Born in Rochester, New York on December 22, 1892, Emory Remington began his musical studies in the Boys' Choir of an Episcopal Church. His Father, Fred Remington, a brass instructor who played cornet and trumpet, presented young Emory with a trombone at the age of 14. By the age of 17 he was a member (and regular soloist) with the Rochester Park Band.
As a young trombonist, Remington studied with Gardell Simons, Principal Trombonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
In 1917 Remington joined the United States Navy and was assigned to the orchestra at a training station near Chicago. One of his bunkmates in the Navy orchestra was comedian/violinist Jack Benny whom he spoke of with admiration.
Professional career
Upon returning from the Navy, Remington joined the Eastman Theater Orchestra in Rochester, also becoming a faculty member at the Eastman School of Music in 1922. His performing career was marked by lengthy tenure as Principal Trombonist with both the Rochester Philharmonic and the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra, an amalgamation of the Philharmonic and the Eastman School of Music. He would remain on faculty there for the rest of his life. As a trombone teacher, he was affectionately known to his students as "The Chief". He developed a system of legato warm-up exercises (now immortalized by Donald Hunsberger in his book, The Remington Warm-Up Studies (ISBN0-918194-10-5)) which have had major influences on trombone practicing up to the present time.
Remington was fond of singing, and during his lessons, he would sing along with the student's trombone sound. He also encouraged his students to look for music to play that was outside of the common literature for trombone, especially music that would improve the singing characteristics of their trombone playing. His emphasis, whether in warm-up or in practice, was on relaxation and playing in a "conversational" and "singing" manner. This was quite different from the more traditional trombone methods of the time which focused on more marcato and regimented technical studies such as the Arban Method.
Another of Remington's contributions was the Eastman Trombone Choir formed in 1941. A large ensemble of trombonists would gather to play music written for multiple trombones or transcribed from other sources, such as the chorales and fugues of Johann Sebastian Bach. Separating the different musical parts (i.e. SATB: soprano, alto, tenor, bass) into sections of trombonists, and transposing the music into the proper registers for the trombone. Remington encouraged his students to transcribe music for this ensemble, amassing a large library of "new" works for it. The music of J. S. Bach became the backbone of the ensemble. Remington used this great music as a tool to train his students in the art of ensemble performance. Ralph Sauer has made a fine reputation with his beautiful transcriptions of the music of Bach. Donald Hunsberger's transcription of Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue is considered one of the first of the great Bach transcriptions for trombone choir.
Selected sections from his method include exercises designed around sustained long tones, security in the high register, legato tonguing, flexibility or "lip-slurs", and "pattern scales" (which would create a trombonist equally adept in all the keys).
In 1954, Remington completed work in conjunction with C.G. Conn Ltd. in developing the C.G. Conn 88H tenor trombone. The unique tone color and dynamic range of the instrument have made it popular amongst trombonists and contributed to its continuous production from its debut in 1954 to the present. Conn also manufactured a "Remington" tenor trombone mouthpiece which was available in either silver or gold plate. Remington encouraged his first-year students to switch to this mouthpiece, as it produced a beautiful clear sound with moderate effort. The effect of the 88H combined with the Remington mouthpiece produced a very uniform sound in the Trombone Choir and trombone sections in the large ensembles. As students progressed, they would be encouraged to switch to other mouthpieces to refine their sounds depending on performance conditions.
Remington taught at the Eastman School for 49 years, teaching countless students, some of whom rank among the finest trombonists in history. He died on December 10, 1971. On October 20, 1979, Room 310 at the Eastman School of Music was formally named the Emory B. Remington Rehearsal Room.
Remington (band) was named after Remington's son, David Remington (1926–2007).[1] His daughter, Janet Remington was Principal Harpist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for many years.
Personal life
Remington was married to Laura W. (née Wilbur) Remington (1891–1966) a professional organist and pianist. Together, they had three children, David, Emory Jr., and Janet.
