However, this is hardly Rosenboom’s first time performing with the L.A. Phil. Rosenboom sat in as a substitute there on multiple occasions, as well as with other orchestras in Rochester and Syracuse, New York, and as far away as Germany.
“It’s a pretty humbling experience,” he said.
Originally from Oakland, Rosenboom had an early introduction to music when he first touched the keys of a piano at the age of 4. Years later, he traveled across the country to attend the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. It was here that Rosenboom first tooted his horn.
The two became well acquainted quickly as Rosenboom moved on to earn two master’s degrees from both UCLA and the California Institute of the Arts.
“The main idea was being able to study with people who come from a lot of different backgrounds, and scholarship has made that possible for me,” Rosenboom said. “The degrees will help down the road, but that’s not the reason I went after them.”
While still completing his master’s programs, Rosenboom also recorded his debut solo album, “Bloodier, Mean Son.”
“When you’re dealing with publishing your own art, there’s a great feeling of accomplishment. That’s the thing: Writers write, painters paint, and the way I see myself leaving a lasting work is to record it,” Rosenboom said.
With the desire to add to his already-tall stack of degrees, and an invitation from a professor in need of a doctoral candidate, Rosenboom is now studying under UCLA professor and world-renowned trumpeter Jens Lindemann to earn his doctor of musical arts degree ““ a path which he hopes to complete by the spring of 2010.
Across his years of training, Rosenboom picked up various cultural flavors to add to his own music. While his training is classical, Rosenboom added, for example, an Eastern European, jazz and rock element, which he acquired from one of his many guides to the trumpet world: Miroslav Tadic of the California Institute of the Arts.
Rosenboom expanded his varied palette not only in the academic world, but also in the social, becoming a member of multiple recording bands. First came PLOTZ! Once you hear their music, you understand why the exclamation point is necessary.
Improvised and unpredictable melodies come from a sextet made up of individuals with distinctly different musical backgrounds that range from classical, to hardcore rock, to Irish folk.
“”˜Plotz’ means to burst forth in German, and in Yiddish slang, you would kind of use it like, “˜I laughed so hard, I plotzed,’ or something,” Rosenboom said. “The exclamation point is really there because the name should be an exclamation.”
Beyond PLOTZ!, Rosenboom also plays with a group named DR. MiNT, which has taken the idea of improvisation to another level with what is known as spontaneous composition. The group essentially writes the piece as it performs ““ an act Rosenboom hesitantly compared to the improv show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” in that it proposes a musical idea, and literally plays with it.
“DR. MiNT was basically formed as an experiment. I booked a recording session and invited some friends to play,” Rosenboom said. “We literally had no discussion, just had the tape rolling and played, and it ended up taking shape really fluidly.”
As a Bruin, Rosenboom has found an appreciation for the perks of attending a university the size of a small city, including the expansive music library. Though he hasn’t yet landed on a topic for his dissertation, Rosenboom is enjoying the ride and the classes along the way, including music business law.
“For someone in my position, publishing my own work, it’s really important to gain a better understanding of the business aspect, since I’ve dedicated my life to the music aspect,” Rosenboom said.
However, no matter where his studies take him, Rosenboom’s first priority will always be his original music, rather than the degrees and other work that comes with it.
“Basically, I study the different traditions, and play in groups that utilize them,” Rosenboom said. “The experience, just playing it and hearing it influences me. Putting up barriers doesn’t make sense anymore ““ we live in a truly global society, and I want to reflect those different cultures.”