VIDEO: Student Trombonist Michael Wang

The trombone helps Sacramento native Michael Wang express his inner voice.

February 13, 2013

The trombone helps Sacramento native Michael Wang express his inner voice. Jazz gives him the chance to use it to speak with other musicians.

Wang began classical piano lessons in elementary school. He picked up the trombone when he joined the band in sixth grade because it was the only wind instrument left unattended in the storage room, but soon had the desire to develop his own voice on the instrument. He discovered jazz and improvisation in high school and enjoyed interacting with a rhythm section, playing on and off of a pianist's or guitarist's comping, working through polyrhythms set by the drummer and bassist, and trading choruses with another horn player. After honing his craft in his school jazz ensemble, he began playing at venues and festivals across the country and the world.

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