe even if you weren’t, you probably heard it.

A battalion of trumpet players had gathered behind the Hyatt Regency Orange County in an attempt to break the record for number of trumpeters playing a fanfare. When none other than Doc Severinsen gave the downbeat, the results weren’t subtle.

The event was the opening salvo of the International Trumpet Guild’s 41st annual conference, being held at the hotel through Saturday. Trumpeter Richard Birkemeier, chairman of the artist committee, is the man behind the record effort, and when he sent word out that Severinsen, the longtime bandleader on “The Tonight Show,” was going to conduct, musicians arrived in droves.

“Is there still music on the table?” Birkemeier asked the crowd of players as they picked up their parts for rehearsal in the Royal Ballroom. “No,” came the answer. Everyone would have to double up.

Severinsen, 88, baton in hand, showed up a few minutes later, dressed as Severinsen of old in a floral shirt, a checkered jacket and jeans.

“If you can live through the warm-up period, the rest of it is a piece of cake,” he said.

Asked what he would be looking for from the players, he quipped: “I think I’m going to look for the exit.”

The piece chosen was the “Olympic Fanfare” by John Williams, written for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. Birkemeier discovered that the Guinness record for players of a trumpet fanfare was 105, and he figured that would be easy to beat. Only to make the record official, he said, he would have to pay Guinness $10,000, money he didn’t have.

“We’re going to break a record, not set a record,” he explained.

Players young and old, professional and amateur, stretched across the front of the ballroom for the rehearsal, several deep.

“I’m very hopeful that our performance this evening doesn’t signal the apocalypse,” Birkemeier told them, and then introduced Severinsen to cheers.

“Just use your ears, I’m not going to be much help to you,” Severinsen said, and gave the downbeat.

After a single ear-splitting rendition of the familiar tune, Severinsen pronounced himself satisfied and instructions were given to meet outside and to not play in the lobby. Someone counted the players as they exited the ballroom.

Out back, the musicians quickly deployed on the sidewalk, Severinsen with music stand in the driveway before them, hotel employees directing traffic as music blared. The performance that followed wouldn’t win any awards, but it was impressive nevertheless.

The final tally? 350 trumpeters had blown.

“Twice what I dreamed of,” Birkemeier said.

Contact the writer: 714-796-6811 or tmangan@ocregister.com