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Music student invited to compete in Washington, D.C.

Feb. 8, 2010

KALAMAZOO--A student in the Western Michigan University School of Music has been selected as a finalist in the National Jazz Solo Competition.

Trombonist Eric Bowman of Portage, Mich., will compete against two other finalists in mid-March in Washington, D.C. If he is chosen as the winner, he will be one of two featured soloists on a concert with jazz trombone great Curtis Fuller and accompanied by the world-famous U.S. Army Blues Jazz Band.

Bowman, a junior music and jazz studies major, is no stranger to winning prestigious competitions. Just last summer, he won the Carl Fontana Jazz Trombone Competition during the International Trombone Festival June 25-28 in Aarhus, Denmark.

Bowman, a student of Drs. Scott Cowan and Steve Wolfinbarger, WMU assistant professor and professor of music, respectively, has a long history of performance with WMU bands, including the advanced jazz combo, jazz orchestra, symphony orchestra, symphonic band, trombone choir, Latin jazz ensemble and Gold Company. He often performs locally at New Year's Fest, Cancer Center Summerfest, weddings, corporate and church events and at The Union Cabaret and Grille.

"Eric is a very talented trombonist with a bright future in music" Wolfinbarger says. "He is equally talented in both jazz and classical, which is rare. His list of achievements already at his age is pretty remarkable. The good news is that he'll just continue to improve."

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Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu

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