 HOMETOWN: Cedar Falls, Iowa
UNI DEGREE: Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance, May, 1989
ADDITIONAL DEGREES: Master of Music in Trumpet Performance, Indiana University, 1991
Doctor of Music in Brass Pedagogy and Music Literature, Indiana University, 2000
EMAIL:
WEBSITE: “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band: http://www.marineband.usmc.mil
CURRENT RESIDENCE: Lorton, Virginia
OCCUPATION: Trumpet/Cornet section member "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, Washington, DC since 1997
GREATEST LIFE EXPERIENCE: Having loving and kind family and friends in my life, and feeling passionate about my career
STRANGEST LIFE EXPERIENCE: This is a loaded category, and one not easily answered by one experience alone. If life weren’t full of strange experiences, then things would be very benign
GREATEST PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: I am a member of an organization that continually gives me unique opportunities that may not be typical for many musicians. To work at the White House and around the Washington, DC area can mean being a part of historic events, and also being in the presence and playing for well-known public figures from all over the world. We are also privileged to provide musical support for the men and women in uniform who have served and continue to serve our country with great honor, bravery, and humility. Musically, I work on a daily basis with exceptional musicians, who are also terrific colleagues and friends. Keith Johnson, one of my former teachers and Dr. Grabowski’s predecessor at UNI, told me one time that his trumpet took him places he never thought he would go. After all these years, I know exactly what he means
STRANGEST PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Oh, we all have them, don’t we? Here are a few that come to mind:
Performing with the Carillon Brass in a rather small boat traveling down a river entertaining the local residence (good thing we remembered the wind clips!).
Viewing from the stage (on a Marine Band tour concert) a person dressed in a dog costume, sitting in the back of the auditorium, waving a small American flag. Oh, if you could’ve seen the look on the face of that dog!
Listening to and watching someone eat nachos (yes, slathered with cheese) in the front row of a Marine Band tour concert. That particular performance happened to be in a gymnasium—do you think they might’ve thought they were coming to see a basketball game? I was ready to do a ‘pick-and-roll’ if the situation called for it.
Being rejected by Bush family pet, Barney the dog, as our brass quintet auditioned for his Holiday Extravaganza show as part of the White House’s annual holiday BarneyCam video. Yes, it was COMPLETELY staged and not real, but still………..
UNI TRUMPET STUDIO MEMORIES: I remember feeling a lot of good camaraderie, support, and friendship from my peers in the studio as we made our way through our education at UNI. Everyone had something unique to offer—what an ideal learning environment! Speaking of Dr. G—the studio helped him celebrate the completion of his doctorate from Indiana University early on in his career at UNI. Personally, this meant even more after I was able to complete my own doctorate from Indiana—that was the longest (and hopefully only) “marathon” I will ever run……
Quote: “Studying with Randy Grabowski….priceless” (I wasn’t even paid to say that!) | 
