1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: Podcast playground. Hi, this is Buzznight, the host of the 2 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: Taken a Walk podcast series, and we are at the 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: historic North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. The shod heard around 4 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: the world and for this episode, my special guest is 5 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: Adam Hannah. Adam tell us your story. Yeah, Hi, everybody. 6 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: My name is Adam Hannah. I played trombone professionally in 7 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:35,480 Speaker 1: New England currently, and my story is I came from 8 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: southern Oklahoma. I grew up Chickasaw Native American, and I 9 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: have a twin brother, interestingly, and older brother, and we 10 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: all played music together. And I lived in the little 11 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: small world of Oklahoma with very provincial thinking until I 12 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: got the courage to move to Texas and pursue a 13 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: BA degree in University of Texas at Arlington. Then I 14 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: got married, Wow, and moved overseas to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. 15 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: And that's when my eyes really opened up to the bigger, 16 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: broader world. And I educated myself and decided to when 17 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: I finish my masters, make the move to Boston because 18 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: I got into Tanglewood as a fellow with the Boston 19 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: Symphony and my wife and I fell in love with 20 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: the area and we decided to stick around. So now 21 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: we live in I guess what they call Western mass 22 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: and Maynard, Massachusetts are not quite Western Mass but west 23 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: of Boston. And yeah, we're just learning and growing here 24 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: and enjoying life. And that's me in a nutshell. That's awesome. 25 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: So principal trombonist, Yeah, yeah, yeah for the Boston Philharmonic. 26 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: I am in the Boston Philharmonic trombone section. And I 27 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: play principal trombone in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, which has 28 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: a bit ironic because you know, I grew up there 29 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: and I moved away from there fairly young, you know, 30 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: eighteen nineteen years old, and then I never thought that 31 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: I would win a job back where I was from. 32 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: I thought it would be somewhere exotic, you know, like 33 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: Honolulu or you know, Melbourne, Australia or something like that. 34 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: But it ended up being right back where I was from. 35 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: So that's kind of interesting and ironic in a way 36 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: to make a full circle. But yeah, I mean just 37 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: kind of going on a tangent from that. It's like 38 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: you go back to where you're from after all those years, 39 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: and you sort of have this displaced sense of place, 40 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: like you feel like you know the place, but you're 41 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: like you're different, but the place is more or less 42 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: stayed the same. And it's kind of an interesting thing, 43 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: you know, to go make music there after everything I've learned, 44 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: you know. Well, so just to paint the picture, we 45 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: haven't really started our walk here at the north Bridge yet. 46 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: This is your first time at the beautiful North Bridge, right, Yeah, 47 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: and so before we begin it, Adam's god is trombone 48 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: with him, so noting the place and maybe the moment 49 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: in time, anything you want to favor us with. Yeah, 50 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: I think so. There's a special chickasaw him that I 51 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: know from my people that I'd like to play here. 52 00:03:25,120 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: It's sort of signifying peace and tranquility. Awesome, it's beautiful, Adam. 53 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: Let's go take a walk at the north Bridge. Yeah, 54 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,479 Speaker 1: all right now I'm ready. Thank you for taking a 55 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 1: walk with well, Adam, thanks for being the first trombonist 56 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: on the Taking a Walk Now podcast series. Of course, 57 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: it's an honor. We've had some other musicians on. We 58 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: had your Macaucanon from the Jefferson Airplane in Hot Tuna 59 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: founding member, and we also had Billy Payne, the keyboard 60 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: player from Little Feet Wow, and singer songwriter Peter Himmelman. 61 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: But you are the first trombonus. Well, I'm nowhere near 62 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 1: as cool as any of those people you just named, 63 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: So I don't know. For a warning, I don't know 64 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: about that. I think that beautiful hymn was very cool. 65 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,159 Speaker 1: Tell us about that hymn. Yeah, sure, Well it's something 66 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: that I learned retroactively, as in I didn't know it. 67 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: Growing up Chickasaw. There were certain traditions that I knew, 68 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: like wearing turtle shakers on the ankles and as sort 69 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: of a percussion device as part of the ceremony, but 70 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,720 Speaker 1: I had never actually known any like Chickasaw melodies or music. 