Matthew Parry

Matthew Parry

Matthew Parry started playing the trombone aged 11 while a pupil at Nottingham High School and was taught by the Head of Brass, Gerald Douglas. Some years later he had lessons from Peter Lacey before leaving for Kings College, London to read mathematics. On graduating in 2000, and having contributed in his spare time as much as possible to the Kings College music department and the wider musical life of the University of London, he decided that his main passion was really for the trombone. He embarked upon a two year postgraduate diploma in performance at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied under Denis Wick, Dudley Bright and Susan Addison. When John Pritchard first expressed his wish to retire as BTS Treasurer after a very commendable number of years, it was Denis Wick who suggested he might like to take over - probably because of a mathematics background - and in December 2003 Matthew assumed this role.

Matthew's work since graduating, as with so many freelance musicians, has generally been a mixture of playing and teaching, and he has particularly enjoyed the variety of different styles that the trombone has to offer - orchestral, ballet, opera, chamber ensembles, contemporary ensembles, early music, big bands, smaller jazz bands, pop bands, and shows. The last of these is his main occupation at present, having recently started an eighteen month UK tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He is, however, still managing to satisfy a passion for education by continuing as a peripatetic brass teacher at Hornsey School in North London.

Matthew's aspirations for the BTS are mainly a reaction to what appears to be a decline over approximately the last thirty years in the general public's interest in trombone music, very broadly speaking the styles of classical music and jazz. This has resulted in the current climate of underemployment for the professional trombonist, too few students for the trombone teacher, too small an amateur scene to reflect the population of this country, and often an inaccessibility to the instrument for the nation's schoolchildren.

Matt is not convinced that it really is true that the general public is not interested in classical music and jazz. He believes that one only has to look at the huge success of such radio stations as Classic FM, and the permeation of jazz into so much commercial music (pop, television, shows etc.) to see that this is not really the case. Matt sees the declaration a few years back that the trombone is an "endangered species" as a call to arms for anyone with a passion for the instrument and its music to do what they can to combat the decline.

Matthew's view is that British Trombone Society has come to the realisation that what was set up as a club for trombone enthusiasts twenty years ago now has the potential for huge influence in bringing the trombone to the attention of the general public and combatting all of the malaise outlined above. These are big ambitions, which will not happen overnight - but with the right approach he believes the BTS can achieve this and set an example for other instruments (endangered or otherwise) so that we can collectively re-establish the trombone and its music at the centre of British cultural life.

Matt looks forward with excitement to continuing working towards these aims and welcomes the thoughts of the very diverse membership of the British Trombone Society.