Michigan State University trombone student turns hobby into passion

EAST LANSING, Mich. (InvestigateTV) — Andrew Kim started playing the trombone as a hobby in sixth grade and now he is winning competitions.

The jazz trombonist at Michigan State University started playing because of a “friendly” music class move in middle school.

“My best friend at the time, he picked trombone, and I wanted to sit next to him, so I ended up just picking trombone,” Kim said. “That was the only reason.”

Kim said playing trombone went from being a hobby in middle school to a passion in high school when he realized “this is something that can blossom into a career, and something I do for a lifetime.”

Practice makes perfect

The MSU College of Music student practices at least three hours a day, sometimes five or six hours.

Kim said his musical soul mate is unforgiving when he misses a day.

“Playing a brass instrument is having like a girlfriend you didn’t ask for, cause every day it nags you, what are you going to do for me,” Kim said. “So even one day off -- ‘cause it’s all muscular with your lips -- you’re out of shape, it’s like an athlete.”

All his physical conditioning, mental preparation and rigorous training have paid off.

National recognition

Kim has won several international and national competitions, including first place in the U.S. Army Band’s Solo Jazz Competition for trombone.

Kim’s next gig is pursuing his master’s degree in jazz studies at Eastman School of Music in New York state.

After that, Kim said he wants to teach.

“I believe it’s an important jazz tradition, where it’s not only an oral tradition, but it’s a tradition where you pass down knowledge from one generation to the next,” Kim said. “I think it’s just as valuable that we keep this music alive.”

See the full story by David Andrews here.