The Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps is a service organization for high school trumpet players who use their musical gifts to honor military veterans.

Our main project is volunteering to sound Taps at military veterans' funerals because there are hundreds of veterans passing away each day and not enough military buglers to attend every funeral; so most veterans receive an audio recording of Taps. Out of respect for service to our country, we feel that veterans' final honors are worthy of a live rendition of our National Song of Remembrance. The Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps was founded by Katie Prior as her Girl Scout Gold Award project. The Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Our Mission
To train, support, and recognize high school trumpet players who use their musical gifts to honor military veterans.
Our Founder
Photo credit: Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
Katie Prior

Shortly after I started playing trumpet, my great-grandfather, a WWII veteran, was in hospice care. My family talked about how great it would be if I could play Taps at his funeral. Sadly, he passed away before I had the chance to learn the notes. After I'd been playing the trumpet for five years, I heard that many veterans receive a recorded playing of Taps instead of a live performance and this moved me to found the Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps.

I'm an Oklahoma Youth Orchestras alum and I currently play trumpet in the Mannes Community Orchestra at the New School in New York City. I'm grateful to the music teachers that I've had over the years, including Ashley Ray, Tom Rye, Ben Fast, Dr. Kyle Vanderburg, Jay Wilkinson, and Jeffrey Grogan.

Our Advisors
Jack Bumann
Action Advisor, Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps
Trumpet Player

There is nothing more rewarding than to serve our veterans and their families.
I joined the Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps as a student member in 2015. While in high school I worked with my state representative to draft a bill allowing Illinois students to have school absences excused when playing Taps at military funerals. HB 4432 passed unanimously and was signed by Governor Bruce Rauner in August 2016.

I'm currently attending Western Illinois University, majoring in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration.