By Lydia Yeshitla ’17, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Last month, Newark Academy’s very own Reid Christmann ‘18 earned the privilege of travelling to Los Angeles to perform at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Accompanied by 32 other gifted high school students from across the United States, Reid’s contributions to the Grammy Band allowed him to show off his talents to 26 million viewers worldwide. I was fortunate enough to interview Reid and learn about the origins of his musical career as a trombone player, as well as his experience this past February:

LY: When did you start playing the trombone, and what inspired to choose that instrument?

RC: I started trombone in 5th grade, when my dad pulled out his old horn from high school. It was a natural fit and I really enjoyed it from the very beginning.

LY: Which jazz icon is your role model?

RC: I would have to say the great trombonist JJ Johnson. He was the first artist I ever transcribed, and I just love his playing. However, I recently started listening to Wycliffe Gordon, who still plays today.

LY: Which artists have inspired you most?

RC: Inspiration is a bit trickier. I tend to listen to different artists depending on what I’m currently focusing on in my practicing. It’s hard to draw inspiration from just one artist.

LY: How have your teachers played a role in your jazz career? Which teachers, in particular, helped you improve?

RC: Of course I must thank Mr. T and Ms. E, as well as my private teacher Ben Williams, for they are the ones who helped me build my foundation as a musician. But I’ve also studied with Vincent Gardner, David Gibson, and other instrumentalists who are equally as great, picking up tools of the trade along the way.

LY: What was the audition process to play at the Grammys like?

RC: The process was fairly simple; you just need to take a video of yourself playing 3 different songs and submit that online.

LY: Who did you meet at the Grammy’s?

RC: I definitely saw more people than I met in person, as we didn’t have much freedom to wander around and talk to people. The performances, I will say, were fantastic to see up close in-person though. I didn’t meet any huge celebrities, but I’ll admit, seeing them left me awestruck.

LY: After performing at the Grammys, is there one most memorable event that you can take away from it?

RC: I don’t think there’s a single event I can place above the rest. Simply meeting other high school musicians from around the country who went through similar experiences was amazing.

LY: Do you have any pieces of advice to give to novices entering the music world?

RC: Don’t stop. Ever. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time as a musician, it’s that you never know how far you’ll go.

Thank you, Reid, for not only revealing a touch of what it is like to perform at the Grammys, but also inspiring the Newark Academy community. Reid’s progression as a trombone player should motivate all of us to continue pursuing that certain skill – whatever field it may be in – regardless of how difficult it seems.