Vernon Dykes

Vernon’s music journey began at the age of 7 when his mother received a call from his soon to be piano teacher, asking parents if they wanted their child to take piano lessons. They jumped at the invite, not knowing the work that would ensue or how it was going to be paid for. But his mother made it happen. Vernon took lessons for three years. He would play at recitals to demonstrate his talents every year at the Ethical Society at Rittenhouse Square. To prepare him to perform, his teacher demanded he perform in formal attire. Somewhere around the 5th grade, he became interested in playing the contra or stand-up bass then the trumpet. He didn’t know it, but his future was sealed.

Vernon entered Germantown High School thinking he was going to play football or swim as he did in Jr. High, but that didn’t work out, so he went back to music. He told his band director, Mr. Larry Alter, that he played piano for three years and that he also played trumpet and stand-up bass in elementary school. He was accepted in the band starting last chair, third trumpet. Over the next four years, Vernon would receive individual studies, perform in concerts, parades, telethons, football games, at other schools and work his way up to first chair, first trumpet by the 12th grade. His parents bought him a trumpet as a graduation present, and he was ecstatic. During these years, he would be influenced by artist like Chuck Mangione, Doc Severinsen, Dizzy Gillespie, the horns of “Earth, Wind and Fire”, “Confunkshun”, “Chicago”, “Ides of March” and others.

Vernon would use his talents during the 21 years spent in the United States Coast Guard doing memorial events and funerals. While stationed in Philadelphia, he joined the “Wagner Alumni Gospel” choir, founded by Bishop Barbara Ward Farmer, and he continue to play for them to this present day. That experience exposed him to the professional side of music, opening for artist like “The Winans”, “Commissioned”, “Phillip and Brenda” and “The Hawkins”, to name a few.

He occasionally play with and for local musicians at churches, the Met, Warmdaddy’s, the Firehouse Café, Kimmel Center, The Dell, and clubs in PA, NY, and NJ playing classic funk, R&B, rock, and pop.