Why do you play the Cornet?

If I had a nickel for eveytime I've answered this question I could retire now!

 It is simply a matter of my preference for the sound of the Cornet. Trumpets are wonderful, but they have a sound with a very small center to my ears. I prefer the larger, rounder and more mellow sound of the cornet. I find it easier to make a Cornet sound bright than to make a Trumpet sound mellow.

 In my opinion, the Cornet is a marvellously expressive instrument that has been overlooked in our modern age. It allows me a larger pallet of color with which to paint. In my career I have played 1st trumpet in the big bands of Benny Goodman, and others, as well as accompanied Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Short, travelled and recorded as a soloist in groups of varying sizes, all on my Cornet.