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The Trombone Retreat
The Trombone Retreat
Holidays, Auditions and Finally Naming This Thing
Have you ever wondered what happens when two working musicians try to podcast at 8am? Today, Nick and Seba tian take you behind the scenes of these performances, sharing heartwarming stories that made the audience's holiday experience even more meaningful. We also reveal the new title for this short-form series - yes, you've voted and we've listened!
We then explore the path of making a career in music and how it can wonderfully translate to other professions. Topics include: children interacting with tubas, what to say to people after an audition, what to do if your colleague is lacking, answering listener questions, Sebastian's obsession with first class and more!
Also introducing special features with Patreon: www.patreon.com/tromboneretreat
Learn more about the Trombone Retreat and upcoming festival here: linktr.ee/tromboneretreat
Hosted by Sebastian Vera - @js.vera (insta) and Nick Schwartz - @basstrombone444 (insta)
Produced and edited by Sebastian Vera
Music: Firehorse: Mvt 1 - Trot by Steven Verhelst performed live by Brian Santero, Sebastian Vera and Nick Schwartz
Thank you to our season sponsor Houghton Horns: www.houghtonhorns.com
Support the show
I looked down the audience and it's you. It's normal to see like little kids in there, like totally in awe of what they're looking at on stage, you know. But yesterday I saw like a middle-aged man and he was sitting there and he looked. He had the same facial expression as Will Ferrell does in the movie Elf. He was just like Santa.
Speaker 1:He was like the fur like a long time, it wasn't just like a little moment. So that's awesome. You know, you have to remind yourself that, like for a lot of people that come to any performance, but holiday performance is something like the Nutcracker especially. It could be like a huge deal in their family, like a tradition, it could be like a once in a lifetime experience. So it was a reminder, reminder to be like, hey, it's pretty lucky to be able to do this and bring this to people. I love that.
Speaker 3:That's awesome.
Speaker 1:Good morning. Good morning bright and early.
Speaker 3:Yeah, last last episode we recorded we had all these curveballs happen and we had to record pretty late. It's funny how I notice a difference when we record at different times, Like our energy levels will be different.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think they all. They probably all have their pluses and minuses.
Speaker 3:You know, we got to find that. We got to find that that sweet juicy spot that's just like Goldilocks.
Speaker 1:We need that, we need that. Uh, that baby bear energy.
Speaker 3:Where we, where we both achieve flow, state at the exact same time, mm-hmm, except you're. You're a night person, I'm very much a morning person, so I don't know if that place exists.
Speaker 1:No, you can't have to meet somewhere in the middle.
Speaker 3:And so today it's 8am in Texas and it's 9am for you, which it's funny, because you're like oh no, I think the only time we're going to be able to do this is 9am, and you said it in a way where we're both oh man, that's, that's impossible. But that's literally the time 95% of the world starts working, it's true, and we're like no, can't, can't do it. As we know from musicians, that's 9am is basically the middle of the night. 9am is like our 5am.
Speaker 3:So, nick, this is our third episode of this new short form series, and I am pleased to tell you that we have a new official title for this series, is this our fourth episode. Is it? Yeah, it is the fourth one. Nailed it Right again.
Speaker 3:Nailed it, see 8am. Not a good time for me, so cancel that one. What so? Coming in third place? First of all, thank you to everyone who voted. We had a very strong turnout for the vote, a lot of passionate thoughts, but coming in third place was the slide in with 26% of votes. You know that was a good title, had a little sexual innuendo, but you know it was casual. What do you mean? I don't know. Coming in with 33% of the vote? In second place Jones and Furibonzin.
Speaker 1:I mean that was my favorite, but you know the people I've spoken in that was not the crowd's favorite.
Speaker 3:So I mean, yeah, it's a good title. It's a good title, but it's clearly not for everyone I like it. Maybe we could use it in another way, but thank you, alexis, for the suggestion. I forgot to mention that. So the main poll was on Instagram, but you can also create a poll on Spotify. So for our Spotify listeners, please check those, because every now and then we can post questions and polls, and we had one vote for all things rusty on Spotify and we also had a write-in for the alternate position, which I was like, oh, that's pretty good, should have told us earlier. But the winner 41% of the vote 41, dirk Nowitzki in our new title, the fifth position.
Speaker 2:Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep beep beep Feel vindicated.
Speaker 1:I know you do.
