Master Class: Julie Bantin – Bass Trombone

On Saturday, July 1, Julie Bantin, Bass Trombonist of the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, gave a master class at the 2000 IWBC. The focus of the class was unlike many other bass trombone master classes that I have recently attended. It was not particularly bass trombone specific, nor was it a display of technical prowess serving only to fuel the ego and awe the crowd. Instead, the master class focussed largely on musicality and how to develop the mental side of performing. A particular technique that she introduced was a visualization process called “puppeting,” whereby the person performing imagines him or herself playing ideally as if being manipulated by a puppeteer pulling on strings. She also provided a recommended reading list that included such books as Kenny Werner’s Effortless Mastery and Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. Her talk was motivational and she shared with us some personal anecdotes and a bit of her own philosophy of music, all of which made it very clear that her primary reason for making music is her love for music. This gets lost or blurred too easily and this class was a real moment of clarity. She listened to two players and had comments for them which were almost entirely musical. She worked with them on how to “tell a story” with the music, not just play the notes. For those who came to hear someone play louder, faster, lower, etc. they may well have been a little disappointed (Ms. Bantin never played a note.) However, the class was a welcome breath of fresh air from what has unfortunately become the “typical” format of most brass master classes, and did provide some very interesting and helpful insights that would be good for musicians on any instrument.

Submitted by David Horger Adjunct Faculty–Trombone, Eastern Kentucky Univeristy