Interview With A Bass Trombonist: Hakeem Bilal

The second in our series of bass trombonist interviews comes back across the pond to the U.S. and lands in Washington, D.C. Our next interviewee is a high school student about to graduate this spring, enter college in the fall and embark upon a career in music. I have had the privilege of working with this young man, and I believe that great things lie ahead for him in the field of music. He studies with one of my students, which is kind of cool; having studied with Douglas Yeo and Jerry Shaw, I feel that I have also benefited from the wisdom of their teachers, Edward Kleinhammer (Yeo) and John Coffey(Shaw). To see some of my own teaching filtered through another teacher is a little weird, but a natural course, I think.

Enough of me, this is all about Hakeem:

Bass Trombonist, Hakeem Bilal

Hakeem is a current senior at DeMatha Catholic High School, a private all boy’s school focused on preparing students for college. Hakeem began playing the trombone in the third grade and switched to bass at the end of his sophomore year in high school. Hakeem has played with many orchestras in the past two years, including the DC Youth Orchestra, Chesapeake Youth Symphony, and the most known National Symphony Orchestra. He is the principal bass trombonist in the American Youth Philharmonic and is ready to begin college this fall to study music.

Matthew Guilford: Why do you play the bass trombone?

Hakeem Bilal: I play the bass trombone because it lets me express myself in a way that I normally cannot do with words. It has also become my hideout from the everyday world, so that when things are not going so well, I can just pick up my horn and forget about everything. There are also obvious reasons as well; it’s just HUGE! The first thing that attracted me to the trombone was its size. In third grade, we were given a choice to select instruments for band. Looking at the saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, etc., I saw the massiveness of the trombone and how it towered over me (because I was a small guy in third grade) and I wanted to conquer it, like a steep mountain.

M.G.: When did you decide to make music a big part of your life?

H.B.: In the summer of my sophomore year at my high school (DeMatha), my private teacher asked me what did I want to do in life; whether or not I wanted to take the bass trombone to the next level and beyond. I felt that the bass trombone was my calling, so I never backed down and focused a large amount of energy into playing and practicing during my junior year. Once I started getting big awards and making honor bands, I felt that this was my calling and that I could do anything I put my mind to.

M.G.: Were your parents supportive of your career choice?

H.B.: My parents are extremely supportive of my quest on the bass trombone. Without their help (and driving of course), I would not have gotten as far as I have today. Whenever I was feeling down about my playing, my parents would always be there to encourage me and get me back on track. I am always thankful to my Mom and Dad for their support in my choice of becoming a professional bass trombonist.

M.G.: What were the factors involved in choosing a college?

H.B.: To me, the first step in choosing a college is finding a good location. If you found the best college out there, but it was located in the worst town, or in the middle of the tundra, it wouldn’t be a good place to learn or have fun. The best environment for learning is a comfortable one. If your major is music, you also have to find a professor whom you like and you can have a good relationship with for four years. It is extremely hard to learn if you can’t get along with your professor or if you doubt his methods of teaching. Also, size was a factor in choosing a college. Especially in music, if there are many kids in a studio, or in a program and a certain number of teachers that have lots of students each, you may feel that you would not get as much attention that you need. Also, you want to be able to socially grow and meet lots of cool people in the process of learning. That’s what college is all about, meeting new folks, having fun, and learning.

M.G.: What/who are your biggest musical influences?

H.B.: From childhood, I always loved what my dad loved musically. My father listened to everything, ranging from classical, to international recording artists. My favorites have to be the Gypsy Kings and Cesaria Evora among a few others. Listening to these musicians in my early age gave me a sense that I was in their home country, or their local clubs, watching them perform their art. Once I got a little older to really appreciate music, I started listening to recordings of my aunt, Bobbi Humphrey. Her music really boosted my craving for music and left me searching for more. I stumbled onto recordings of Glenn Miller, Al Grey, and JJ Johnson through her initial cd.

M.G.: Did or do you consider any career(s) other than music?

H.B.: When I was really young, I had many aspirations. Cooking was always a favorite of mine as well as planes. I thought of going to culinary school to become a master chef in the past and today, it still is a dream that I plan on pursuing in the future.

M.G.: What do you like to do completely outside of music?

H.B.: I like to play basketball with my friends and do the normal stuff that most ordinary high school kids do, even though I am no “ordinary guy” (no bass trombonist is). I like to play video games and beat up on my friends in sports titles. Also, I repair computers and offer computer counseling to those in need. I am an avid fan of women and parties, and sometimes I have time for stand up comedy. I enjoy long walks in the beach and still have time for a nice cone of soft ice cream every now and then (who doesn’t?). I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru. (The last few demonstrated my sense of humor)

M.G.: What is your pet peeve with other high school trombonists?

H.B.: I don’t really have a pet peeve with other high school trombonists, but there are some people that I believe that are too cocky or think that they are better than everyone else. I think that skill is something that can grow and change, but your personality stays with you forever.

M.G.: What are some of the highlights of your musical life so far?

H.B.: In my musical journey so far I have had two really memorable moments. The first moment comes from playing with the National Symphony and Leonard Slatkin on the Concert Hall stage. I was playing for the Youth Orchestra Day and I sat next to some of the biggest sounds one could ever sit next to, Steven Dumaine and Matt Guilford. It was an honor to play there, and it was really fun as well. The second highlight comes from my cousin, who had never heard classical music before. After one of my concerts that he attended, he walked up to me in the happiest of spirits. He said that he had never heard music played like that and that he could see himself buying classical music and learning more about it. It was the first person I have seen be exposed to classical music and really enjoy so much that they would go out and purchase music. I felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside after that (yet I still maintained my outer man shell).

M.G.: What is the strangest thing to have happened during your musical career?

H.B.: I can’t think of one right now, because my life is usually full of strange things as a bass trombonist, so nothing fazes me now.

M.G.: What characteristics do you admire in others that you do not see in yourself? (or would like to see more of in yourself)

H.B.: I like some of the mindsets that my peers have towards music. I see that most of them are positive and they are all different in their own way. I want to think about their views towards music to build a larger, broader view on music for myself.

M.G.: What is the last book (or books) you have read?

H.B.: I just finished reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Although they are two totally different genres (well, not really), I found lots of similarities within both books. Now, I am starting to read Bernstein’s The Joy of Music to get a head start on literature for college.

M.G.: What’s in your I-Pod (or what do you listen to for pleasure?)

H.B.: Lots of Arnold Jacobs and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra stuff, some solo work from Blair Bollinger, Randy Hawes, and Joe Alessi, and (what every mp3 player should have) some hip-hop and rap. I have some Outkast in there, some more southern rappers, and some Sibelius and Tchaik mixes. (Quite a blend, huh?)

M.G.: Hakeem, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and ideas with us. Best of luck in college, and I may take you up on those 30 minute brownies!