Speaker 3:You will not let you down.
Speaker 1:It's a good clean to the point title. It's very poignant on topic.
Speaker 3:I like it, I'll get used to it you know, yet it still has some mystery, since none of us know where fifth position is.
Speaker 1:It's like the train platform to Hogwarts.
Speaker 3:Did you see that video recently where the kid just ran full speed into the wall Trying? To go into the Hogwarts at the train station.
Speaker 1:There you go. Darwin would have something to say about that.
Speaker 3:I don't know if it was staged or not, but it was very funny. What a world, so how?
Speaker 1:was Thanksgiving. It was great, had a couple of friends over cooked, like I normally do. And what was your?
Speaker 3:Friends' Amariment, friends' Amariment. What was your favorite thing to cook?
Speaker 1:I did a new recipe for my turkey that I really enjoyed making. I made a really good Brussels sprouts dish that I really enjoyed making. So yeah, kind of all of it. I love it, but just it's fun. I like the process. Did you let anyone help my wife? That's it. What about you? How was your Thanksgiving?
Speaker 3:Oh, it was good, it was good Big family thing down here in Texas. It's always so nice to say everybody yeah, I didn't overeat, I didn't go crazy Like I normally do, which I feel like is a victory. Coming down to Texas, I just accept that I'm going to gain 15 pounds every time I come into the state, so I think maybe I only gained like 14 pounds.
Speaker 1:No, so Progress.
Speaker 3:Me and my mom have been going on walks. So I'm just like mom, we're going to walk for 30 minutes every single day and it's been actually really nice. I'm just like I could do this all the time, besides just doing like Peloton or whatever. It's just nice to get outside, especially down here, where it's still like. I mean, it's cold now, but it's been like 60 degrees, so that's kind of nice.
Speaker 1:Very pleasant yeah.
Speaker 3:Would you like to hear the Google alert?
Speaker 1:I wait with baited breath.
Speaker 3:So the segment is Trumbo and Google Alerts what's going on in the world. We need one of those like those news typewriter thing, yeah, there's actually another article that is related to Trumbo and Player. There is a business insider article about Swedish CEO of EasyJet, johan Lundgren, on how his first Wait, let me get a shot at that name, uh-huh.
Speaker 1:Johan Lundgren.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's actually. That's probably way more accurate. I apologize, johan, I'm sure he listens. Yeah, he actually. His first dream was to be a Trumbonist and, you know, didn't reach that dream so had to settle for being a CEO of one of the major airlines of the world. But it is. It is kind of cool that it was his dream. He didn't get into, I think, the Royal Danish Conservatory. And the article is nice. I mean, it's not about being a Trumbon player, but it traces his career and his path. And it just made me think and we've briefly talked about this before about if you're nervous about pursuing music or you're considering another career path after studying music. I think we're very scared of this notion a lot, but there's so many musicians that use the skills that they have learned becoming a musician to translate it to other careers and translate it very successfully, and there's a lot of employers that understand all the unique skills that a musician can bring.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I tell my students this all the time too. It's like you know, because I've seen it firsthand with you know people I grew up with that wanted to be musicians and, for whatever reason, pivoted out of it. Yeah, the skill sets that you learn in music turns out that they do help you in other careers Is especially work ethic I think that's the biggest one and you know teamwork, collaboration, that sort of stuff.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of things you know, so it's like hey, maybe maybe take it easy on yourself and realize that you too can be the CEO of a Swedish budget airline.
Speaker 3:Same thing with being just talking to kids about joining band. It's like you don't have to be a professional, but they all do better in math and science. They have higher levels of empathy. It's the only thing stimulating all the areas of the brain. I want just all good stuff, Beautiful beautiful things.
Speaker 1:All right, I got a story for you in the spirit of the holidays. Yes.
Speaker 1:So Dan pack, the great tuba player of New York City Ballet, we love Dan, dan's incredible and he was playing a family concert last week or two weeks ago with the New York Philharmonic and never heard of him. He allowed the kids, they allowed the kids to come up on stage and kind of what sometimes the orchestra is called like a instrument petting zoo. It's like you can get up and close, close and personal to the different instruments and ooh, what's that? What does that do? You know that sort of stuff. So you know, dan, you know, of course, you know, blast the pedal note at them and they all start laughing. And then he's like you want to look inside the bell and they're like ooh, and they like stick their heads in there.
