What other instrument(s) do you play outside OSO?
Conn 88H, a large bore tenor trombone with an 8.5 inch bell that is perfect for large groups and many performance venues including theaters and stage bands looking for a rich, well rounded sound with an extended range.
At what age did you begin playing your primary instrument?
9
What motivated you to become a musician?
I started taking piano lessons when I was six and was playing the church organ by the time I was fourteen. But my primary interest was the trombone. The father of one of my elementary classmates was the high school band director. He would give me pointers and ideas such as practicing with other players in small groups. He also invited me to practice with the high school band when I was in eighth grade, which really motivated me and sharpened my skills.
Do you have any favorite instructors or mentors who played a critical role in your development as a musician?
I was blessed to get to know and take lessons each summer from Dr. John Hill, trombone professor at the University of Iowa School of Music. Starting from sixth grade at the U of I summer band camps, Dr. Hill helped me understand the importance of daily warm-ups, how to breathe, and producing a well-rounded note every time I played the instrument. Dr. Hill was my instructor all the way through college. Not knowing this at the time, he selected an 88-H horn for me at the Conn factory in Elkhart, Indiana when I was in seventh grade. I played that horn throughout my junior high, high school and college career. Dr. Hill always smiled when I brought that horn to my lessons. However, he never revealed his role in selecting the horn until just prior to his death in 2001.
Outside of group rehearsals, approximately what length of time and/or how many times per week do you practice your instrument?
I practice my horns at least three times each week starting with 15-20 minutes of warmup exercises. Depending on the difficulty of the charts, I then spend 30 to 45 minutes or more each session on material for upcoming events. Those practice sessions are in addition to the four or more symphony, community band and jazz group rehearsals that I attend each week.
Tell us a bit about your advanced training. Did you attend college for your instrument? Do you continue to take lessons?
While not specifically doing advanced training, I take opportunities to play with graduate students and performing groups such as pit bands and small group ensembles in the Des Moines area and beyond. One of my most fun activities is to visit an excellent trombone player (my high school classmate) who lives in Kansas City. We get together every couple of years, break out the most intense practice books we can find, and spend hours challenging each other to achieve perfection in each lesson.
If you could have dinner with any one person, living or not, who would it be and why?
Easy answer: Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombone with the New York Philharmonic. His mastery of the instrument is known world-wide, and he is the idol and performer extraordinaire for any low brass player I've ever met. What an opportunity that would be to pick his brain!
Tell us a little about your family.
I am not presently married, but have five wonderful children (no pets).
Do you have any hobbies or collections?
I keep a rather large collection of '33 RPM vinyl from a previous life, and I have many tools and parts for pianos courtesy of my late grandfather, who tuned pianos on camps for Iowa State University and taught me the art.
Do you have any words of encouragement for someone who dreams of becoming a musician?
You're never too young or too old to pick up an instrument... just do it!
