10 Blogs That Every Trombone Player Should Read

I am always looking for more information. Someone’s experience with auditions. The history of the trombone in the 18th Century. How to develop your legato playing. The list could go on. Below you will find a list of 10 professional trombonists who have written quite a bit on anything (and everything) related to the trombone. There are many blogs out there regarding the trombone; however, these ten write frequently on their sites. Some of the websites are actual blogs while others contain a blog that is fairly active.

1) Matthew Guilford, Bass Trombone of the National Symphony Orchestra. Subtitled, “The first bass ‘bone blog on the planet,” Matt has a wide range of articles on his site including advice for students; interviews; and information regarding the University of Maryland Trombone Studio.

2) Jay Friedman, Principal Trombone of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. On a monthly basis, the reader of this site will gain insight from one of the great orchestral trombonists of the 20th and 21st Century. Each month, an article is written by Mr. Friedman or a guest writer which contains information about everything from alto trombone to legato playing to golf to auditions to the German style of playing.

3) Timothy Smith, Second Trombone of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. A great WordPress blog, be sure to check out his section on Bell’s Palsy as he has responses from other professional trombonists who have been and are currently taking on this condition.

4) The Eighth Position, Trombone News from Australia. This is a fascinating WordPress blog that keeps the world informed on trombone news from “Down Under” and the world as well as reviews of new trombone resources.

5) Will Kimball, Associate Professor of Trombone at Brigham Young University.  Dr. Kimball’s entire website is an excellent scholarly resource for the history of the trombone, alto trombone, and breathing techniques.

6) Micah Everett, Assistant Professor of Music at University of Mississippi. I have especially enjoyed reading this blog for a while. It is a unique WordPress blog that discusses everything from low brass maintenance to religion to history to what gizmos and gadgets he uses. Even though his most recent post said he is on a summer hiatus, I hope to see more posts this fall.

7) Joe Dixon, Texas Brass Pedagogue. Joe Dixon is well known in the trombone world as an excellent teacher who has many of his students in the top orchestras. Be sure to check out his website for resources and downloads. When Joe Dixon speaks, all brass students should listen.

8) Ben Coy, Professional Trombonist and Educator. Dr. Coy is Principal Trombone in the Springfield (OH) Symphony Orchestra, and recently joined the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony in Iowa. Many of his posts offer insight into auditions, warm up routines, and other musical sources.

9) Frequency Bone. This blog is mainly composed by Norman Bolter, former trombone in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Bolter’s approach and perspective to music making is unique and colorful. By reading his posts and watching his video clips, one can be refreshed with their desire to pursue creativity.

10) Digital Trombone, the site about trombone playing. Anders Larson has created this site with the intent of being “the leading resource for trombone players in the world.” And it does not disappoint. It is set up like a blog, and has information regarding all facets of trombone playing, including breathing, legato playing, jazz, or ear training. Check this site out frequently as new material is posted frequently.

If there are other trombone blogs that should have be on this list, let me know in the comment section.