Participating in band, orchestra, and stage bands through elementary, junior, and high school he graduated from Freedom High School in 1969. He studied with John Nero and Willard Schissler and performed with the Allentown Band under the direction of Albertis L. Meyers. Alan then attended the United States. Navy School of Music.
Gaumer began playing the trumpet in 1958. He worked at Kempfer Music Company in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and, when that closed, was hired by Dave Phillips, owner of 2 music stores (Music and Sound) in Lehigh Valley. Upon graduation he spent the next three years living in Gaeta, Italy touring Europe, Africa and Asia with the Navy Show Band.
Prior to his discharge in 1973 he was offered the jazz trumpet position at the United States. Naval Academy in Annapolis.
From 1973-1975 he toured first as trumpeter and later as drummer with the well known group KATO. Settling back in the Lehigh Valley, Alan was an integral part of the popular group Procurator-Fiscal & the Flyers and his own A.G.Q. After attending Rutgers University, Alan spent two years touring South America and West Africa with the United States. Navy Show Band. After discharge in 1982, he worked for the next several years at well known hotels and resorts.
Alan has been the jazz trumpet Artist/Lecturer at Moravian College since 1994 and is the director of the student Fusion ensemble. He has performed with a long list of well known jazz personalities including: Randy Brecker, Philosophy Woods, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Cohn, George Young, Bob Dorough, Tom Harrell, Bill Watrous, Urbie Green, Kim Parker, Vic Jurris, Charles Fambrough, Bill Washer, John Swanna, David Leonhardt, Steve Gilmore, Bill Goodwin, Bobby Routch, Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra, and others
Additionally he together with: Nelson Hill, Tom Kozic, Craig Kastelnik, and Gary Rissmiller form the quintet Colorado-OP BOP. In 1997, he is credited with lyricist, trumpet, and vocals on Rob Stoneback"s Caught in the Web.
He has been the recipient of several grants. He lists several recording credits including a collaboration with the Moravian Jazz Faculty and a collection of original compositions by the Quintet Colorado-OP BOP. Additionally, Alan & Company-op Bop are rostered artists with Young Audiences of Eastern Pennsylvania. The Quintet uses familiar cartoon themes such as The Flintstones and Pink Panther to teach young students about jazz.
In 2005, Gaumer independently released the album One to Go.
He was a member of Kal’s Kid’s appearing on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour and numerous other television shows.
