A lot of people have written me feedback requesting information about me.  I wanted this site to be an information resource, and to have nothing really to do with me, but...  you asked for it, so here it is!
 

The important stuff:

Goals: Make the world a better place when I leave than when I arrived.
Heart belongs to: Robert Kastner
Age: 27
Location: Naples, FL
Occupation: Director of The Mozart Academy, freelance trombone/euphonium/horn
Favorite food: sushi
Favorite authors: J.R.R. Tolkien, Kahlil Gibran
Favorite movie: Big (1988)
Favorite instrument: French horn
Favorite trombonist: David Finlayson
Favorite orchestra: San Francisco Symphony (?)
Favorite piece: Brahms' Symphony No. 2
Favorite composers: Chopin, Bernstein


You may know me from:

SWFSO, '03-'07.  Eastman School of Music, '01.  The Juilliard Pre-College Division, '97.  Harborfields H.S., '97.  Aspen Music School, '96.   Interlochen Arts Camp, '95. I've subbed with the Naples Philharmonic, the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, and the New World Symphony.  I grew up on Long Island and played in the Huntington Community Band.


My  teachers ('94 - '05):

David Finlayson, James Markey, Dr. John Marcellus, Per Brevig, Joseph Alessi (brief study), Mark Kellogg (alto trombone), Michael Canipe (trombone and euphonium).


For the equipment junkies:

I play primarily on a Shires tenor trombone: 2Y bell, dual-bore slide, Greenhoe valve, size 2 leadpipe, gold brass main tuning slide.  I play on a Greg Black 3G mouthpiece, and have a Walt Johnson case. I also own (and occasionally use) a Bach 36COGH and a Yamaha alto trombone.  For these I use a Bach 4G mouthpiece.  I sometimes use an Ergobone.  I also have leather handslide grips and a pencil clip.


Web Design:

Keven Stewart showed me the basics in '97, and I taught myself from there.   I designed and created my entire site.  I have a very basic knowledge of HTML and JavaScript.