71 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 1: You know, a lot of that was lost and has 72 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 1: now gone forever, but there's something that exist, some melodies 73 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: that still exist, and that's one of them. So it's 74 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: just something that I learned doing a I'm doing a 75 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: doctoral degree at Boston University, and it's just something that 76 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: I sort of, you know, dug up in my research 77 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: for a project that I was doing focused on my 78 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: indigenous heritage. I loved it. It was beautiful. Thanks. So 79 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: tell us for you on your first walk here, what 80 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: you're seeing and observing and feeling about the North Bridge 81 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 1: and all that certainly means, and how you feel, Yeah, well, 82 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: I mean this is my first time here, but so far, 83 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: you know, I've lived sort of close to the area, 84 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: you know, within ten miles or so, fifteen miles or 85 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: so for a couple of years now, but just in 86 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: this general area, I feel strange of belonging that ironically, 87 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: I don't feel in Oklahoma. I grew up there, but 88 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: I you know, you have when you go back home, 89 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: you have these fond memories and you have this sense 90 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: of place and this sense of belonging, you know, because 91 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: it's your home, you grew up there. But when I 92 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: go back to Oklahoma now for my work, because I 93 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: live here in the Boston area and then I commute 94 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: to Oklahoma City for the work, and I just don't 95 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: feel that sense of place there. It feels displaced, which 96 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: is kind of interesting considering the heritage of the Chickasaw 97 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: people were originally from Mississippi, from the northern Mississippi wooded area, 98 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: and they were relocated, you know, fortunately to Oklahoma, and 99 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: it's just strange. It doesn't feel like home somehow. But 100 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: you know, this is a place that I've never been, 101 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: at least, you know, not a few years ago when 102 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: I moved here, and I feel like I belong here, 103 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: Like I feel like the turf I walk on is 104 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: like I belong to it, not the other way around. 105 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: I love that because I think when we all come here, 106 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: we tend to feel that way about about this. Certainly, 107 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: this uh pretty incredible spot. As we're here, there's a 108 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: group of members of the military that are that are here, 109 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: look like from a battalion, and then further over the 110 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: North Bridge a group of students that just came in 111 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: a in a bus. So it's often a very active place, 112 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: but frequently it's it's not that busy as well, you know, 113 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: So it's a it's a it's a it's a pretty 114 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,959 Speaker 1: cool spot. So so right here in front, we're looking 115 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: at the grave of the British soldiers speak of of 116 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: of sacred, sacred spots as well. Right, so, how did 117 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: you first become a trombonus? Well, that actually came from 118 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: sort of an accident in school. You know, you have 119 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 1: things you can enroll in in elementary school and middle 120 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 1: school and extracurricular things, and music was one of them. 121 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,679 Speaker 1: And my mom actually, who was chickasaw. She always listened 122 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: to music, all types of varieties of music. And I 123 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: remember the sensation I had when I put on headphones 124 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: for the first time. Actually, and my mom was kind 125 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: of a she was kind of a metal head. Actually, 126 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: she listened to a lot. I know, it's funny, like, 127 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 1: you know whose mom does that, But she listens like 128 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: I don't know, things like def Leopard and you know, 129 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: YouTube and stuff. And I remember putting a Sony Walkman, 130 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: I put a whatever random CD I could find because 131 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: I thought it looked cool, you know, and I pressed 132 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 1: play and put the headphones on, and that sensation was 133 