Trombone takes center stage.

Joshua Bynum, a professor of trombone, will perform his second recital at the University, accompanied by a little “singing.”

“The trombone is a versatile instrument, capable of producing many different colors,” Bynum said. “I try to emphasize the singing quality of the instrument.”

Bynum will be accompanied by Anatoly Sheludyakov, staff accompanist in the Hodgson School of Music.

University trombone professor Joshua Bynum will give a musical performance set to a non-musical theme: ‘something old, new, borrowed and blue.’ Courtesy Joshua Bynum

“One of my favorite aspects of performance is working with other musicians,” Bynum said. “Anytime you play with others, the more you play together, the more instinctive you become. When you reach that point, there is a synergy that can be very special.”

While putting together his program, Bynum followed a theme.

“I wanted to choose a program that features music compiled from various sources,” he said. “As I began choosing repertoire, a theme began to emerge: something old, new, borrowed and blue.”

Not that much music was written for the trombone prior to 1945. Many composers instead focused on more on traditional instruments, such as violin, piano or voice.

But that’s not a problem for Bynum.

“Trombonists are notorious for stealing great music from other sources,” Bynum said. “Vocal repertoire is my favorite because there are so many correlations between the trombone and voice.”

For the traditional section of his program, Bynum chose a composition by Paul Hindemith.

“[His] trombone sonata is one of the ‘war horses’ in our repertoire, and is one of the few original works for our instrument by an established composer,” Bynum said. “This piece features an interesting juxtaposition of character between the active piano and stoic trombone voices.”

For “something new,” Bynum chose four pieces by a French composer to represent a timeline from the Baroque era to the 20th century.

“Jean-Michel Defaye’s ‘Pieces in the Manner of…’ series is both relatively new and under-performed,” Bynum said. “These pieces feature clever homage and quotation by composers from various stylistic periods.”

Aaron Copland’s national folk songs symbolize the “borrowed” part of Bynum’s program.

“Aaron Copland’s old, American songs are so beloved and offer so much stylistic variety,” Bynum said. “These are tunes that we know, but we don’t know how. I find myself returning to them time and again, and always come away surprised at the musical fulfillment to be found in such ‘simple’ music.”

Hollywood composer William Goldstein will color Bynum’s recital “blue.”

“This piece was written for the U.S. Army band in the 1960’s and was intended as a voice of unapologetic optimism during a time of great strife in our nation’s history,” Bynum said. “There is a wonderful balance between epic and tender moments that culminate in a wonderful, jazz-inspired finale.”

Another key component to any faculty recital is an investment of time.

“[Bynum] is a prodigious practicer,” said David Zerkel, professor of tuba and euphonium. “He is so slammed with his studio teaching and coaching that he sometimes needs to do his practicing at home, late into the evening. He wants to be the best performer and the best teacher he can be.”

One of the great results leading up to a performance is its process.

“I believe it is very important to keep pushing yourself as an artist,” Bynum said. “This drive keeps you sharp, and can also increase your effectiveness as an educator. The more you put yourself in that position, the better able you [are to] help motivate students to perform. It’s really hard to tell students to do something if you’re not doing it enough. I view myself as a lifelong student of music. It’s about the process, not the destination. You’re constantly trying to make things better.”

Bynum also subs and plays as an extra musician with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Recently, he has been offered the opportunity to travel and play at several universities and venues in the Southeast, such as the University of South Carolina.

“He is very much in demand as a player,” Zerkel said. “The word is out that there is someone really special here.”

JOSH BYNUM

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Ramsey Concert Hall

Cost: $5 with student ID