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Ethan Wills, a recent Master's of Music graduate in trombone performance from the University of North Texas, was recently hired as the newest music instructor at Howard College in Big Spring, Texas. His teaching duties will include choir, theory, and aural skills.  Ethan is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and completed his undergraduate degree at Slippery Rock University.

The University of North Texas trombone studio is pleased to welcome Chris Seiter as an adjunct instructor for the coming school year.

Chris Seiter began his jazz trombone career in the Dallas/Fort Worth area while a student at the University of North Texas, where he was a four-year member of the One O'Clock Lab Band. He immediately became an active freelance and studio trombonist in the area, performing with such notable artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, Ray Charles, and many others. Seiter received the Frank Rosolino Memorial Jazz Award from the International Trombone Association for outstanding collegiate jazz trombonist, following the year the honor was awarded to fellow UNT alum Conrad Herwig. After UNT, Seiter relocated to New York City, where he performed, toured, and/or recorded with the Toshiko Akiyoshi New York Big Band, the Bob Mintzer Big Band, the Woody Herman Orchestra, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Seiter was a two-time recipient of jazz study grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Through these grants, Seiter studied jazz improvisation with Bob Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely, and David Liebman.
 
Chris currently resides in the Dallas area where he is an active freelance trombonist and performs regularly with the Official Texas Jazz Orchestra, Them Bones, and the Project Band. Chris also serves as coordinator, arranger, and trombonist with the White's Chapel United Methodist Church Orchestra in Southlake, Texas.
 


The UNT  trombone studio  must regretfully announce that Steve Wiest  has accepted a new position with unique opportunities in Denver, CO beginning Fall 2014. Steve has made an outstanding contribution to our trombone program in the six years he has been with us. In addition to his usual outstanding jazz trombone teaching, arranging and composing, he was responsible for founding  the now highly  successful U-Tubes Jazz Trombone Ensemble, while garnering  the Kai Winding Jazz  Trombone Ensemble Award in its first year of existence.  A year later he led the effort to create the first U-Tube's CD.  
 
Steve's new position in Denver is titled " Coordinator of the 21st century music initiative", meaning that he will be bringing people together to teach all  aspects of what it means to be diverse and well-rounded musicians in today's ever-changing musical landscape. In the meantime he will continue to teach composition and improvisation while putting together a new series of classes  and initiatives.
 
In addition he will be creating a new group called The Symposium that will combine  jazz and classical  instrumentation. Along with these duties he will be the new  artistic director of the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra.
 
His infectious enthusiasm and colorful personality will be missed by all, making it UNT's  loss and Colorado's win. We  wish him our very best, and  collectively thank him for his outstanding contribution.

The results of the ballot are in and here are the results.  Congratulations to our new officers.

2014-2015 TNT Officers

PRESIDENT--Freddy Ouellette

VICE-PRESIDENT--Phil Smith

SECRETARY--B.J. Hernandez

TNT Officers

TREASURER--Dillon Downey

OMBUDSMAN--Carmen Boerboom

SOCIAL MEDIA--Adam Dillon

 

 

The following trombonists have indicated their intention to join the UNT studio. Welcome y'all!

Austin Attaway--Round Rock, TX

Connor Barnette--Charlotte, NC

Brian Becker--University of Arizona

Trevor Boiarsky--Katy, TX

Carlito Chavez--Ft. Worth, TX

Cameron Crowley--Allen, TX

Connor Eisenmenger--Prospect, KY

Hayden Escobar--Midlothian, TX

Jose Garcia--Ft. Worth, TX

Erin Gilmore--Lubbock, TX

Matthew Hettwer--Salem, OR

Landon Ivy--Burleson, TX

Joel Mancini--League City, TX

Austin Martinez--Abilene, TX

Francisco Martinez--Little Elm, TX

Austin Major--San Juan Capistrano, CA

Elvis Moreno--Houston, TX

Xander Navarro--Fayetteville, AR

Samuel Prevost--La Mirada, CA

David Rice--Rowlett, TX

Bryan Rios--Edinburg, TX

Christopher Schott--Overland Park, KS

Byron Sleugh--Clovis, CA

Christian Silva--Cleveland, TX

Jaleel Taylor--Denton, TX

Justis Williams--Grand Prairie, TX

Western Michigan University's Dr. Stephen M. Wolfinbarger, professor of music, has been named the 2013 Michigan Professor of the Year. The announcement was made Nov. 14 in Washington, D.C., by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education—CASE—as part of the annual U.S. Professor of the Year Program. The awards Program, created in 1981, is the only national initiative specifically designed to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. " Wolfinbarger was selected from among some 350 faculty members nominated by colleges and universities throughout the country.

Wolfinbarger earned his bachelor's degree from Evangel University, his master's degree from North Texas State University (1982) and his doctoral degree from the University of North Texas (1989).

Daniel Marion and David Begnoche, trombone professor at TCU

Daniel Marion was named the winner of the TCU Trombone Summit bass trombone competition on April 4, 2014. His colleague, and fellow UNT student, Freddy Ouellette was a close runner-up.

We are pleased to announce that Marshall Tullous recently won the ETW Division III (no age limit) Bass Trombone competition!!!  The entire UNT trombone community would like to congratulate Marshall both on his musicianship and the poise that he has exhibited particularly considering he is just a freshman. Keep up the good work, Marshall, and congratulations again!

Marshall with the judges and all three winners of the various ETW competitions.

Marshall is a freshman bass trombone student of Jan Kagarice, majoring in trombone performance and a member of the Dark Fire Trombone Quartet

He is a recent graduate of Brazoswood High School in Lake Jackson, the same school as Sean Casey (see article).

 

 

Scott Avant has been selected as a finalist in the Coeur D'Alene Symphony Orchestra Solo Competition. He is the only trombonist on the list of college division instrumentalists. Coeur D'Alene is a scenic town in northern Idaho, located close to Spokane, WA. Scott will perform in the final competition round on January 4, 2014 in Spokane.

Scott is a senior trombone performance major from Austin, TX. His current teacher is Tony Baker.

Congratulations Sean!

 

Sean Casey hails from Lake Jackson, Texas just south of Houston. He began playing trombone at 10 years old and was immediately interested in all things music. Sean studied privately with trombonist Brian Allen for 8 years during which he studied all styles of music. During high school, Sean performed with the Brazoswood PM Jazz Band under the direction of UNT alum Jim Koch for two years. Sean enjoyed being a member of the Texas All-State Band and Jazz Ensemble for three years.Sean has had a wide variety of musical experiences including performances with the ACDA honor choir, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute's Wind Ensemble, and the 2008 Gibson-Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensemble.  He was named as a finalist in the 2009 International Trombone Association's Yaxley competition, and he performed more recently with the 2011 Disneyland All American Collegiate Band. Sean was a member of the 2 O'clock lab band for 2 years under the direction of Jay Saunders during which the ensemble won two Downbeat Awards for best large jazz ensemble. Sean is privileged to be performing with the One O'clock lab band for the third year in a row, and looks forward to many more great musical endeavors at the University of North Texas.  He was recently named the winner of the US Army Jazz Ambassadors Bass Trombone audition.  We look forward to hearing about his continued success!

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