Zachary Cates takes his final bow at senior recital

The audience erupted with laughter as Zachary Cates performed in his senior trombone recital on Sunday, April 13, 2025.

Cates started by reciting some traditional brass pieces such as Concerto for Alto Trombone and Orchestra by Georg Wagenseil, Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra by Nino Rota and La Petite Suzanne by Arthur Pryor. He transitioned through each song efficiently, sliding through each articulate note with stunning rapidity. Dr. Chan Mi Jean served as his piano accompanist, establishing each piece’s unique rhythm.

Cates then went on to play a piece that was described by his fellow Music student, tuba player Solomon Hightower as “a tasteless inventory of trombone noise,” “an exercise in absurdism” and “complete and whacky nonsense.” Throughout the piece, named Solo for Sliding Trombone by John Cage, Cates used a variety of different muses, power tools and random objects to demonstrate the sheer amount of noise the instrument could make. There many elements of visual comedy displayed over the course of the number such as when he held a drill up to his trombone and when he used a spray bottle as if he were cleaning the air after a series of unpleasant noises. The piece ended with Cates picking up his music, knocking over his stand and walking off as if he had given up. This piece had the most audience reception out of them all.

Before his final piece, Cates shared a few words with the audience. He made sure to thank the Music Department staff for keeping everything organized, his family for helping support his ambitions and his past band directors who encouraged him to take this career. He went on to thank many of his professors including the collaborative pianist Dr. Chan Mi Jean, whom he described as, “somehow keep[ing] up performing on everyone’s everything. That’s another lady who wouldn’t have a department without her. She’s one of the most phenomenal musicians I’ve ever met.”

Cates went on to also thank Dr. John Oelrich, Dr. Mark Statler, Dr. Joey Blake and Dr. Joseph Frye. When describing Frye, Cates said, “There was never a single time you gave up on me as a student or as a trombonist. You continued to push me and you never let me lower my standard for myself as a musician, an educator or a person…If I can give students half of what you’ve given me, then I will call myself successful. And I appreciate you so much, Dr. Frye.”

Cates then joined Solomon Hightower on another performance of Watchers of the Night by Brian Sadler, as a callback to when they performed the piece together for Hightower’s senior recital. They ended the recital magnificently.

Cates will go on to student teach in the fall of 2025.