The Eastman Summer Trombone Institute Celebrates its 19th Year!
By Reginald Bowens, Marketing Assistant for Summer@Eastman
Hello, Friends! As we continue to gear up for the upcoming 2024 season, I had the privilege of speaking with Professor Mark Kellogg about his upcoming Summer@Eastman institute! Here’s what he had to say:
What do you look forward to mostly in your Trombone Institute?
I mostly look forward to working with and being inspired by our wonderful faculty at the Eastman Summer Trombone Institute (ESTI). This is our 19th iteration of the institute, so we have spent a great deal of time teaching and performing together. We each bring our own different gifts to the week; I have always felt those strengths complement one another very well. I enjoy seeing how different faculty members are able to connect to different student personalities. I always say that ESTI is one of my favorite weeks of the year!
What kind of experience should participants expect while attending the institute?
Participants should expect a positive environment where they are challenged to be the best version of themselves. We try to promote this through the different aspects of connection we make each day: group warm-ups, master classes, special discussion topics, trombone choir, and performing solo repertoire with a fabulous Eastman faculty pianist, Priscilla Yuen.
What is the culminating, final event for your institute?
We have two culminating events for the Institute, both taking place on our last day of class together. Each participant will have the opportunity to play a 7-8 minute solo work or movement, with piano, on a Participant Recital. We will have a trombone choir concert in the evening. These concerts are the capstone events for our week together.
ESTI 2023 participants and faculty in Kilbourn Hall
Who should apply? What are you looking for in applicants?
We are looking for curious students who have a desire to do good, concentrated work in a relatively short, focused period of time. We feel it is important to maintain a positive, supportive countenance during the process, as well.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
One of the things we talk about is not necessarily unique to ESTI, but it is important. We sometimes get so hyper focused on the printed music, that we forget that music is not what we “see” – it is what we “hear”. Being a good listener while maintaining our individual artistry is what forms a stronger, deeper musical community.
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The Eastman Summer Trombone Institute runs July 28-August 2, 2024. Visit the course web page for details.