This is a story of a girl (who plays at Rocky Sullivan’s in Red Hook every Wednesday night) and her trombone. Her name is Vera Trombonita and she hails from Germany. It all started with a dream. And a question: ”Daddy I wanna play trombone!”
“But there were no trombones around and no teacher to be found so the young girl’s dream had to be put to sleep. What a crazy wish the family thought, where did she pick that up?” Vera writes on her website.
So Vera did the practical thing. She studied to be an engineer and moved to Berlin, where she worked in engineering. And it was there that she rediscovered the trombone.
” The old dream popped up as a refreshing invitation to new adventures and experiences,” she writes. While working as an engineer she started to take lessons…
Vera moved to New York to learn from the best, including Art Baron, Jack Gale, Douglas Purviance, Conrad Herwig, Joe Fiedler and Marcus Rojas. She got her master’s in music at Queens College. Now she plays bass trombone, tenor trombone and also tuba.
Tuba.
Vera writes and composes her own music. She loves Latin rhythms and lived for four years in the Bronx to study it. She also loves Motown, Funk and R&B. Best of all, she plays EVERY Wednesday night Rocky Sullivan’s in Red Hook . Thankfully, OTBKB Witness photographer Tom Martinez was there last night shoot these pictures.
And that, my friend, is the story of Vera and her Trombone.
Trombonita has shown me what it takes to be able to call myself a musician.
Vera is a true professional; she strives to deliver her very best performance everytime – whether it be on stage or in rehearsals. Vera is delightful and so funny; and her no nonsense approach to music is a testiment to her unrelenting passion. I will forever hold Vera in the highest regards.
Great,great musician and composer!!! Learned a lot from her…. Had the pleasure of working with her also…. Looking forward to work with her again… And last but not least , Vera is a great human being and friend… Wish her all the luck in the world!!!!