Joshua Hauser, Professor of Trombone at Tennessee Technological University, has performed extensively in styles ranging from classical to jazz and rock. He holds degrees from Oberlin College Conservatory, New England Conservatory, and the University of Georgia. He is an active performer on both trombone and euphonium, and has performed and recorded with numerous classical and jazz artists including the Nashville Symphony, Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble (Marching, Ragging, and Mourning: Brass Band Music of New Orleans, 1900-1920) and Widespread Panic (‘Til The Medicine Takes).
Dr. Hauser has several compositions and arrangements for trombone ensemble and brass quintet published through Cimarron Music Press, Kagarice Brass Editions, and Music Express Publishing and his setting for solo trombone and wind band of Arrows of Time by Richard Peaslee, was premiered in March 2000 at the Eastern Trombone Workshop by New York Philharmonic principal trombonist Joseph Alessi with the U. S. Army Band, and has been recorded by Scott Hartman and the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble for Summit Records.
His recent educational publications for 4-part trombone ensemble, Donut Etudes, v1 and v2, have received widespread acclaim for their use as ensemble coordination studies for trombones. Requests by educators and musicians have prompted a continuing project to create a series of coordination studies for other wind instruments.
In addition to his numerous arrangements and transcriptions for mixed brasses and jazz ensembles, Dr. Hauser has also done several arrangements for Winston Morris and the Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble, including Sister Sadie by Horace Silver, Sidewinder by Lee Morgan, The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by G. F. Handel, and the Toccata from Symphony V by Charles-Marie Widor, all of which were recorded for Mark Records on the TTTE’s Play That Funky Tuba Right, Boy!, Carnegie VI and the upcoming Carnegie VIII. He was also a featured soloist and arranger on several jazz and classical compositions on Shazam! by the Brass Arts Quintet, also available from Mark Records. Dr. Hauser was the featured soloist on his own composition, EuPhunk for 8-part Euphonium Ensemble and Drums, as a member of Euphoniums Unlimited, a large euphonium ensemble project lead by R. Winston Morris whose eponymous CD was released by Mark Records in December, 2004.
In April, 2005, Dr. Hauser recorded a CD of compositions for solo trombone and winds with the Tennessee Tech Symphony Band conducted by Joseph Hermann titled Slide Ride. Works recorded include Alexandre Guilmant’s Morceau Symphonique, the World Premiere recording of TTU composer Greg Danner’s Slide Ride, Eric Ewazen’s Concerto for Trombone and Band, Dr. Hauser’s setting of Richard Peaslee’s Arrows of Time, Three Miniatures by Anthony Plog, and Reflective Mood by Sammy Nestico.
The Brass Arts Quintet’s 2006 recording, Serengeti: Brass Arts Quintet and Friends, includes his award winning composition, Road Rage, published through Cimarron Music Press, and also features Dr. Hauser as trombone soloist in a new setting of Tommy Dorsey’s Trombonology arranged for solo trombone with brass quintet, published through Kagarice Brass Editions.
Fall of 2013 saw the release of both Dr. Hauser’s collaboration with TTU Professor of Percussion Dr. Eric Willie titled edge (ej) and the 50th anniversary recording of the Brass Arts Quintet, Suites and Treats. Consisting entirely of new works for tenor and bass trombone and percussion with the exception of William Kraft’s seminal Encounters IV: Duel for Trombone and Percussion, edge (ej) features commissions from TTU Professor Greg Danner and Doug Bristol as well as works by Aaron Dale, Perry Goldstein, Christian Lindberg, and David William Brubeck. Suites and Treats features works composed and/or arranged specifically for TTU’s Brass Arts Quintet, including Hauser’s own Juba Groove, Fanfare and Groove, and new settings of Holiday for Strings and Sweet Georgia Brown.
Under Dr. Hauser’s direction, Trombones at Tech, the TTU Trombone Choir, has performed at the opening ceremonies of the 2006 TNMEA conference, at the 2007 Eastern Trombone Workshop, at the 2011 Tennessee State Fair, and were invited performers at both the 2013 International Trombone Workshop in Columbus, GA and the Atlanta Trombone Ensemble’s 2014 International Trombone Week concert. Trombones at Tech contribute to their ongoing mission to encourage knowledge and appreciation of the trombone through the performance of works for multiple trombones through their performances, recordings and by bringing guest artists to middle TN. In recent years, they have hosted guest performances on campus by Joseph Alessi, Ron Barron, James Box, Brad Edwards, Tom Ervin, Bill Huber, Don Lucas, Matt Niess and the Capitol Bones, Quatour du Sud, Slide Company (Roy Agee, Chris Dunn, Barry Green, Josh Hauser, and Bill Huber, trombones), and the Trombones de Costa Rica.
Trombones at Tech have produced two CDs on the Mark Custom Recordings label which are both available on iTunes and through major retailers: Areté and Christmas Trombones: Slidin’ into the Holidays.
Dr. Hauser’s current duties at Tennessee Tech include teaching applied trombone, music theory, and instrumentation; directing Trombones at Tech, the TTU Trombone Choir; and performing with both the Bryan Symphony Orchestra and as director of the Brass Arts Quintet.
Joshua Hauser is an S. E. Shires performing artist.
Hello! I’m a junior trombonist and I was wondering about the Midstate Music. How can I work up to the G, A, and B in the second excerpt? And what slide positions those notes are in? Thank You!
Faith,
Good question!
If you are referring to the 2nd excerpt in Morceau Symphonique, the G is in a sharp 2nd position, the Ab is in 3rd (the same place as an octave below), and the upper Bb is in 1st (also the same position as an octave below). When in doubt, you can always use the same positions that you do for the notes if they were an octave lower. There may be BETTER choices once the notes are comfortable for you to play, but they will ALWAYS work.
In general, I prefer to play the upper G in sharp 2nd position because it is usually easier to play higher notes on a shorter horn (closer in positions). You are controlling a shorter air column, so it is easier to play.
If you do not have those notes yet, don’t worry.
Here are some quick ideas:
Keep practicing your scales, adding a note or two to the top of each one until you increase your range.
Practice lip slurs, gradually working higher. Try starting in further out positions and coming in on the slide.
Practice glissandos up the slide. Start on the F in the staff in 6th position and glissando up to a tuning Bb in first, then start on a top line A and glissando up to a D, then start on a middle C and glissando up to an F, finally starting on that same F in 6th and glissing up to a high Bb. All of these are moving from 6th position up to 1st position.
Give those a shot and let me know what happens! Good luck!