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: just mind blowing to me. So I thought, Okay, I 134 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: want to do music. It's the coolest thing ever. It 135 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 1: just really resonated with me, you know, that Deaf Leopard 136 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: CD all those years ago. So the I approached my 137 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: parents about playing music, and they said, okay, well, the 138 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: school has something. So I went to the band director, 139 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: who basically gave me a set of instruments to choose from. 140 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: And I wanted to choose percussion. They already had too many. 141 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,599 Speaker 1: I wanted to play guitar. They said they don't have 142 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 1: a guitar program. Then I wanted to play clarinet because 143 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 1: I thought it looked cool and there were too many 144 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: clarinets already. But there was this old trombone there wasn't 145 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: in very good shape, and I ended up kind of 146 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: getting stuck with that, and I remember being upset, But 147 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: by the end of the day, I was already playing 148 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:43,080 Speaker 1: around with it and having fun with it, so, you know, 149 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: and I got quite good at it quite quickly. I remember. 150 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: It was a source of confidence building too, you know, 151 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: through middle school in early high school too, you know, 152 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 1: I was subject to school bullying and things like that, 153 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: and I had a low self esteem. But when I 154 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: had that trump one in my hands, none of that mattered, 155 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: because I felt like my mind was on a different rail, 156 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: you know, a better track, somewhere where I knew I belonged, 157 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:15,719 Speaker 1: and I was almost like transported every time that I 158 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:18,439 Speaker 1: would start practicing and start working on the whatever music 159 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: I needed to work on for school and then eventually 160 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: for college auditions and then eventually for professional orchestras, and 161 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:26,839 Speaker 1: you know, and I have that same feeling now when 162 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: I pick up the trombone. And just last night I 163 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: was playing in the Hartford Symphony for their their gala concert. 164 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 1: And I mean just every time I pick up the 165 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 1: trombone and start playing music, I feel transported. I feel 166 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 1: like outside of myself and sometimes it's hard to get 167 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: back inside myself after that. Well, that's a great description. 168 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: So as we're at the midpoint of the bridge looking 169 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 1: out over the river, beautiful spot here at the North 170 00:11:55,280 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: Bridge taking a walk, you led into certainly something I 171 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: always think about and love asking a musician talk about 172 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: the power of music, what it does for us, what 173 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: it means, what it means. Certainly over the last few years, 174 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: even more yeah, especially over the last few years, I 175 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: can say, but I can't alone speak to the power 176 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:27,439 Speaker 1: of music overall, but it has an ineffable quality. It's 177 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: something that I can't necessarily describe, but you can see 178 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:35,200 Speaker 1: in nature. For example, we're here on the bridge looking 179 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: out over the water and there's a pack of Canadian geese. 180 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: And you know what's interesting is when I got the 181 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: job in Oklahoma, I was happy to have a job 182 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: in an orchestra, but I wasn't too thrilled about the 183 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: prospect of possibly moving from this beautiful area that we 184 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 1: live in Massachusetts to the middle of Oklahoma where they're 185 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:02,319 Speaker 1: at the time, there were a bunch of wildfires, you know. Anyways, 186 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: But I remember when I got there, I went to 187 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: the Oklahoma River and I saw a pack of Canadian 188 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: geese and I thought, well, that's crazy. I didn't know 189 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: that they had those down there, So it made me 190 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,320 Speaker 1: really happy. And I often come out and observe nature 191 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 1: and look for motifs in nature like that and even 192 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: just like shapes you know, of the river or certain trees, 193 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: and that's you can relate that to music too, and 194 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: that I mean, that's an a whole topic on its own, 195 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:38,680 Speaker 1: but especially in the last few years since the since 196 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 1: COVID became, you know, with us, music has been so 197 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: important and such a huge part of this recovery phase. 