This past summer, the International Trombone Festival’s Quartet Competition was held in Paris. Around thirty trombone quartets from around the globe submitted preliminary recordings in hopes to be picked to compete in this competition. Out of those thirty-something quartets that tried out, only three were chosen. And out of those three, 5th year senior Daniel Fears’ group was picked.
“My group was the only one selected from the United States,” Fears said. “It was a pretty humbling thing. We competed against two groups – one from Amsterdam and the other from Germany. We actually won, which was a great feeling.”
Before Paris, the group visited Zurich where they performed at local churches and put on concerts of their own.
“My quartet even had an impromptu performance in the subway station until we were stopped by the police,” Fears said.
Fears is a trombone performance major who places music high on a priority list.
“I want to travel the world like I got to do this summer,” Fears said. “There are a lot of great opportunities for young musicians across the world.”
In his spare time Fears tries to make it a point to catch at least one live show every week; either downtown or at a concert hall.
“It helps keep me inspired to play music,” he said.
When asked who inspires him to keep going on his music path, Fears mentioned his private lessons teacher from Pearland, Texas. But, who inspires you and what inspires you can mean two different things.
“I have to remind myself what it is that makes me love music,” he said. “Musicians that make you forget what you were doing before you even started listening to them is what inspires me.”
Other than being involved with music, Fears is also a resident advisor. “
I’ve gotten to meet people that I would never have crossed paths with if I wasn’t an RA,” he said. “It opens your eyes up to a lot of different walks of life.”
What would Fears do with his life aside from music? Be fighter jet pilot, of course.