Below are some basic practice ideas I put together a few years ago for my college students. They apply, in most cases, to players at every level. Daily Practice What should I practice? 1) Warm-up/fundamentals 2) Range exersize/soft practice (alternating…
trombone music
Trombone History: 17th Century Timeline
I finally had to break up the 17th century of the Trombone History Timeline into 2 parts, first half and second half, because it was getting too big. I also added in some of the images that I had included…
Jazz Trombone History: Zue Robertson, Herb Flemming, Tom Brown
Added three more early jazz trombone history entries to the 20th Century Timeline: c. 1910—C. Alvin “Zue” Robertson, a New Orleans native, tours with the band that accompanies the famous Kit Carson Wild West Show. He becomes a member of…
Trombone History: Trombone with 16th Century Wind Band
Added color version of Pinturicchio’s fresco (see below) to the 16th Century Trombone History Timeline. The painting provides one of the earliest examples of trombone iconography showing the instrument in a wind band setting (called pifferi in Italy). The color version…
Big Brass Brain
On October 24th I’ll be premiering a work at the Bowling Green New Music Festival with trombonist Bill Mathis. The piece, by BYU composer Steven Ricks, is called “Force of the Mind,” and is written for 2 trombones and electronics….
Judging a Trombone Concerto Composition Competition
Spent the last 2 days judging a composition competition. The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University, in celebration of its 25th anniversary, is sponsoring an international competition with a $20,000 prize and commission for a new trombone…
Trombone History: Beethoven's Drei Equali
Added the entry below to the Alto Trombone History Timeline. It includes information from a firsthand witness about Beethoven’s Drei Equali, arguably one of the most important works in the history of the trombone. Among the noteworthy observations about the alto…
Trombone History: Moravian Trombone Choir
Added 3 images from 1944 to the Trombone History Timeline (20th century). Three photographs, which show soprano, alto, and tenor trombones, document a Moravian trombone choir performance in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Taken by Howard R. Hollem, they bear the title “The…