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By the Numbers

By the Numbers | August 2015

746  The number of issues of The Instrumentalist published to date.

133The number of covers featuring noteworthy performers and teachers. All but eight of these were photographs; the remainder were paintings, sketches, and busts.

46  The number of issues that were published before the first photograph (at left) appeared on the September 1954 cover.

35  The number of times each the flute and the trumpet have been featured on the cover – the most of any instrument. These two are followed by the violin (32), Bb clarinet (25), horn (22), and cello (21).

28  The number of holiday-themed covers. In addition to 17 Christmas covers, there have also been 8 celebrating the new year and 3 commemorating Thanksgiving.

17  The number of instruments that have appeared on a cover just once. This list includes the bamboo flute, fife, bass flute, contrabass flute, piccolo clarinet in Ab, bugle, herald trumpet, piano, carillon, electric guitar, vibraphone, concert bass drum, tamtam, bongos, congas, shekere, and vibraslap.

7 The number of people who have been featured on the cover more than once, meaning it is statistically more likely that someone has walked on the moon than has appeared multiple times on a cover of The Instrumentalist. John Philip Sousa has the most cover appearances with 8. The other members of this exclusive club are Frederick Fennell, John Paynter, cellist János Starker, hornist Dale Clevenger, composer John Williams, and magazine founder Traugott Rohner.

The number of times a flugelhorn has appeared on the cover. It has appeared more often than the piccolo, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass trombone, and euphonium.

The number of covers featuring the architecture of Washington, D.C.

2  The number of covers with cartoons. The June 1956 cover featured sketches of a music major whose area of expertise was revealed in the last panel to be turning pages. In November 1959, a short-lived feature called “Little Trump” first appeared. That month’s cover featured the main character using his trumpet as a quiver for arrows.

1  The number of U.S. presidents who have appeared on the cover. In May of 1959, President Eisenhower was shown, along with a quote in honor of National Music Week: “The spirit and quality of music add much to the enjoyment of life. During National Music Week, extra attention can be given to strengthening the standards and creative sources of music among our people.”

0.2343  The height, in inches, of our logo in the early 1980s.

0  The number of times an alto clarinet has been on the cover. Any subscribers with a willing alto clarinetist and a good camera are encouraged to submit high-resolution photos in an effort to rectify this oversight. We welcome excellent photos of all other instruments, too.