Not long ago, the Facebook group "Jazz Trombonists" had a thread going about early influences. I hesitate to get involved in these things mainly because most of these players are way beyond me in abilities and knowledge. But it made me think about the trombonists who had an impact on me when I was young - one whose name I didn't even know.
Like
most kids who take up the trombone and show any ability, the hardest thing I
had to do was reach 6th position, near the bottom of the slide. Grade school band
music is, by necessity, not particularly difficult - everyone is a beginner.
At this stage, your main goal is just trying to make the thing sound halfway
decent. But trombone players find out pretty quickly that they never, and I mean never, play the melody let alone solos. Your role
is always in support of someone else. The trombone parts from grade
school on were generally boring, rarely a challenge and I became indifferent
to practicing. The parts were just too easy.