Speaker 1:You know the typical stuff you might do with a tuba. And there's this little girl and she's, you know, dressed up for her day at the New York Philharmonic in her nice little, nice little dress, and she comes out, he puts her head in the tuba and pulls her head out and looks right at Dan and goes you can fit at least one baby in there. At least one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just thought that was about the most darling thing. Kids are amazing.
Speaker 3:Kids are awesome. You always have to like wake up early for these children's shows and you're just like, ugh, it's a children's show and then, once you get there, they always end up being the most fun, because you're never going to play for a better audience.
Speaker 1:When they dim the lights for like a concert and there's kids, they just start screaming. I mean like it's unbelievable. Yeah, they're so excited.
Speaker 3:Give kids a reason to be able to clap and scream and not get in trouble, and it's their favorite thing in the world.
Speaker 1:I know. I mean I was lucky enough. When I was a kid growing up in Dallas or Plano I went and saw Hansel and Gretel, I think Hansel Hansel and the Dallas Opera. So hot right now. And that was my first time seeing an orchestra seeing opera and it was through school and yeah, I, you know, maybe I remember more because I am a musician, but I've always remembered that and the whole time being like whoa, this is crazy, you know.
Speaker 3:I love that opera so much, it's so good.
Speaker 1:It's. It's like there's not a bit of fat in it. It's like everything needs to be there. It's not too long. It's beautiful music, nice arias, it's great.
Speaker 3:And in Germany they play that during Christmas time every year, kind of like the Nutcracker, which would be so cool if we did that here I would love to play that every year.
Speaker 1:The Met does it, sometimes during Christmas, but they always do an English version of Magic Flu. It's shorter in English and that's pretty popular too.
Speaker 3:I saw, I saw Hansel and Gretel with the Met once and they, yeah, the the witch was like. It was like a man dressed as the witch, but like really tall and just like it was. It was kind of awesome.
Speaker 1:That's how they play it. A lot of times it depends on, depends on the company, how they do it, because it can be a Metsus Pran or can be a like baritone. It's kind of flexible role. The Met one is like a fever dream. Right the production.
Speaker 3:It was really cool. It was really cool and I think when we did it we had because often the the Hansel voice is so high that a woman will sing- it, it's always a woman, the Hansel. Yeah, so hot right now. So, hot now.
Speaker 3:Thank you to. We had a few new recent patrons on our Patreon this month. Thank you very much. You can subscribe at patreoncom slash trombone retreat. Just a reminder all of our, everything we've ever posted on the Patreon, all of our exclusive interviews, videos of podcast interviews, trombone advice videos forever they're on there. They're archived on the website so you can access everything we've ever posted. So check it out. We have an audience question. Thank you audience. We have a few. I had to sift through, but today's pretty simple one coming from Thomas Super set. Thomas underscore Super set. Do you even lift bra on the Instagrams? Our friend Thomas lie. Trombone retreat alum. What are Sebastian and Nick's favorite activities outside of music? I feel like I should answer for you.
Speaker 1:I mean, what am I gonna say Cookin' the food? Acts of service are my love language to other people. It's one way I show, oh really.
Speaker 3:I have a few acts of service that you could do with the Trombone treat.
Speaker 1:I was saying ones that I like. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 3:Mmm.
Speaker 1:Well, okay, so back to the question. Back to the question yes, cooking In the summer. I like playing golf. I like listening to music I guess that's related to it, but it's a different thing and I love listening to podcasts. I mean, it feels like it's on the nose.
Speaker 3:but what's your favorite podcast right now you're listening to?
Speaker 1:I love Stavies World Stavros Haukes, amazing comedian they go for like two, two, three hours sometimes. They record two podcasts a week and they're, like, always super long.
Speaker 3:Just hanging out smoking weed and like talking.
Speaker 1:Yep, they're just ridiculous. What about you, Seb?
Speaker 3:I guess, for brevity, if I had to pick one thing. I mean I have plenty of interest and I do feel lucky that our main source of enjoyment is also our work. So you know, I feel like normal nine to fiveers are always trying to think of their other thing that they're enjoying. But I get to enjoy. I get to play music with my friends all the time, so I feel like that is my hobby, that just happens to pay me money. But I love basketball, I love my Dallas team. So I'm sure everyone hates Dallas Cowboy fans I'm a Dallas Mavericks fan but for me one of my favorite pastimes is just traveling and I really have nerded out about travel status and travel points and just understanding the whole process, because I think traveling used to give me a little anxiety and also I grew up being like how do people get to ride in first class?
