What was it like to play at Carnegie Hall?
I played in May of 2006. It was phenomenal. H. Robert Reynolds, a distinguished band conductor who retired (from the University of Michigan), conducted the ensemble. I played with college students from around the country. We rehearsed in New York City and got to see the Philharmonic. When I walked into Carnegie Hall, I thought, “Oh my gosh, look at where I am!” I won’t forget it, just sitting there playing music. It was incredible. Carnegie was an individual experience because everyone was from other places. We only played together three days to learn the music. I had never met the other trombonists in my section. We had to learn to adjust to one another as quickly as possible, and while we did a good job, each of us was used to being the principal player at our universities, so each of us had a strong opinion about intonation, style, balance, etc. And the Kennedy Center (in Washington, D.C.)? The wind ensemble worked on the music for the Kennedy Center concert for many weeks, includin
