Bass Clef Standout Has Baton Ambitions
Micah is a bassoonist in the MYS Repertory Orchestra, a homeschool senior, a band member at St. Croix Preparatory Academy, and a PSEO student at University of Northwestern–St. Paul. He studies trombone with Shad Vork.
With a band director father and a horn player mother, Micah grew up assuming that instruments would be part of his life. Piano lessons at age six laid the foundation, and he has since worked his way through the full array bass clef wind instruments. In fifth grade band he started on baritone with the goal of moving to tuba, which he eventually did in eighth grade. The move to what is now one of his primary instruments was prompted by his desire to join jazz band. “Trombone just sounded more fun than baritone!” he explains. Immersing himself in the jazz idiom involved a lot of listening—advice he credits to his dad: “Listening to more music is the best way to get better.” His favorite artists range from Trombone Shorty to iconic jazz legends like Herbie Hancock, whom he recently saw perform at the Orpheum. But the trombone wasn’t the end of Micah’s journey through the bass clef.
In ninth grade, when his school needed a bassoonist, Micah jumped at the chance. He was curious about double-reed instruments, and quickly found that the quirky and complex instrument suited him. “It’s weird and complicated,” he laughs. “Very unique—not many people have even heard of bassoon.” Its twenty-five keys—with 9 operated by the left thumb alone—might overwhelm most players, but for Micah, who also participates in competitive typing, it was a natural fit. After he had the rare experience to play in a full orchestra for a special combined piece at school, he knew he wanted more. Now in his second year with MYS, he appreciates the opportunity to play more orchestral repertoire and grow as a bassoonist alongside other dedicated young musicians.
Along the way, there have been meaningful moments that reinforced Micah’s love of music-making. One of his favorite memories is from the Eau Claire Jazz Festival, when a fire alarm sent all the musicians outside into the snow, something spontaneous and magical happened: “Without really talking to each other we just started a jam,” he recalls. “Percussionists were using the benches and then we all started playing together.” More recently, Micah was honored to be selected for the All-State Jazz Band as a trombonist. All-State camp exemplified the kind of magic that happens when high-level players come together: “I hadn't had a chance to play with musicians who were that good at jazz. And so we just clicked really fast.”
Now a high school senior, Micah has submitted applications to eight colleges and is preparing for months of pre-screening and live auditions ahead. He plans to double major in Music Education and Trombone Performance with a jazz emphasis—training he hopes will not only elevate his playing skills but also prepare him to teach jazz effectively in the future. He is already gaining podium experience as a drum major at his school, leading warm-ups and planning to conduct a piece at the spring concert. When recently selecting his first baton, he had plenty to choose from. His father and grandfather—who was also a band director—offered Micah batons from their collections to try out. The baton he ultimately selected, like the career path he’s pursuing, just felt right.
