Stubborn, in a good way

I was a big band music nerd throughout junior high and high school. I joined every band and choir ensemble that I could.

The first instrument that I learned to play was the euphonium, which is a bit like a small tuba. While the instrument was not one that I would’ve picked, I quickly fell in love as I learned to play.

I joined jazz band in junior high, but euphoniums are not usually part of a jazz band. The brass section is usually built around trumpets and trombones.

You see, trombones and euphoniums are very similar. They’re pitched the same, they use the same size mouthpiece, and slide positions map to valve fingerings very cleanly. I was excited to learn to play trombone. But, before I knew it, my band director had given me a valve trombone.

More than 20 years later, I do not remember why I was assigned a valve trombone or why I could not get a regular trombone from the school. I just remember thinking that playing valve trombone would be cheating.

So, I went and bought a trombone on eBay. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

The trombone that I got was in a rough state with lacquer missing in many areas, particularly around the bell. But, the slide was smooth and there was a beautiful design on the bell because it was a King trombone.

After I bought that trombone, I didn’t pick up the valve trombone any more. I just learned to play trombone.

Eventually, I led the trombone section in high school. I played trombone solos in jazz band and marching band. All because, as a stubborn junior high kid, I decided that if I was going to play trombone, I was going to actually play trombone.

When I recently asked a coworker what he thought of me, he described me as “stubborn, in a good way”. Apparently this stubbornness has stuck.