SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The first three notes of the concerto ring out, and it’s clear that Matthew Watt knows his way around a trombone.
The 20-year-old Augustana University student has a clear tone, and when the tempo picks up in Gordon Jacob’s “Trombone Concerto,” Watt shows just how dexterous a young musician can be.
Not to mention a musician with only two fingers.
Watt was born with only one finger on each hand. There’s a medical term for it, but Watt never bothered to learn what it was. He just wanted to play the trombone, partly because he saw his older sister play and partly because it was an instrument he knew he could manage.
“It’s something that isn’t really limited by, you know, not having any fingers,” Watt told the Argus Leader (https://argusne.ws/2px8zHB ).
Watt’s interest in music started when he was in a children’s choir in his hometown of Yankton.
In fifth grade, he started playing trombone and as an eighth grader he participated in South Dakota’s middle school All-State band.
When he didn’t make All-State again as a freshman in high school, he practiced harder so that he wouldn’t miss out again. He began taking private lessons and continued to play in both concert and jazz bands.
Watt’s playing developed even further when he started studying under Vance Shoemaker at Augustana.
“He developed a big, rich, orchestral sound,” Shoemaker said.
Playing among other accomplished trombonists pushed Watt even further. He’s not a music major_in fact, he’s studying computer science in the hopes of becoming a software developer_but he participates in six ensembles at Augustana.
Watt also was recently recognized as a Concerto-Aria winner, meaning he’ll perform a solo with the full Augustana Orchestra during their spring concert on Sunday at the Washington Pavilion.
For a non-music major to win this award is extraordinary, said John Pennington, chair of the music department.
“It is a testament to the talent here at Augustana,” he said.
The Concerto-Aria winners compete not only against other musicians in their category (winds, brass, percussion, etc.), but they also compete across categories to earn one of four solo spots accompanied by the orchestra.
Watt had strong competition, but he said playing alongside others who play well has inspired him to work to get better. He recalled listening in awe as a freshmen listening to upperclassmen play in the brass choir.
“I would hear the way that they would play, and just (think), I want to play like that,” Watt said.
Watt also listed Shoemaker as one of his role models. Shoemaker plans to retire from Augustana at the end of the spring, and having one of his students win the Concerto-Aria is not only a nice send-off, but also a tribute to his accomplishments as a teacher, Pennington said.
As Watt also looks to the future after college, he plans to keep playing trombone even if it’s not his career. He hopes to teach private lessons and plans to audition for the South Dakota Symphony.
He also hopes to develop apps, a passion he’s also fostered from a young age.
“You don’t have to stick to one thing,” Watt said. “You can do more than one of the things that you love.”
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Information from: Argus Leader, https://www.argusleader.com
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