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

Youth Trumpet & Taps Corps (2014-2024) was founded in Oklahoma City by Katie Prior as her Girl Scout Gold Award. The organization's mission was to train, support, and recognize high school trumpet players who use their musical gifts to play Taps live at military funerals. Over the next 10 years, 231 student volunteers from 35 states across the country dedicated more than 4,900 hours combined using their musical gifts to honor veterans in their communities.


As of 2024, the organization is no longer in operation. We recommend contacting your local high school band director to find a student trumpet player who can play Taps. If a local student is not available, try other organizations that have volunteers available to play Taps, such as Bugles Across America or Taps for 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 played 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.

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