Dr. Oscar Diaz and Eden Garza refreshed the International Trombone Association (ITA) page every day. They waited to see Garza’s name pop up underneath the finalist section for the Edward Kleinhammer Orchestral Bass Trombone Competition. Finally, it happened, and what occurred over the ensuing months led Garza to win the music equivalent of Olympic gold.
Or at least that’s what it feels like to win the Edward Kleinhammer Orchestral Bass Trombone Competition. Garza has been competing in rigorous music competitions all over the world since his freshman year at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, but this competition was by far the biggest.
Kleinhammer is known as the “Godfather of bass trombones,” and for Garza to win this prestigious award was astonishing.
“It still hasn’t really hit me yet,” Garza said.
Diaz, professor of trombone, proves to have tremendous faith in Garza and therefore pushed his student to compete.
“He’s determined. He’s an all-or-nothing kind of guy. It’s either this or nothing,” Diaz said of Garza’s character.
For the Kleinhammer competition, Garza practiced every day with Diaz to master 12 musical excerpts. After practicing and when Garza felt confident, he hooked himself up to a microphone recorded himself playing the excerpts, and sent them off to the ITA, along with an application in December. Then the waiting began.
In February, Garza would constantly check the ITA website, Facebook page, and email hoping he was a finalist. One day, after the Allen Barr recital, Garza saw his name on the ITA Facebook page. He was a finalist.
The finals took place on July 13 in Iowa City, Iowa. Garza had to relearn the 12 excerpts, but the judges, professionals who play for a living, later chose only 10 out of the 12 that Garza would play in front of them and the audience. The crowd was dead silent, which helps prepare the musicians for the real world, but it’s something that is bothersome.
“Everyone’s just staring at you. People who play trombone professionally, guys you may know from other schools, and they just stare at you. And you’ll never ever have judges like this in any audition because these are three professional bass trombones from different orchestras. It’s a little uncomfortable,” Garza said.
Diaz had recorded the recital and the announcement of the winner for Garza’s family who was unable to attend the competition. As soon as Garza was announced the winner, Diaz sent the video, but because of bad service he was unsure if the message had gone through.
Later that night after returning to the hotel, Garza called his mom and dad. They had already seen the video, calmed down from crying at their son’s accomplishment, and then praised their son on his hard work. But, his family and mentor were not the only ones proud of Garza’s victory. People from his hometown of Alice, Texas, sent him their adorations.
“Congratulations, sir! So proud of your accomplishments. You have devoted yourself to success in so many arenas and you are achieving it. Keep at it and stay humble,” Dr. Judy Holmgreen, principal at Williams Adams Middle School in Alice, said.
Every name on the ITA website has gone on to play professionally, earn spots in prestigious orchestras, and made big names for themselves in their industry. This award will open many doors for Garza who hopes to make a living as a professional musician once he graduates. This international award truly reflects the hard work the musicians on campus put into their artistry.
“The school already has a good reputation of being a fantastic music school; this adds more wealth to the degree that students get here. A win for him is a win for the department, and everybody that’s here,” Diaz said.
Garza gives credit to Diaz.
“If it wasn’t for Dr. Diaz, I wouldn’t have gone into music, or stuck with music. Dr. Diaz really opened my eyes and really led me to this path,” Garza said.