Trombonastics entertains Max Noah audience

The sounds of conversation died quickly when a man without a tie or a tucked-in shirt strode onto the stage, trombone in hand. Behind him sat his partner for this particular section of the performance, awaiting the cue to begin. The man with the trombone energetically introduced himself to the crowd as Scott Hartman, the guest and main performer of the event. Despite the number of people in Max Noah recital hall, nobody spoke a word once Hartman launched into the song.

The name of the event, “Trombonastics” raised some questions from the audience.

Charmaine Tesina | gcsunade.com

From left, Scott Hartman, Travis Cottle and Tom Gibson perform “Trombonastics” in the Max Noah Recital Hall Sept. 14.

The term was coined by Hartman, who explained, “Trombonastics is a very physical performance. Many of the pieces played require a certain degree of stamina, especially when you consider that most of the songs were not written with the trombone in mind.”

The Trombonastics event is a portion of a larger musical program, which was created to encourage students to attend these recitals. Students who had never heard of the event before expressed their support for such programs.

“I think it could make people more excited in music, and foster a love for the classical stuff again,” said freshman Kaitlyn Mobley. The program was organized in part by Associate Professor of Music Maureen Horgan, who is herself a long-time trombone player and friend of Hartman.

The recital, taking place on Sept. 14 was comprised of two parts, divided by a short intermission. During the first half, Hartman played several songs, including those of violinist Fritz Kreisler and oboe-player Bendetto Marcello, accompanied by piano. After the intermission, a low brass ensemble, consisting of Hartman’s far-flung friends including Horgan, played a wide variety of music. While the selections were typically classical, contemporary music wasn’t excluded thanks to the rendition of Frank Sinatra’s original “Somewhere Beyond the Sea.” This intended to make sure everybody, can enjoy the musical arts.

“We hope people will see that these events invite all lovers of music, and not just those that play the trombone,” Horgan said.

Posted by Jefferson Kiefer on Sep 24 2010. Filed under A&E. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.