Wagon Wheel and Trombone

Wow!!! it seemed like the month of May would never end, but June is finally here. And it is the start of a truly exciting summer. Last time I wrote on here I was in the Dallas airport leaving from a successful experience with an audition is San Antonio. Leaving there has pushed me to keep going in my trombone experience. I emailed the audition coordinator with the SASO about if I could receive the judges' comments from the audition. I knew there probably wouldn't be much to comment being that I played for about a minute. But every little bit helps.
So I was able to receive a phone call from San Antonio's principal trumpet who was a judge, and she gave some very beneficial comments. She was encouraging about how to prepare myself for future auditions. Two things were gained from my conversation with her. The first was it's funny how she told me some of the same things my teacher told me, about constantly recording yourself and truly listening to pitch, rhythm, and just the sound. Second was particularly with the Mozart Requiem. I thought this was one of the best times I played it, but she commented on some pitch issues. This goes to show that had I listened more to myself taped I could have made adjustments. Plus my ear had come immune to what it was hearing and thought it was good. But all in all, a fruitful conversation on the phone.
A friend recently asked me what is next for Jeremy Smith. Well, this summer I have the opportunity to play at the Wagon Wheel Theatre in their pit orchestra. The professional theater is located in Warsaw, Indiana where Grace College is so I know the area very well. The music is difficult which is the way I like it because I can't blow it off. Our first show is the Wizard of Oz, and it is some fun music :-)
In regards to auditions, there are two competitions I'm going to work towards. One is in December. It is the International Trombone Association Lewis Van Haney Philharmonic Prize, which is basically a mock audition competition. I entered last year but didn't score too well. The other is in February. It is the Zellmer Trombone Competition sponsored by the Minnesota Orchestra. Again this competition is a mock audition competition. Both are first judged by audition tapes, so I will need to focus much more on listening to myself via recording myself.
Whelp that's what is going on in the life of Jeremy Smith and his 'ole trombone.

Sincerely,
Jeremy (Psalm 31:4-15)