Downstream Ep. 11: Double Header! Jay Cook & Seth Vatt

For your consideration: Two great names in the trombone world. 

 

Justin (Jay) Cook is the Assistant Professor of Trombone at the University of Central Arkansas where he teaches studio trombone, trombone choir, brass ensembles, and low brass methods. He also serves as the Exhibits Director for the International Trombone Festival.

Justin Cook holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Trombone Performance degree from Northern Arizona University, a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from Northern Arizona University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas. During the summer of 2009, Mr. Cook was chosen as one of 18 international tenor trombonists to attend the Alessi Seminar where he had the opportunity to work with Joseph Alessi and Peter Ellefson.

Equally at home as an educator and performer, the UCA trombone studio has seen tremendous success since Dr. Cook’s arrival. The studio has tripled in size and now features two trombone choirs: The BearBones Trombone Choir, and the Natural Slides Trombone Choir.  The trombone choirs have performed at the American Trombone Workshop in Washington D.C., the Big 12 Trombone Conference at Texas Tech University, the Arkansas Music Educator’s Conference, and the Texas State Trombone Symposium.  Dr. Cook’s students have graduated and been accepted to some of the nation’s most prestigious universities. For more information about the UCA Trombone Studio please click here.

 

Dr. Seth T. Vatt has travelled the United States extensively, and is currently a freelance bass trombonist and music educator in Dallas, TX. He has served on the performance faculty at Arizona State University with Ralph Sauer and Sam Pilafian, and has performed with the Phoenix Symphony and Scottsdale Arts Orchestra. While living in Phoenix he was also on faculty teaching music humanities at Phoenix College and within the Maricopa Community College System. In 2010 he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Trombone Performance while serving as a graduate teaching assistant to Ralph Sauer at Arizona State University. He also holds a Master of Music in Trombone Performance degree from ASU and a Bachelors of Music in Music Education from the University of Kentucky. There he was a founding member of the Momus Trombone Quartet, receiving a prestigious research and creativity grant to fund their first CD, "The Lexingport Project" and to compete as a finalist in the 2002 ITF Trombone Quartet Competition. Other performance credits include the DiMartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra, Kentucky Jazz Repertory Orchestra, Mesa Symphony, Tucson Symphony, New England Brass Band, Arizona Musicfest, Phoenix Theater, Texas Music Festival, and Victory Brass Quintet. Seth also maintains an active low brass studio with students ranging from 4th grade to college level. An active arranger, his music can be found published with Kagarice Brass Editions and Momus Music Editions. His teachers include Ralph Sauer, Dale Warren, Scott Hartman, and Gail Eugene Wilson.