198 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: And I think people need arts right now. People need 199 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 1: like a breath of fresh air. And I think you 200 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: can get that in nature or you can get it 201 00:13:56,200 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: in music. In my case, I like combining too, which 202 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: is you know why I'm often out of nature practicing 203 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: my instrument. You know, do you detect people these days 204 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: when you're you know, part of an orchestra, do you 205 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 1: detect they're even more engaged in loving it even more. 206 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 1: That's possible, Yeah, I would say so. I would say 207 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: there's more of a sense of being grateful for being there, 208 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: you know, because I think before the pandemic there were 209 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: a lot of things and even still okay, but there 210 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: are a lot of things that people took for granted 211 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: and even people like in the professional all industries, but 212 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: in the professional music industry too, where it's like you 213 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: can take for granted that you are holding an instrument 214 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: and you know, sharing music with other people that need it. 215 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:54,840 Speaker 1: At the same time, you're making a living. And now 216 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: that landscape has changed a lot, so you have a 217 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: lot people that I think tend to be more grateful 218 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: and even maybe more expressive. But to be honest with you, 219 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: I mean, I think this is going to resonate with everybody. 220 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: But this pandemic has been exhausting, just exhausting. You know. 221 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:21,359 Speaker 1: I haven't found a lot of outlets or areas of rejuvenation. 222 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 1: I mean, music is a great tool, but you need 223 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: more than that too, because music represents something. It's symptomatic 224 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: of substance, it's symptomatic of you know. I mean you 225 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: have to think about what were the first notes ever made, 226 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: What was the first music ever made. Was it a 227 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: rock or was it the human voice? You know? And 228 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: eventually you had some person walking across the park somewhere 229 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: or you know, nature and thought of a tune and 230 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: you know, memorized it probably or you know, wrote it 231 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: down on some stone tablets, who knows, you know, yeah, 232 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: and that was symptomatic of that experience in nature, which 233 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 1: is why indigenous culture is so cool, because you have 234 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: this such a strong connection to nature. And so there 235 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: are all these things that I sometimes melodies I come 236 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: up with in my head because I often wonder what 237 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: does chickasaw music sound like? You know? And there are 238 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 1: actually some very prominent Chickasaw composers. One is Jared Tate, 239 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: who writes for I think the West World Show on HBO. 240 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: He does a lot of other things released as CD 241 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: with San Francisco Symphony and all of this. He's definitely 242 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: like big time composer. And I often wonder what does 243 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: chickasaw original Chickasaw music sound like? Gosh, we'll never know. 244 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: But actually I feel like that's not true because there 245 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: are these hereditary things, these like motific things that happen 246 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 1: in our existence and our heritage that come through. So 247 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 1: these melodies that I have in my head, sometimes I'm thinking, 248 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: could be could that be chickisaw? Because I can't place it. 249 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: Usually if I make up a melody, I'm not very 250 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: I'm not super super creative, so I'm like, oh, I 251 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: think from Star Wars or you know, like that's a 252 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,359 Speaker 1: that's a cartoon theme. Yeah, that's a cartoon theme, right. Yeah. 253 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: But then sometimes things come out and just playing my 254 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: trombone improvisation wise, and I'm like, huh, I wonder if 255 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 1: that is coming from somewhere deep, somewhere indigenous, probably, you know. 256 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:20,360 Speaker 1: So I think that's kind of cool. And I don't 257 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: think all is lost per se as far as that 258 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 1: culture goes musically. So what else in terms of either 259 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 1: music or literature, what else inspires you? Gosh, that's a 260 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: really good question. I would say story. Actually, I married 261 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: a creative writer. She writes middle grade fantasy novels. Saw 262 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: my wife at Le's. She's a very creative