The Beltline Bones
On Saturday, Feb. 21, the group known as the Beltline Bones performed in Birder Hall and delivered a spectacular experience for everybody who attended. The group consists of tenor trombonists Cole Bartels, Justin Coyne, Zach Bethel and bass trombonist Adam Nissenbaum. They provided some information about their origins: they were graduate students when they met in UW-Madison and formed their group around in 2021.
However, prior to their performance, there was a masterclass held for a few students. These students consisted of those primarily taking private lessons with professor Dr. Johnson. The name of some of these students were Fern (me), Zachary and Faith, and they all performed pieces that they have done previously such as during their Juries. Everybody that attended the masterclass was able to gain useful information about how to play the trombone better and the types of techniques that the Beltline performers use in their everyday practices.
During the performance they did something a bit unusual, which was them incorporating electronic sounds within their performance using a DAW. The music they performed would vary from being serenading and relaxing, to feeling extraterrestrial and anxiety-inducing, which helped to create a wonderful experience for everybody. There was also a clear usage of extended trombone techniques including flutter-tonguing.
Overall the group performed around eight songs, which lasted around an hour, and also included an intermission. St. Norbert eagerly awaits their next performance on campus.