Speaker 3:Like I never understood and I always wanted to, and I finally figured out the system to be able to have the privilege of getting to do it more often and, of course, whenever, as you know, you ride in first class once and you, like I, need this all the time. Yeah, it's definitely addicting.
Speaker 3:This is my identity now. I deserve this and I love wearing sweatpants in first class around all these business travelers where they're confused. So really nerding out with that and getting to travel all over the world, finding reasons to travel, getting upgraded. I really enjoy the numbers game and figuring all that stuff out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that answers. Yeah, yeah, Thank you Thomas.
Speaker 3:All right, Nick, I have a bone to pick.
Speaker 1:Pick that bone.
Speaker 3:Can we normalize not asking people how their audition went? So hear me out. How many times have you taken an audition? Taking an audition doesn't go great which is majority of auditions for most people, even successful people and about 10 people ask you how it went right afterwards, when the last thing in the world you want to do is rehash this thing, at least in front of someone else. I encourage people to ask yourselves why you're asking, because you know we're often curious, especially if you didn't go to the audition. You want to know how it went, and then you'll ask like who won?
Speaker 3:another thing people don't want to talk about Is it really making the other person feel better? So I encourage you instead to consider, if it comes up, naturally, ask someone would you like to talk about how the audition went? And give them an opportunity. I actually did this the other day because I realized that I rarely want to talk about it if it doesn't go well. You know, maybe I'm still processing, and I asked someone the other day like hey, do you want to talk about how it went? And he's like no, but thank you. He was pleasantly surprised.
Speaker 3:It's like. Does that make sense?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, I think you know. I think there needs to be a little bit of a caveat to that, because I feel like when you're in school or younger, there's more of a community aspect where you do want to talk about how your audition went, because it's like the you know the goals are to win an audition, of course, but like when you're first starting out, it's like totally normal to go for, like it was a good experience. Because now I know that I get really nervous in auditions. You know if it's like your first audition, but you know, after a while, after you're like seasoned with auditions, it's like it might not be the best question. It's like probably lean on the air on the side of they'll tell you if they want to talk about it.
Speaker 3:That's what it's like. It's just basic psychology. Just invite them, give them the opportunity to feel safe to share how they feel if they'd like, but if not, it's not really your business, it's a personal thing. So like, hey, you want to talk about how it went? No, okay, cool, yeah. But otherwise you're just kind of like forcing conversation.
Speaker 1:I mean, you would know if that person won the audition because you would have heard. And if you didn't hear that they won, they probably didn't, and so you should err on the side of just not saying anything or like your idea. You want to talk about it.
Speaker 3:And it's one thing. If you know well, if you know they won, that's a little more safe to bring up that conversation. This is probably positive. Or if you know they made finals, that can go their way, because sometimes people can be more upset about getting close and not winning. But if you know, nothing happens or you're just curious. Just be a little more sensitive is all I'm offering. Appreciate that I have. I have pillaged the depths of the internet. Nicholas and I have found our Quora question of the week Fantastic. So Trumbone Quora, which is one of the best parts of the internet. We find random questions that people of the world have submitted to the internet and today's question is I play the Trumbone in a small band and there's one other Trumbone player. He sucks and he makes me sound bad. What do?
Speaker 1:I do. I like the honesty. I mean definitely appreciate that. What do? You do. Well, I think that you turn to them, look them square in the eye and say insert name. You suck at the Trumbone and don't make me sound very good. Wow, I think you go just right into it Straight on.
Speaker 3:And what do you think is going to come from that?
Speaker 1:Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I shall do something about that. Post-haste Problem solved. Yep, that's it. I mean, what else do you need? I'm sure if you're listening out there, I assume you are.
Speaker 3:Try that, I'm sure it'll go really well, you know it sounds like this is an amateur type of ensemble. It says it's a small band. You know it's probably not his first thing. You know it's like with anything. It's like the same equivalent of you have a roommate. Everyone has a different version of what clean is, so there's always going to be one person that's going to be more annoyed at the other person based on, like, how clean something is. This person maybe doesn't have as high a standards as you, maybe not as talented as you, maybe just doesn't work hard as you. It's a tough situation If you're both being professional and being paid money. That's another thing. But this is the story of our lives, right? You have to figure out how to work with people. So, to answer it seriously, maybe invite them over for duets, maybe see if you can get better together. But you can't really force someone to sound better unless you're like, maybe in a leadership position. You can talk about it.
