2. Why I Started Playing It The trombone didn’t really appeal to me from the start. If the truth is told I wasn’t that interested in music until I took the trombone up. It was an ordinary compulsory music lesson half way through year seven when one of the music teachers here at school came up to me and put across the proposition of me taking the trombone up due to the lack of players in the school. So I went to a taster session to see if I had enough rhythm to play. It turns out I did and so I started having lessons. So this was where my playing started.
3. My Instrument Some people can’t see how instruments are different. They think surely a trombone is just a trombone. How can it be different? It can be different. The one I started playing was silver and it was just a normal trombone. Like the ones you expect them to be with a slide a bit of bended brass and a mouthpiece. However, after I passed my grade 1 exam at the start of year 8 my trombone teacher told me I should look into getting one of my own. I took this and looked on the internet. We then found out if you but the instrument as a student it costs a lot less. The trombone I eventually bought was a Conn 88H. This was meant to cost £2,500, but because I’m still a student it only cost £900. A Regular Trombone Like The One I Started Off With A Conn 88H Trombone Like The One I Play Now
4. Doing Grades To progress as a trombone player I’m taking graded exams. I took my grade 1 exam at the start of year 8. I passed that and that’s where I realised I was good enough to progress as a trombonist. I then skipped grade 2 and did my grade 3 exam. I passed this with a merit and got the highest mark out of the other trombonists in the school. About a year after this I got entered for my grade 4 exam which I took about a month ago. I passed this with distinction and again I got the highest score out of anyone taking exams on that day. I’m currently studying for my grade 5 exam which is booked for June or July. This is a shorter period to study compared to the time taken between other exams. However I will benefit greatly as if I pass this exam I am pushing on to study grade 8. One Of The Books I Had To Work From For My Grade 4 Exam
5. Orchestra I play trombone in the school orchestra. The orchestra practises after school every Wednesday. We play songs such as “ La Bamba” and medleys such as an ABBA medley. We go on tour every 2 years. Up to now I have only been on one. We went to Venice Italy. We go with an orchestra from another school in Cannock called Kingsmead. We are going on tour again this year. We’re going to Barcelona, Spain.
6. Lunchtime Bands School run bands everyday at lunchtime. There are a variety of bands like woodwind and strings. I’m part of two of these as a trombone player. On Monday lunchtimes I attend brass band which is run my Mr Johnson who is a music teacher that specialises in brass instruments and has got to a diploma level in trombone. And on Friday lunchtimes I go to soul band. Soul band is made up of 3 sections. We have the singers of which there are three. We have the rhythm section made up of a drummer, a bassist and a guitarist and also we have the horns section made up of a trumpet, a alto saxophone and me on trombone. To get into soul band you have to be asked. It is made up of the best player of that instrument in the school.
7. Future Life In Music I’m currently doing Music GCSE and I am hoping to get into sixth form next year to do AS music. I have also opted to do music performance next year as I feel it will help me grow as a musician. After school I am looking to go to university to study music. After the music course I want to get a teaching degree so I can become a music teacher. I have wanted to be a music teacher since I realised I was talented at the trombone. At first I just wanted to be a trombone teacher but was advised by other teachers to become a normal music teacher instead. This has fuelled my efforts to learn as many instruments as I can as you will find out on the next slide.
8. Other Instruments I Play The trombone is not the only musical instrument I play. I play other instruments such as the piano, the drums and I have recently been having singing lessons. I have been playing piano for about 4 months now and I am preparing to take my grade 1 exam soon. I started playing drums 3 years ago. I am now in a rock band called “ Gutted For Dave ”. I then wanted singing lessons as I would like to be in the school production next year as the lead role. This Is The Drum Kit I Currently Own.
