A Principal Trombonist and His Boeing Trombone Stand
Recently, the Principal Trombone of the National Symphony Orchestra had rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder. A typical recovery for a surgery such as this can be up to six weeks. For a trombone player, this is a huge deal! Much of the weight of the instrument rests on the left shoulder and the left arm allows for freedom to easily move the slide with your right arm. Manufacturers have created mechanisms that REDUCE the weight of the instrument but none can completely stabilize the trombone by itself to be completely free from the left shoulder.
Until Now.
Enter Craig Mulcahy. The article linked here describes how he created a trombone stand made from parts of a Boeing airplane and other gadgets. It is pretty incredible to see dedication and sheer determination to piece this together. The best part about this story is he built the Boeing stand BEFORE the surgery knowing what all of post-recovery was going to involve.
Be sure to check out the video below as well which shows him playing a Rochut etude a few hours after the surgery.
Happy Thanksgiving from Last Row Music!
