Press
Oakland Tribune
Trumpeting the joy of toys
August 7, 2008
"Only on the clearest of days from the panoramic deck of his
Oakland hills home can Phil Shoptaugh make out five bridges
the Dumbarton, San Mateo, Bay, Golden Gate and the Richmond-San
Rafael. But that's not where his vision ends. Shoptaugh is a
classical musician as well as the inventor of parlor games and
construction toys. It's "Toy Story" meets Beethoven.
Shoptaugh, 70, was trained on the trumpet and played with the
San Francisco Symphony and various theater orchestras. He now
plays with Brazzissimo, a 10-piece brass ensemble he founded
and directs. And he's lead coronet in the Oakland Park Band.
He wasn't trained as an inventor of games and toys. That just
sort of happened as an adult, and he's made a living doing it
since - and doing it tastefully. He has received two prestigious
national honors: the Parents Choice Award and Creative Child
Award..."
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