20 Questions on May 20th, trombone edition!
Sasha Romero, Principal Trombone of the Fort Worth Symphony, recent winner of the Principal Trombone audition for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra!
1. When and where would you go if you had a time machine? About 1000 years into the future! I’d be quarantined as a health issue initially, but then they would probably have a cure to every disease and space travel and stuff. If you go more than 50 years into the past, you’re bound to catch some terrible disease and die. Plus, they didn’t wash their hands back then…
2. Favorite vacation spot? Tough choice between the Colorado mountains and Florida beaches when there’s not that many people out.
3. Dogs or cats? False dichotomy. I like both, but currently own two cats.
4. Favorite piece of music that doesn’t have trombone? Anuna’s “Blue Bird.”
5. Beer, wine, or spirits? Beer!
6. Most memorable concert you were a part of? Shostakovich Symphony 7 with the Baylor Symphony Orchestra. It was my first time playing with an orchestra. I had no idea you had to play so loudly!
7. Trombone and mouthpiece you mostly play? Shires horn with the 7GYM bell, Rose tuning crook, Axial Flow Valve, TW47LW slide, 1.5L Sterling silver leadpipe, and a 4.5 GM New York Greg Black mouthpiece.
8. A composer you would like to write a piece for trombone? Debussy if he were alive. Living composer? Jennifer Higdon.
9. Bitsch or Blazhevich? Bitsch, except for etude #7!
10. Favorite non-classical/jazz artist? It’s a tie between Dream Theater and Coheed and Cambria.
11. Sports team or player you are a big fan of? Shaun White
12. Good book you have read recently? “The Nurture Assumption. What Makes Kids Turn Out the Way They Do.” It was a Pulitzer runner up.
13. Favorite color? Emerald Green
14. Dream car? Tesla Model S P100D
15. What inspires you to get to work? Not wanting to be late!
16. Conductor alive or dead that you wish you could work with? Beethoven or Liszt
17. Candy of choice? Kit Kats!
18. Favorite Arban exercise? Characteristic Study #1. Either that or just any of the multiple tonguing exercises as fast as I can go.
19. Arthur Pryor or Tommy Dorsey? Arthur Pryor
20. Best/favorite note on the horn? It’s a tie between super Eb or trigger Db.