J Simon van der Walt
@tedthetrumpet.bsky.social
composer, performer, teacher. gamelan, livecode, trombone, supercollider. glasgow scotland. birdwatching. table tennis. cycling.
https://jsimonvanderwalt.com/
https://jsimonvanderwalt.com/
gamelan setup at cca
November 21, 2025 at 12:54 PM
gamelan setup at cca
Have I got enough trombone-related clutter on my desk?
November 18, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Have I got enough trombone-related clutter on my desk?
Cuban Big Band weekend
November 9, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Cuban Big Band weekend
Back-to-back new student meetings :)
September 24, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Back-to-back new student meetings :)
Update, although still not sure about 'ireng' – Triwikråmå, Brahålå Irèng, Kresnå, Puntådéwå, Dåsåmukå.
September 17, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Update, although still not sure about 'ireng' – Triwikråmå, Brahålå Irèng, Kresnå, Puntådéwå, Dåsåmukå.
Javanese pronunciation check: Triwikråmå, Brahålå Irèng, Krêsnå, Puntadéwa, Dasamuka?
September 17, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Javanese pronunciation check: Triwikråmå, Brahålå Irèng, Krêsnå, Puntadéwa, Dasamuka?
Final day Poolewe gamelan residency
September 5, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Final day Poolewe gamelan residency
Final day Poolewe gamelan residency
September 5, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Final day Poolewe gamelan residency
eternal gamelan composition question, forward or backward notation?
August 31, 2025 at 10:51 AM
eternal gamelan composition question, forward or backward notation?
Long shot: can anyone think of composers/works that explore the sound of slowly sliding from chord to chord? Eg voices, trombone, strings, electronics?
August 22, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Long shot: can anyone think of composers/works that explore the sound of slowly sliding from chord to chord? Eg voices, trombone, strings, electronics?
That's cool, #MuseScore just automatically figured out cautionary clefs on either side of a repeat :)
August 21, 2025 at 2:18 PM
That's cool, #MuseScore just automatically figured out cautionary clefs on either side of a repeat :)
Bossa nova trombone guy
August 7, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Bossa nova trombone guy
Bike packing adventure part 1 train to Largs
July 22, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Bike packing adventure part 1 train to Largs
Take *three* operating systems into the shower?!
May 12, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Take *three* operating systems into the shower?!
The view from my birthday
May 11, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The view from my birthday
Donnie Deacon has been looking at my new piece for solo violin 'headlong--->]' and tells me it is playable :) Going to get together with soon to check out some bowing ideas he has.
April 14, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Donnie Deacon has been looking at my new piece for solo violin 'headlong--->]' and tells me it is playable :) Going to get together with soon to check out some bowing ideas he has.
On the blog: revisiting an old piece, with some thoughts about jazz v 'straight' phrasing www.jsimonvanderwalt.com/blog/2025/04...
April 3, 2025 at 4:03 PM
On the blog: revisiting an old piece, with some thoughts about jazz v 'straight' phrasing www.jsimonvanderwalt.com/blog/2025/04...
Today's nightmare: drowning in assessment criteria and rubrics #AcademicSky
March 19, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Today's nightmare: drowning in assessment criteria and rubrics #AcademicSky
Jings, 1st #trombone part for 'Quietude' would be wild enough without having the 2nd trombone trying to play exactly the same thing in parallel a semitone below!
February 23, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Jings, 1st #trombone part for 'Quietude' would be wild enough without having the 2nd trombone trying to play exactly the same thing in parallel a semitone below!
Getting a lesson in #accordion register symbols from Sofia and Melia :) #music #composition #notation
February 18, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Getting a lesson in #accordion register symbols from Sofia and Melia :) #music #composition #notation
It's not really a thing, but 1 Feb would be as good a day as anyway to switch away from Meta :)
January 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
It's not really a thing, but 1 Feb would be as good a day as anyway to switch away from Meta :)
New year, sketching a new piece :) not sure where this is going yet though www.jsimonvanderwalt.com/blog/2025/01...
January 2, 2025 at 4:41 PM
New year, sketching a new piece :) not sure where this is going yet though www.jsimonvanderwalt.com/blog/2025/01...
Going to try using the original Conn 3 that came with the horn instead of the Bach 12C. Getting a less edgy tone and better access to the low register, but still good upper range. Also looks very space age :) #trombone #mouthpiece
December 1, 2024 at 4:11 PM
Going to try using the original Conn 3 that came with the horn instead of the Bach 12C. Getting a less edgy tone and better access to the low register, but still good upper range. Also looks very space age :) #trombone #mouthpiece
I quite like these couple of bars, but the balance is really not going to work with just a bass clarinet on the bottom line. Hmm. Bit low for bari sax, bassoon would not be the right sound. Bass end of an accordion? #composition #orchestration #instrumentation.
October 23, 2024 at 8:33 AM
I quite like these couple of bars, but the balance is really not going to work with just a bass clarinet on the bottom line. Hmm. Bit low for bari sax, bassoon would not be the right sound. Bass end of an accordion? #composition #orchestration #instrumentation.