David (1926–2007), the eldest, was a jazz trombonist, had his own big band in Chicago, toured, and made some recordings. Emory Jr. worked for Eastman Kodak. Janet was a world-class harpist, having studied with Eileen Malone. She became the Principal Harpist with the Pittsburgh Symphony under William Steinberg.
A Partial List of Emory Remington's Students and their Principal Career Positions (in alphabetical order)
Tom Eadie – Victoria Symphony, University of Western Ontario, Up With People
Edward Erwin – New York Philharmonic, retired
Thomas G. Everett – Taught at Harvard, New England Conservatory, Brown University, International Trombone Workshop, Indiana University Summer School, freelance with the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, Boston Ballet
Bob Fanning – U.S. Coast Guard Band
David Fetter – Baltimore Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Peabody Conservatory
Reginald Fink – Oklahoma City Symphony, Assistant Professor West Virginia University, Ithaca College, Ohio University
Dr. Richard Fote – Crane School of Music of SUNY Potsdam, State College Fredonia New York, Erie Philharmonic. PA
Bob Gillespie – New Orleans Symphony, Oklahoma City Symphony, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Goldman Band, National Symphony Orchestra of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (1974–2000), West Point Band
Dennis Good – Nashville Symphony Orchestra
Gary Good – Music administration
Robert Gray (MM '50, DMA '57) – University of Illinois
Gary Greenhoe – Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony manufacturer: Greenhoe trombones
Robert Jones – Rochester Philharmonic, followed M. Dale Clark
Bob Kalwas – Public school music teacher, freelance Rochester New York
David Kanter – Symphony of the Potomac
Simon Karasick (BM '33) – Mannes College of Music, NYC freelance
Jeremy Kempton – Band Director at North Shore High School NJ, Music Director of the Island Chamber Symphony, Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, Massapequa Philharmonic
Don King – Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, National Ballet Orchestra
Dale Kirkland – Freelance artist, Buddy Rich band
William Peter Kline – Teaches music theory, music appreciation, low brass, and directs the brass ensemble at San Antonio College
Donald Knaub – Rochester Philharmonic, Eastman School of Music faculty, Professor of Trombone at the University of Texas at Austin
Kenneth Knowles – Memorial University Newfoundland Canada
Stephen Kohlbacher – San Francisco Bay Area Freelance tenor trombonist
Joseph Lalumia – Director of Orchestras, Bridgewater-Raritan High School, New Jersey (1980–2015) retired.
Bob Leech –
Lance Lehmberg – Freelance Rochester New York
Lester Lehr –
Dick Lieb – New York recording artist, composer
Art Linsner – Chicago Freelance bass trombonist
Harry Lockwood –
Ernest Lyon (MA '38) – University of Louisville
Robert Marsteller – Los Angeles Philharmonic, U. of Southern California
Jim Martin – North Carolina Symphony
Patrick McCarty – Composer, arranger
William McCauley – Composer, conductor, arranger, Director Seneca College, North York Symphony Orchestra conductor
Byron McCulloh (BM '49, MM '51) – Pittsburgh Symphony
John McMurray –
Dominick (Meco) Monardo – NYC freelance Broadway artist, pop music arranger
Donald Miller – Buffalo Philharmonic, founder of Ensemble Music
Robert E. Moran – United States Navy Dance Band, Monroe County (NY) Parks Band, Union Musician, RCSD Music Teacher
Audrey Morrison – soloist, freelance artist
Richard Myers – Buffalo Philharmonic, arranger
Mark Narins – San Francisco area conductor and composer
George Osborn – Rochester Philharmonic, faculty Eastman School of Music
Allen Ostrander – bass trombone: National Symphony, NBC Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, New York Philharmonic
Alvin Parris – Minister and Gospel Choir Director, Rochester NY
Porter Poindexter – New York freelance artist, Broadway performer, recording artist
John Witmer – Freelance western New York trombonist. Taught all levels of instrumental music in public schools and adjunct professor at Niagara County Community College
