- Brian Rhodes
Trenton Rhodes
(b. 2002) is a classical composer, trumpet
player, teacher, and musician working in the
state of Arkansas. Throughout his life, he's
been dedicated to music creation and has
consistently worked hard to bring his love of
music to those around him. He started learning
piano at 6 years old, and by 8 he was studying
under Dr. Luis Sanchez at Texas A&M
University-Commerce. He started trumpet and
composition at 9, and has since been awarded
multiple times over for his musical
achievements. He currently double-majors in
Music Education and Music Composition at the
University of Central Arkansas, where he studies
trumpet with Dr. Ross Ahlhorn and composition
with Dr. Paul Dickinson.
As a trumpet player, Rhodes has been
awarded many times. Throughout high school,
Rhodes made the Arkansas All-State bands every
year he was eligible, making the 2nd top
position for trumpet in his senior year. At the
University of Central Arkansas, Rhodes currently
performs with the UCA Wind Ensemble, the UCA
Trumpet Ensemble, the Bear Marching Band, and
the Conway Symphony Orchestra as principal
trumpet. Recently, Rhodes has been awarded 1st
chair of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Band,
whose performance will be at the 2023 Arkansas
All-State convention.
As a teacher, Rhodes has a very wide range
of experience. Being the son of Brian and Angela
Rhodes (two very prominent band directors in the
Arkansas area) has allowed him to really see and
study pedagogical devices and tools that work
incredibly well. In 2018 (Rhodes's sophomore
year of high school), he wrote a trumpet
ensemble work for the Booneville Advanced Band
trumpet section and held weekly practices
leading up to the Region 8 Solo and Ensemble
competition, where the ensemble received a first
division. In his senior year of high school,
Rhodes maintained a piano studio of around 5-6
students ranging from 2nd grade to junior high
and held weekly piano lessons for them.
As a composer, Rhodes has worked very hard
to bring to life his own unique musical voice -
that of music that tells a very unique and
complicated story, either explicitly or
implicitly. He has written works for an
extremely diverse and wide range of genres,
including for concert band, orchestra, small
chamber groups, solo pieces, choir, and more.
Rhodes's music is currently published under BR
Music Services and can be purchased at JW
Pepper. In 2017, Rhodes was a finalist in the
MakeMusic Young Composers Contest with his work,
The Light, written for a Grade 2 Concert Band.
In 2023, Rhodes will have his solo trumpet and
piano work, Solitude, performed at the 2023
International Trumpet Guild Conference New Works
Recitals, with Dr. Ross Ahlhorn on trumpet.
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Photos by Stacy Holbert
PhotoArt |
