A MUSICIAN'S LIFE!

What is you background/education/where are you from?

I am originally from Reading, PA. My undergraduate studies were at Ithaca College, and I received a Masters from Northwestern University in Chicago.

What was the moment you learned you wanted to be a musician? Why did you choose your instrument?

I had always been around music, between junior choir at church and taking piano lessons. A close family friend was a music teacher (and trombonist), and insisted I play trombone. I tried to quit several times in middle school and early high school, but my band director DARED me to audition for county honor band. I placed third in the county, and got to skip school for the rehearsals. While that was initially the best part, playing with talented and serious peers inspired my curiosity and work ethic. It just seemed to be an obvious choice from that point onward.

When were you appointed to the BPO? Anything you would like to share about the audition process?

I joined the orchestra in 2009 as a “one-year” temporary hire to replace someone who left very late in the summer. I won the permanent audition in 2010 out of 117 auditioning candidates. Many people don’t realize that our auditions are “blind”; in other words, there is a screen in front of the audition committee so they cannot see the musician auditioning, and there is even a rug rolled out onto the stage so you cannot hear what kind of shoes an auditionee is wearing! We want the auditions to be as objective as possible.

♫ Favorite orchestral excerpt? Most dreaded excerpt?

The passages from Mahler’s 5th Symphony are a favorite – they are so meaty and lie in a register I love. Truly, any excerpt that allows the trombone to SING rather than just play loud is a favorite. I always struggled with the storm scene in Rossini’s William Tell Overture, but got that figured out a few years ago when I had to play it several times in a short span on both tenor and bass trombones. As we age and our physiology changes, the excerpt challenges change, too!

♫ Piece or program you’re looking forward to this season?

Honestly, the Yacht Rock pops program in October. I grew up hearing that music played by my parents and their friends, and who doesn’t love Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald?! Classics-wise, Also Sprach Zarathustra is always a fun – albeit intimidating to play – masterwork.

♫ Current favorite artist/song you have on repeat?

Yacht Rock. All of it. I also love Bossa Nova. No, I don’t live in an elevator.

What's something you enjoy doing when you're not performing?

Playing with my boys, 10 & 12, and being involved with Scouting. They are so inquisitive and entrepreneurial, so any family activities that spark that creativity is on the table. My wife and I enjoy the local theater scene, as well as hosting dinners and parties. I also have a real estate business, thanks to the encouragement of our beloved BPO cellist and friend, Monte Hoffman, whom we lost just over two years ago. He said, "Timmy, you gotta buy real estate." So I did. My wife and I have been buying, renovating, and renting houses for the past decade, and I eventually became a licensed real estate salesperson with Gurney Becker & Bourne (big BPO supporters, by the way). There are so many wonderful parallels to my career in music that I continue to explore everyday, and share them on my Instagram account @resonance_rei_Tim (shameless plug!)

What’s one of your favorite Buffalo spots for dining, recreation, etc?

I love riding my bike on the river and outer harbor trails, as well as running through my Elmwood Village neighborhood. Mythos (for lunch) holds some special BPO memories for me, and I love anywhere with craft cocktails and locally sourced foods. The Dapper Goose is a particular favorite.

Favorite BPO memory?

So many to consider, but the first Florida tour was right after I won the audition and holds a special place in my heart. It was so enjoyable to travel with MY orchestra ‘family’, knowing where I would be the next year.

What is one of your favorite places to travel/vacation outside of Buffalo?

Every summer, I play in the Sun Valley Music Festival in Idaho. My whole family goes and it is a truly magical place to hike, bike, raft, and get out into raw nature. It is my true happy place.

What is something you want audience members to know about the BPO?

Audience members have frequently asked me why we don’t laugh or engage with guest artist banter. Usually, all of the monitors are IN FRONT of us, so we often just hear mumbling. It’s not that we are bored or hate them!