The first of many YouTubes that I will recommend over time; let’s start off with one that I shot. In early 2008 I attended a professional development weekend with Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic and one of the world’s leading trombonists. It was a very fulfilling experience, especially because it helped me see how much work I still have to do.
On the Sunday, Mr Alessi was conducting an excerpts masterclass. Whilst working on a student’s performance of the infamous solo from Ravel’s Bolero, Alessi decided to perform it himself. I have never grabbed and turned on my camera in such a short period of time. I decided to post it to YouTube for the pedagogical benefit of trombonists the world over (90,000+ views last time I checked). Simultaneously, it turns out that I also provided the first footage of Alessi’s performance on the prototype of what is now the Edwards T396-A Alessi Model Trombone; confirmed when Edwards themselves distributed a link to my YouTube to their entire mailing list. (Imagine my surprise when I clicked the link only to watch my own video!)
Anyhow – please enjoy 