International award-winning trombonist Hana Beloglavec joined the music department as a visiting instructor.
“I love teaching and working alongside young students so I am happy to be here,” Beloglavec said. “I like how this university is a liberal arts college and the atmosphere here is wonderful.”
Students who are majoring in music education and specializing in low brass instruments rehearse with Beloglavec twice a week.
“I have 10 students who I meet with on Fridays for a group rehearsal and then during the week, I do one-on-one rehearsals with them,” Beloglavec said.
Trombone player Ana Leach, music education freshman, said she meets with Beloglavec once a week for a closed rehearsal on Tuesday.
“Ms. B has worked with me on perfecting my embouchure,” Leach said. “I like how she is very involved in practice. We do echo lessons, where she plays a piece of music and I have to match what she played. Not many instructors take out their instrument and play with the student.”
Beloglavec said she is trying to help her students become less worried about how to make the musical sound, but more about working to perfect the music.
“It’s more about teaching them how to make music,” Beloglavec said. “By the end of the year, they should be able to approach a musical selection on their own and master it self-sufficiently.”
Born in Slovenia, Europe, Beloglavec moved to the United States when she was 9 months old and grew up in the midwest. Beloglavec started to build her musical resume during middle school.
“I began playing trombone in the fifth grade,” Beloglavec said. “In high school, I played in the band for two years and was a member of the youth symphony orchestra for four years.”
Beloglavec received her bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and attended Yale University for her master’s degree.
“Yale had a really cool program for achieving a master’s degree,” Beloglavec said. “I had an acceptance based off of an audition.”
Beloglavec said she submitted a prescreening tape of four solo pieces and four excerpts of music of her preference.
“After the tape audition, I was invited to New Haven, Connecticut for a live audition where I played selected pieces again,” Beloglavec said. “The program I was accepted into was fully funded by scholarships through the university. As of right now, I am currently working on my doctorate from Northwestern University.”
Matthew Luttrell, director of bands, said Beloglavec brings an extremely proficient presence to the music program.
“She has an incredible resume of performing with numerous professional international groups,” Luttrell said. “When it comes to music, you don’t want a faculty that thinks the same. Having different points of view in the program brings area for more opportunity, which is exactly what Ms. Beloglavec is offering to this department. She is teaching students how to become better musicians.”
Trombone Teacher
