Savanna Watson is a atrombonist, originally from Clarksville, Tennessee, who has recently moved to Honolulu to study Ethnomusicology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Savanna holds both a masters and bachelors degree in trombone performance from Austin Peay State University, where she studied with Susan K. Smith, one of the leading orchestral trombonists in the United States and former member of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Savanna has played in many ensembles, such as big bands, combos, orchestras and brass ensembles, in many different styles, ranging from classical and avant garde to jazz and pops. In addition to this, Savanna plays the alto trombone, a smaller, more obscure trombone that can also be used to teach young students. A prominent moment in her career was her recent tour with the Aurum Sonor Brass Quintet in Costa Rica, where the ensemble taught masterclasses across rural areas in the country, were artists in residence, and performed with some of Costa Rica’s most prominent musical ensembles.
In her teaching career, Savanna has taught master classes and private lessons to students from ages 11 to 60. She is not only versatile in her trombone playing, but also in all brass instruments. Savanna has learned and taught brass pedagogy for tuba, euphonium, french horn, and trumpet to students up to the undergraduate level. She has also performed on and studied tuba and euphonium, though to a lesser extent than trombone. Savanna is also trained in Orff Schulwerk Level 1, which focuses on the process of teaching musical skills to children with simplicity. She applies ideas from this process to private lessons with students of all ages.
Having been trained in the Orff Schulwerk process, Savanna’s teaching philosophy revolves around the goals of the student as well as personal health and wellness when playing. With a collaborative approach, Savanna hopes that her students may decide their own solo repertoire, with guidance, while she picks exercises that will help them achieve the skill level they need to play their best. Savanna’s main focus is body mapping, a technique that focuses on proper body posture when playing, which keeps students safe when playing brass instruments and improves their overall skill. Savanna’s goal for her students is always that they have fun and are happy with their sound. This can be achieved through body health as well as allowing students to have creative freedom over their music choices and giving proper repertoire for the student’s age and skill level.