WMU music student accepted into Juilliard School

By Nick Schwerin
Western Herald

WMU trombonist Evan Conroy will be starting at Juilliard next year.

When Evan Conroy was a freshman at Western Michigan University, he wasn’t in the School of Music. He thought he wasn’t good enough.
Next year, he begins what is perhaps the most prestigious program in the country for the bass trombone at The Juilliard School’s Music Division. Conroy said that 24 people applied for the single spot offered.
Aside from Juilliard’s general prestige, it is particularly well known for its trombone section.

“I always count myself out before I even do anything,” Conroy said, speaking of his first year at WMU. “So I knew I wasn’t going to get into this school.”

As a freshman, Conroy kept getting into the WMU School of Music as a goal, practiced hard and made it his sophomore year. He graduates this year, and moves onto Juilliard.
Conroy typically practices between four and five hours a day. His professor at WMU, Steve Wolfinbarger, said that it is difficult to practice an instrument like the bass trombone for more than two or three hours per day.

“He was a good player when he came in, but he’s a great player now,” Wolfinbarger said.

Part of what allowed Conroy to progress was switching from tenor trombone to the bass trombone, where he has excelled.

“I said, ‘you know, you ought to be playing bass trombone. You’ve got that kind of quality, that kind of sound,’” Wolfinbarger said.

“It’s like a whole new instrument,” Conroy said. “It’s like switching from the trumpet to the french horn.”

Even after he auditioned for Juilliard, Conroy was very unsure of whether he would get in.

“He called me and said ‘You know, I feel I set my standards too high; I think I need a fallback school,’” Wolfinbarger said. But he didn’t.
“There are bass trombone players all over the country who are in envy of him,” Wolfinbarger said.

For those unfamiliar with how the music program works, students study under one professor, for one hour a week, for the entire four years of the program.
At Juilliard, in addition to the normal professor, Conroy will also spend time with study devoted specifically to orchestral performing. Part of what drew him to Juilliard, he said, was the specificity of the program.
It is very performance-based, and Conroy plans on spending a great deal of time performing with local and regional orchestras.
Conroy was also grateful to Wolfinbarger for working with him at WMU.

“I love Dr. Wolfinbarger,” Conroy said. “I think he’s the most incredible teacher and I would not be where I am without his guidance … his door is always open. He’s always there to help.”

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=4389

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Feb 26 2009. Filed under A & E. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com