Seth Ullman has a busy year ahead of him, traveling both nationally and internationally with his trombone.
There are a lot of upcoming opportunities for high school senior Seth Ullman, who has been playing trombone for the last seven years. He found out just a few weeks ago that he was selected as a finalist for the New York Honors Performance Series Symphonic Orchestra. The approximately 200 finalists that were selected will venture to New York City, NY Feb. 2nd – 6th to perform at Carnegie Hall. All finalists are designated to one of four groups: Choir, Band, Symphonic Orchestra, or String Orchestra.
After several months of practicing his solo piece, Ullman attended Eastern A District Music Festival before going onto State Music Festival where he received a 1, the highest rating that can be given. All soloists who went to State Music Festival in the spring of 2016 were invited by the Honors Performance Series to send in an audio recording including one piece of requested music, as well as the piece of music they performed at state.
"Miss Sundt was pretty excited and posted it on the band's Facebook page," Ullman said of his band director. "It got around 100 likes; that's the most Facebook-famous I've ever been."
The cost of the trip is $2,000 which includes hotel, museum tours, and a Broadway Show in addition to rehearsals. He has a GoFundMe Account under Seth Ullman Plays Carnegie Hall, and he's also gotten congratulation cards and letters from community members with enclosed donations sent to him at 524 3rd St SE, Sidney, MT, 59270.
"My brother told me that Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles all performed at Carnegie Hall, and that's pretty cool. It definitely gives me something to think about while I'm on stage," Ullman commented. "I don't think I'll be nervous, but I will be excited. I've never played in such a big room in front of so many people."
Another adventure he will be having this year is a tour of Europe with a band composed of director-nominated juniors and seniors from Montana and North Dakota. He may even be going to Washington DC on a band class trip over the Fourth of July, and they are working hard to raise money for that trip.
"I'm going to be all over the place this year," he said.
When asked about his plans beyond traveling, Ullman said he wants to go to college at MSU Bozeman and get his degree in music education.
"I want to be a band teacher because music has played an important role in my life," Ullman concluded.
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