Senior Recitals: Ebonee Woodland

I would wager a great deal of money that most people’s sole exposure to the trombone is through the long-running comedic riff of the “sad trombone.”

It is really a shame, given how impressive such a simple instrument can be, that more people haven’t heard a trombone in its own environment you might say. Regardless of its modern popularity, Ebonee Woodland, a senior Music Education major, makes a fine trombonist and her recital on Nov. 11, has cemented her in my mind as a practiced and poised musician.

The evening was, in some ways, an opportunity for Woodland to show off the abilities of her instrument, which is not often considered a desirable sound by itself.

The opening pitch of “Fanfare” by John Kenny blasted the audience with a bit of good, old-fashioned… well…fanfare, what the trombone has been famous for since before they had actually been invented.

In other pieces throughout the evening, she was able to give the sound a great deal of articulation like one would expect from a skilled trumpet player. A good example of this was Arthur Pryor’s “Love’s Enchantment,” a piece which oscillates, on Woodland’s lead, between long blasts of colorful brass and an almost polka-esque driving tune.

Another pretty bit of work were the more waltzy songs, like portions of Kevin McKee’s “A Winter’s Evening,” which at times was almost reminiscent of the distinctive, sonorous opening of “The Godfather Waltz” from Coppola’s famous mobster flick. This same sort of rounded and full sound was characteristic of the night’s closing piece as well, three movements from Flor Peeters’ “Suite for Four Trombones,” which not only demonstrated the recitalist’s ability to lead but also to harmonize. Her three fellow musicians did an excellent job of that.

This may not sound like much, but I mean it without any jest, it was the best hour and a half I’ve ever spent listening to trombone music.