person and 263 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:51,200 Speaker 1: she's always making an inventing stories and even analyzing them. 264 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: So other areas of inspiration for me would be something 265 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 1: like cinema, you know, like just just following stories and 266 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: there's so much. I mean, let's face it, like cinema 267 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:07,679 Speaker 1: is what opera was? You know? And Puccini's time, you know, 268 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: you think about the composer John Williams. I've worked with 269 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: John Williams a few times now. Fortunately it was on 270 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 1: my bucket list, you know, and I got the fortune 271 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: of working with him. Oh and I played a film 272 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 1: night with him in Miami, and I worked with him 273 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:29,199 Speaker 1: here at Tanglewood in Massachusetts. And I remember when I 274 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: was talking to him, He's very generous with his time, 275 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 1: and I remember we spent about half an hour chatting backstage. 276 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 1: And I remember that when I was talking to him, 277 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: I thought, what is going through his head right now? 278 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: Because it's not my conversation. He's probably writing the next 279 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: who knows what Jurassic Park melody or who knows? And 280 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: I think at the time he was writing for like 281 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: the newer Star Wars movies. So I always wonder, like 282 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,159 Speaker 1: what's in his head? And I remember standing there thinking, 283 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:59,199 Speaker 1: this is like meeting Puccini or something, or Beethoven. You know, 284 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: the world's made. Maybe hasn't fully realized that yet, you know. 285 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,919 Speaker 1: Oh that's incredible. Yeah, what a thrill. M Yeah, it was, 286 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:10,439 Speaker 1: so let's walk back over the bridge here. Yeah. So 287 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:15,880 Speaker 1: there's a gentleman I worked for many years ago when 288 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: I was, in particular managing talent at a radio station, 289 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,359 Speaker 1: and he remarked to me when I was talking to 290 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 1: him about it, he said, you are the conductor of 291 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 1: the orchestra, and you need to get all the musicians 292 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: in your orchestra playing the tune you want. That's your job. So, 293 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: as somebody who's been on the other end, you in 294 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: an orchestra being led by a conductor, whether it be Benjamin, 295 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:52,920 Speaker 1: Xander or whomever, give me your impression of his comment 296 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: relating to leadership. Yeah, now that's very interesting, and from 297 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: a certain standpoint I agree with that. But also I 298 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:06,399 Speaker 1: can see you know, I mean, I think that certain 299 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 1: conductors come into an orchestra, like, for example, in Oklahoma 300 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: City Philharmonic, we're very grateful and blessed to have Alexander Micklethwaite, 301 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 1: a very prominent German conductor. He has a very clear 302 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:23,119 Speaker 1: vision when he comes in and stands in front of 303 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: the orchestra, and his job is to sell that vision 304 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: to us as the musicians, and then it's our choice 305 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:36,359 Speaker 1: to buy that vision. Or not. And you know, sometimes 306 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:38,439 Speaker 1: we don't agree with it, but if you go along 307 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 1: with it, then you can see that point of view. 308 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: You know, it can become political sometimes, but in general, 309 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 1: the orchestra's job is to be together and to sound 310 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:53,959 Speaker 1: cohesive and to share a message with the audience. And 311 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 1: sometimes that can get a bit lost in the politics 312 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 1: of an orchestra, but that's the overall goal, is to 313 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 1: make the audience feel that message. And if the conductor 314 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: says that's what they are thinking, usually best just to 315 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:11,679 Speaker 1: go along with that. But yeah, but as far as 316 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:15,679 Speaker 1: leadership in the orchestra goes, there's a hierarchy for sure. 317 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 1: I mean, you have principal positions, which I'm in a 318 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: principal position, but that doesn't make me like, you know, 319 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,640 Speaker 1: the quote unquote boss of the orchestra or whatever. It's 320 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 1: just the principal trombone position. So I have, you know, 321 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: two other trombonis and my section and I'm trying to 322 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: relay the conductor's message to the rest of my section, 323 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:38,120 Speaker 1: and the other principal players do that as well. It's 324 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 1: the principal violin seats and you know, principal percussion. Even 325 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:47,159 