Trios for Trombones: Trombone Book

Cacavas's arrangements for trombone trio draw directly from his entertainment and orchestral background, meaning the writing is idiomatic, playable, and genuinely musical rather than merely functional. The collection gives your ensemble access to well-crafted repertoire that works equally well in contest settings or concert programming. These pieces have the substance and polish of professional orchestral writing scaled down to an intimate ensemble format.

The arrangements carry the sophistication and orchestral sensibility of someone who has scored for film and television, offering melodic interest and harmonic depth that feel substantial even in a three-voice texture. These pieces sit comfortably in the trombone's range while showcasing the instrument's warmth and blend.

Intermediate to advanced high school and college trombone students ready to explore repertoire beyond method books, as well as adult amateur trombone trios seeking quality arrangements with contest appeal. Directors assembling a balanced brass chamber music program will find these trios accessible yet satisfying to rehearse and perform.

• Balance the three parts so the melody emerges clearly without the accompanying trombones receding to invisibility; Cacavas's writing relies on this transparency.
• Pay attention to dynamics as structural markers; they often signal shifts in texture or harmonic interest rather than just volume changes.
• Lock in rhythmic precision during ensemble passages so the trio maintains cohesion when all three voices move together.

Include one or more of these trios in a brass chamber music concert to give audiences polished, recognizable music performed by your advanced students. They also serve as valuable contest entries that allow judges to hear the musical maturity of your trombone section in an ensemble that demands precision and balance.

• Three-part harmonic balance and blend
• Maintaining rhythmic precision in ensemble passages
• Shaping lyrical lines with appropriate phrasing and dynamics
• Reading and executing dynamics as compositional structures