By VERNON ROBISON
The Progress
The idea that a mere recording of the anthem “Taps” was being played at veterans’ funerals in place of a live bugler was unacceptable to Larry Ransom. So he and two of his best friends decided to do something about it.
The trio set up a nonprofit organization with the goal of providing a professional trumpet player at the funeral of every veteran. Now, ten years later, that organization coordinates a live performance of “Taps” at 200-300 funerals per year throughout southern Nevada.
By day, Larry Ransom is a financial and insurance planner for Country Financial. He has a successful business in Las Vegas and also consults with many clients in the Mesquite area.
But Ransom is also a professional trumpet player. He holds a Bachelors of Applied Music from University of Nevada, Las Vegas and has spent the many years since then as a freelance performer in Las Vegas. He is a member of the Las Vegas Philharmonic. He regularly performs in services at the Guardian Angel Cathedral in Las Vegas. He was a member of Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular orchestra at the Venetian. And he has played for many other big-name superstars performing on the Las Vegas Strip.
In 2013, Ransom was asked to play “Taps” at the funeral for his wife’s grandfather who had served as a B-29 Bomber pilot in World War II. He recruited his lifelong friend Gary Cordell, also a professional trumpeter, to come along and join him in a duet rendition of “Echo Taps.” It was a poignant and meaningful moment.
Members of the Air Force Honor Guard, who were present, approached Ransom and Cordell after the service to thank them for this unique tribute. In that conversation, the two men learned that live performances of this kind were more of the exception than the rule at veterans’ funerals.
“More often the Honor Guard uses an electronic bugle,” said Ransom. “It is an actual bugle, but there is just a button to push to replay the music. They don’t like using it because it feels fake. But the VA doesn’t provide for a live trumpeter to play ‘Taps’ at the funerals. So that is what they have to work with.”
Ransom said that he and Cordell were surprised at this. “It didn’t sit very well with us,” Ransom said. “I mean, these people have served their country in the military, many at great risk. Is that the best that can be done? It seems like everyone should get at least this.”
The two men spent a good deal of time trying to come up with a solution to the problem. They also brought in Ransom’s business partner Joseph Durk, who is also a professional trumpet player.
Within a few months they had formed a new nonprofit called Trumpeters Alliance to Perform Patriotic Services (T.A.P.P.S.).
The group recruits professional trumpet players to play at funerals all across southern Nevada. The players earn an honorarium for each performance.
“If we only relied on volunteers, we would have trouble with availability problems and with staffing the funerals requested,” Ransom said. “There would be a lot of dates that we just couldn’t fill. But as a paid performance, we are able to find someone 99.9 percent of the time.”
Each trumpeter is especially trained in how to perform specifically in this setting. All T.A.P.P.S. performers must wear a black suit, white shirt and conservative tie to the services. They also must show up 20-30 minutes early and check in with the Honor Guard on duty.
T.A.P.P.S. currently has about a half-dozen trumpeters on its rolls. But the organization is always looking to expand.
“It is estimated that there are around 3,000 or more veteran funerals that take place each year throughout southern Nevada,” Ransom said. “So we are not even covering 10 percent of those right now. We know that we need more to make a real difference.”
TAPPS raises its funds from a variety of different methods. The organization works with governmental service agencies, funeral homes and it receives donations from families of veterans that they serve.
Members of the group also regularly perform in fundraising concerts. Their next concert, “A Tribute to U.S.O.,” will be held on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2 pm, at the Community Lutheran Church at 3720 E. Tropicana in Las Vegas.
The group will also be playing with the Southern Nevada Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7 pm in the Mesquite Community Theatre.
For more information about T.A.P.P.S., to request a T.A.P.P.S.service, or to donate to the organization, visit tappsnevada.org.