Speaker 1:I mean I'm going to disagree wholeheartedly because obviously our God lives in a house of excellence, so can't bring that trash into that house.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I guess this guy is perfect. I don't know if I need to say his name. Oh, the other interesting part of this question is he. It says he makes me sound bad. Well, that sounds like a little projection, like you're not taking responsibility for yourself.
Speaker 1:I think it's more like he's perfectly manufactured tiny nano chip. Even the smallest bit of dust renders it useless.
Speaker 3:That's I live for your metaphors, nicholas. That's good, yeah, thanks, hey, hey.
Speaker 1:I'm going to tell you something I'm grateful for. It's important, I would love that. Okay, I'm on six nutcrackers in Four left. Yep, wow, 44 left. It's, it's, it's, it's a. It's tiring, you know, and some days you don't want to be there just because you're tired and you're worn out. And last night I was playing or, yes, your afternoon technically and I looked down the audience and it's you, it's normal to see like little kids in there, like totally in awe of what they're looking at on stage, you know. But yesterday I saw like a middle aged man and he was sitting there and he looked at. He had the same facial expression as Will Ferrell does in the movie Elf. You just like.
Speaker 1:Santa he was like the fur like a long time, it wasn't just like a little moment. So that's awesome. You know, you have to remind yourself that, like for a lot of people that come to any performance but holiday performances some like the nutcracker especially it could be like a huge deal in their family, like a tradition, it could be like a light once in a lifetime experience. So it was a reminder, reminder to be like, hey, it's pretty lucky to be able to do this and bring this to people I love that.
Speaker 3:That's awesome. Sometimes, yeah, we're lucky that you know we experience workplace fatigue just like anyone can, but I feel like we have more avenues to get out of it than most people. So sometimes you just get a look in the audience or appreciate the music you're playing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, and I like to make eye contact with We'll go into this more because you have a whole thing you like to do but I like to make eye contact with my colleagues from across the pit and just look at them, just stare at them. We'll look wide-eyed.
Speaker 3:You don't mouth-marry Christmas.
Speaker 1:Well, when we get closer to Christmas, you'll have to tell your technique, okay.
Speaker 3:I mean it's well documented on that one episode, but I can copy and paste it back just for people that appreciate it so much. It's hilarious how many people try to do that to me now after talking about that.
Speaker 1:It's so good, yeah. Well, what do you think, seb? I? Think we've covered the Weeks Trombones most pressing topics. Weeks Trombones most pressing topics the Weeks Trombones, most Trombone. Oh, you get it. I haven't had copy, I'm just going to let you.
Speaker 3:Oh wow, you did this without coffee. I'm impressed. Are you going to go do a dress? Rehearsal of the Tan Hauser. Tan Hauser. And then you got another Nutcracker tonight. No day off, but you're going to listen to Nutcracker, just so you don't get out of it.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I'm going to look at the Baron Rider score you don't want to lose it.
Speaker 3:Fix some errata. Yeah, you can't lose it, because you might just show up in it.
Speaker 1:It's like the off day in the Tour de France the biker still ride, you know.
Speaker 3:Metaphor. I need some sort of like ding or like a cash register sound. Every time you hit me with a good metaphor, a gong. The metaphor gong. I'm going to go play some duets with Brian Hecht because we both live down here. Well, he lives down here and I'm, my family lives down here and we both have the holiday chops. So hops. I realized it should be called do Hecks Going to go play some du Hecks? Yep, that'll be fun Then heading back. And then the holiday gauntlet begins. No nights off, let's do it.
Speaker 1:Well, enjoy the rest of your time down with your family. I'm going to run out the door and go play Tan Hauser.
Speaker 3:Sounds good and if you haven't subscribed, make sure you subscribe to the podcast. We always get a notification. It helps us out a lot. Rate and review on Spotify and iTunes helps us out a lot. And email us at tromboneretreat at gmailcom If you have any questions you'd like us to answer on the podcast. Follow Nick at base from bone 444 on the Instagrams and meet at what's my name, jsvera on Instagrams and follow us at trombone retreat on all the social medias and we appreciate you and we hope that you make it a great day.
Speaker 1:Thank you Bye.
