Canceled: 3rd Annual Twin Cities Trombone Day at Schmitt Music Brooklyn Center

Derek is a former graduate of UMD and currently works in the music department as the instructor of low brass and teaches sight-singing/ear-training. In 2016, he also became the instructor of low brass at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Derek attended Indiana University after leaving Duluth and obtained his Masters degree in trombone performance, under the instruction of Peter Ellefson. He then continued his studies at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where he received a DMA in bass trombone performance with Tom Ashworth.

Derek is an active soloist and clinician in the area, having soloed with the UWS wind ensemble and twice with the UMD Wind Ensemble. He has also soloed with the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra. In February 2018 Derek presented a clinic for the Minnesota Music Educators Association on the teaching of beginning and intermediate low brass. He is active with MMEA, and has coached all-state band every year since 2012. Along with his teaching responsibilities at the University, he serves as the bass trombonist in Randy Lee’s Big Time Jazz Orchestra. He regularly performs with the DSSO on tenor and bass trombone. Over the period of four years, he traveled and recorded as the solo trombonist for Lorie Line.

9:30 a.m. | Warm-ups Versus First Practice Session

The choir consists of music majors, minors and students from other departments. The group tours annually, and has performed at the Wisconsin and Minnesota Music Education Association Conferences, the Eastern Trombone Workshop and the International Trombone Festival. Trombone alumni from UWEC teach all over the United States and attend graduate schools at the Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, New England Conservatory, Rice University, Northwestern University, and the University of Minnesota. UWEC hosts the biennial “Upper Midwest Trombone Summit” .

Dave Graf is one of the most versatile and talented trombonists in the Twin Cities. Dave has worked in a wide range of musical settings: Dixieland, straight ahead jazz, salsa and Brazilian music, big bands, pit orchestras and recordings. He has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Slide Hampton, Jack McDuff, the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band, and the Woody Herman Orchestra. He has appeared on Prairie Home Companion and with the St. Paul Ragtime Orchestra, Mandala, and the Steve Wright Big Band. Dave had an eleven-year association with the late trumpeter Red Wolfe in his Port of Dixie Jazz Band and Ellington Echoes (now led by Percy Hughes). Dave also performs with the Latin ensemble Salsa Del Soul.

In 2005 he released his debut recording as a leader, Just Like That on Artegra records. In an MPR interview, fellow musician Dave Jensen had this to say about Dave Graf’s CD: “Dave has had this music pent up inside him for a long, long time, He has played on many, many, many albums by others. When people want music performed the way it should sound, they go to Dave.”

1:15 p.m. | Jazz Improvisation Clinic

John Froelich has been a member of the Lake Wobegon™ Brass Band since its founding in 1992 and can be heard on their CD Bravura. In addition to the brass band, John regularly performs with the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis, the Riverside Brass Quintet, the Basilica Brass Quartet, and the Paramount Jazz Orchestra. He has been a member of the Minneapolis Trombone Choir and Minneapolis “Concentus Musicus,” where he played bass and tenor sackbut. He completed a Ph.D. in music in 1987 at the University of Minnesota. John was president of the Minnesota Music Educators Association from 1995-97 and has served on the boards of various state and national organizations. After teaching instrumental music in Minnesota’s public schools for over 30 years plus four years as an educational specialist for the Minnesota Department of Education, John took an early retirement in order to practice bass trombone and work on music education research. For the past several years he has conducted the “20 Piano Concert” for the MMTA where over 700 piano students perform piano duets for an audience of over 4000.

2:30 p.m. | Articulation for the Trombonist

This session addresses of how the embouchure, air and articulation work together to produce a musical effect. Mr. Kleinhammer stated, “In the orchestra we never used a tongue harder than a ‘D’” (ITA workshop, Eaton College, 1990). Normal articulation, legato, slur, tenuto, martelato, slow and fast staccato, leggerio, sforzando, and accents will be addressed.

Mouthpiece Fitting

One size, one weight, one rim, one configuration does not fit all. With so many variations of a players physical characteristics, variations in instrument design, and variations of musical requirements it is no wonder so so many mouthpieces are available. This session explores the things that make a mouthpiece a good fit for a player.

Stan Bann officially formed Stan Bann’s Big Bone Band in March, 2008 with the recording sessions that would become the album “Penmanship”. It remains an active performing group to this date.

Many of the early works were originally done for the Minneapolis Trombone Choir. The recording offered a chance to take
compositions originally performed with multiple players on a part and distill it down to the intended instrumentation.

Until 2008 Bann had been leading an 18 piece big band. In addition to releasing two recordings to critical acclaim and conducting clinics and formal concerts the big band held court once a month at a local venue for over twenty straight years. With the inception of the Big Bone Band the big band was phased out and the Big Bone Band became the primary performing group.