ABOUT KCTW
The Kansas City Trombone Workshop was founded in 2017 by Grant Morgan, Ben Roman, and Dave Cooper, all private trombone teachers from Kansas City. It was built on a shared vision of a program tailored to provide young musicians with role models of life-long musicians. Students participating in KCTW have the opportunity to work and perform side-by-side with professionals, music educators, and community trombonists from the Kansas City metropolitan area. This facet of the program allows students to perform collegiate and professional-level musical literature that would otherwise be inaccessible.
The KCTW serves two age groups: Middle-school students and high school/college students. Both groups have adult mentors performing alongside the students.
Middle school participants prepare their own set of concert music as well as a combined piece with the older students, meeting from 1:30-2:20 PM.
High school/college participants prepare their own set of concert music, a combined piece with the younger ensemble, and are grouped into smaller chamber ensembles as well, meeting from 2:30-4:00 PM.
Dates for the summer of 2024 are every Sunday from June 2nd to July 21st, the date of the finale performance. The workshop will be held at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.
Participation in the final performance is not required to attend KCTW and some absences from rehearsals are acceptable (within reason and with prior notice).
The Founders
Dave Cooper (left)
Dave Cooper has been performing and teaching in Kansas City since 1989. He is a long-time member of the People's Liberation Big Band Of Greater Kansas City and the Boulevard Big Band, and has also performed with the Trilogy Big Band, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, and the New Jazz Order Big Band. Dave has a thriving private studio in Overland Park, and dozens of his students have been selected for all-district and all-state ensembles over the years. He has a BA in Music from the University of Kansas, where his primary instructors were Dr. Stephen Anderson, Dr. Ronald McCurdy, Tom Ashworth, and Max Bonecutter.
Grant Morgan (center)
Grant Morgan was born and raised in the Kansas City area, graduating from Shawnee Mission Northwest in 2013, where he is now assistant band director. A graduate of the University of Kansas (BM in Music Education '17) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory (MM in Bass Trombone Performance '20), he has been an active educator and performer in the greater Kansas City area since 2013, performing with groups such as the Kansas City Symphony, the Fountain City Brass Band, the New Jazz Order Big Band, the Boulevard Big Band, the Topeka Symphony, the Marcus Lewis Big Band, and the Kansas Brass Quintet. He also performed on the 2018 tour of the pop rock band Evanescence. His students have participated in local honor bands and been awarded superior ratings at district and state solo festivals. He has studied trombone with Ben Roman, Dr. Michael Davidson, and Dr. JoDee Davis. His other instructors of note include Daniel Gailey, Dr. Ingrid Stölzel, and Matt Otto. He can be heard on the Klavier label, performing with the KU Wind Ensemble on its album, "Of Shadow and Light."
Ben Roman (right)
Ben Roman is a Kansas City area native and graduated from Shawnee Mission West in 2000. Ben received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas in 2004 and his Master's Degree in Trombone Performance from the University of Kansas in 2012. He has studied trombone with Kent Setty, Dave Cooper, Vern Kagarice, Jan Kagarice, Tony Baker, Andrea Neumann, Bryan English, Mike Hall, Roger Oyster, and Mike Davidson. Ben has been teaching trombone in the area since 2005 and has had his students perform with various local honor bands and ensembles. By day, Ben is employed at a law firm, exemplifying the ideal of life-long musicianship even while working a full-time job.