#90: Coulou — Trumpet Meditations, Deep Openness, and the Art of Long-Form Improvisation

In March of 2024, Coulou sat down in the bedroom of his Brooklyn apartment with his guitar, some effects pedals, and a trumpet. What happened next was something special. He set up a camera, strummed his guitar, found some chords he liked, looped them, grabbed his trumpet, sounded the first note, and Coulou’s Cafe Trumpet Meditations were born.

Now, two years later, Coulou has released more than 65 of his twenty-minute meditations and learned a number of powerful lessons along the way.

In this episode of Always Choose Orange, we talk about:

Why Coulou almost scrapped the meditation that became his most viewed video on YouTubeHow long-form improvisation has impacted his songwriting (including the heartfelt story behind his song “Joe”)The difference between improvising with a band and improvising by yourselfHow he selects his recording locations and the painstaking process he goes through to make sure he creates the right atmosphere for his viewers

Website: https://www.couloumusic.com

Bandcamp: https://coulou.bandcamp.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/coulou__

Facebook: http://facebook.com/C0ULOU