Speaker 1: so there's sort of a trickle down effect that happens. So, Adam, 326 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: as we're winding down our walk here at the North Bridge, 327 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: what are you working on these days besides all your 328 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: work with the orchestras. Yeah, sure, So I'm doing an 329 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 1: independent project this summer with my sort, I would say, 330 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:08,919 Speaker 1: trombone hero named Christian Lindbergh. He's quite a famous conductor 331 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 1: and trombonists, and I mean he's produced more CDs than 332 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,119 Speaker 1: any living trombonist or I mean any trombonus in history really, 333 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: and he's quite extraordinary. So I got the rare opportunity 334 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,879 Speaker 1: to work with him a few years ago in some 335 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,120 Speaker 1: private lessons and a masterclass that he did in Germany. 336 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,640 Speaker 1: So I went there and I did that for a week. 337 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: He called it his Masterclass from Hell, you know. So 338 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,360 Speaker 1: it's a crazy thing where you'd wake up and run 339 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: five miles and you know, eat a granola bar for 340 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 1: breakfast and you know, played trombone nine hours straight. That 341 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:43,479 Speaker 1: sort of thing. You know, it's very intense. So and 342 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: I just sort of stayed in touch after that, and 343 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 1: he proposed the idea to record some duets at his 344 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:54,160 Speaker 1: recording studio in north of Stockholm. He has his own 345 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 1: you know, mansion and small island there, I guess. So 346 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:00,439 Speaker 1: we're going to go a friend of mine and actually, 347 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,639 Speaker 1: when I went to Tanglewood in Boston Symphony, one of 348 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: my trombone co fellows colleagues there actually ended up winning 349 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 1: a job in the Vnafil Harmonic. And he's going to 350 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: fly from Vienna to Stockholm, and I'm going to fly 351 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 1: to Stockholm, you're just here in a couple of weeks 352 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:18,200 Speaker 1: and pick him up. So we're going to go over 353 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 1: to Christian's house together and collaborate on the CD together 354 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: where we all kind of play, you know, a part, 355 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:28,679 Speaker 1: and he's going to produce it on his album European Gramophone. 356 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 1: So it's going to be a very very big deal 357 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 1: for me, a very cool project, sort of a dream 358 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,399 Speaker 1: come true. And after that, I'm finished with the summer 359 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:40,400 Speaker 1: and then I start, you know, kicking back and hitting 360 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:45,200 Speaker 1: the sandy beaches and you go, oh man, that's great. Yeah, well, 361 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:47,399 Speaker 1: thank you for taking a very special walk here at 362 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 1: the North Bridge of Concord, Massachusetts. Adam Hena And I 363 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: was wondering if you might sort of play us, play 364 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,400 Speaker 1: us out. Yeah, absolutely, and I'll go ahead and give 365 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: you just a little to context for this, so I 366 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:02,879 Speaker 1: don't just play it out of the blue here. But 367 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:08,919 Speaker 1: this is an old song called I'm Getting Sentimental over You, 368 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 1: made famous by trombonus Tommy Dorsey, and he had a 369 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 1: very particular type of vibrato that I'm going to try 370 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,119 Speaker 1: to capture here. And like what we were saying earlier, 371 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 1: how music can be can transport you. And I often 372 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: feel that when you listen to something and you feel 373 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: transported and that music ends, there's a little bit of 374 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: hang time where you feel like you're still in that place, 375 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: and then you come to and you're like, wait a second, Okay, 376 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: I'm here in my car driving, or I'm at my 377 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 1: desk or whatever wherever you are, and you have this 378 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:43,920 Speaker 1: feeling where you come back. Well, in this case, I'm 379 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,359 Speaker 1: going to try to establish that sense of place and 380 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: try to see maybe how long you can stay there 381 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,399 Speaker 1: when it's finished. It could be interesting. And then, you know, 382 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 1: the great thing with modern media is you can hit 383 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: the replay button and go right back to that place. 384 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: There you go, and in my I mean, it's as 385 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 1: good as being in that place, you know. So this 386 00:25:03,920 --> 00:26:30,439 Speaker 1: I would say, maybe nineteen twenties Paris. Nice, Thank you, Adam. 387 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk with buzz Night is available on Spotify, 388 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:38,400 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.