I started music in the 6th grade as a Tuba player. My middle school band director Raymond Rozelle, had always put together a dixieland band called the Swingin’ Scots. I remember that I played tuba in this group the last year of it’s existence due to his retirement. I still remember some of the songs from this group and could probably play them today. I continued to play tuba after middle school, but only in a local polka band run by Larry Hettinga.
I switched to Trombone when I got to high school so I could play in the jazz band. You could say that I was infatuated by the trombone once I made the switch. I would practice 3-5 hours a day and keep going until I mastered whatever it was that I was working on at the ime. My favorite player was Bill Watrous. The video on the right is his band playing Tiger of San Pedro. I recall that our Jazz Band, under the direction or Roger Bloemers played this song at a High School Jazz Festival in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. I had worked my butt off to learn Bill’s solo so I could play this at this festival. Believe it or not, as a junior in high school, I pulled it off. Not quite as nice as Bill, but I did it. It got me an “Outstanding Soloist” award and a $250 scholarship to attend a Jazz Camp in Green Bay, WI later on in the year. My crowning achievement in High School was being a member of the Wisconsin All-State Jazz Band. After high school, I auditioned for the Army Band, passed and served six years in the Army Band. My first tour was with the 6th Army Band at The Presidio of San Francisco and my second tour was with the 8th Infantry Division Band in Bad Kreuznach, Germany.
After the Army Band, I played in a few misc. Salsa and Big Bands in the San Francisco area, then took a few years off to focus on career and family.
I picked up my horn again in 2012 and got the chops back in shape. I auditioned for and played 1st trombone for the Sacramento Symphonic Winds under the direction of Dr. Les Lehr. I also played with Dr. Bones, a trombone quartet led by Dr. Les Lehr.
My Weapons of Choice
Bach 42C
My first trombone, which I still have an use today is the Vincent Bach Stradivarius 42C. Most people bought the 42B model, but what makes the 42C unique is that the F attachment is removable.
I played this throughout high school, the Army Band, and in various other groups as a civilian.
Bach 16
In order to play jazz and salsa, I needed a small bore trombone. My weapon of choice is the Vincent Bach Stradivarius 16. I also played this while in the Army Band, along with a King 3B. The King 3B was “OK”, but the Bach 16 just felt so right, I had to have one of my own. This is also the model that Bill Watrous plays on.