Presented by Equity Bank
When it came time for Wyatt Henderson to choose an instrument to play in school, it was surprisingly easy. “Hey, the sixth-grade band at Woodrow Wilson Elementary needed trombones!” he recalls. Little did he know that he was also mapping out his future with the Kansas City Symphony.
He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music from Northwestern University; his teachers include Leon Brown, John Kitzman, Per Brevig, Frank Crisafulli, and Arnold Jacobs.
He currently maintains a private trombone studio and has taught previously as an adjunct instructor at MidAmerica Nazarene University and Baker University. In addition to his musical activities, Henderson is a certified Iyengar yoga instructor and has trained in the martial art of Ki Aikido for many years.
“My family consists of me, my wife Karen (a high school math and engineering teacher), my daughter, Elise, and son, Elijah, and our two rescue dogs, Morgan and Ginger,” he says. Just don’t expect him to make dinner.
As a trombonist, do you have to try out for the symphony each year—with blind judging at that? Is that one reason for your interest in and practice of Iyengar yoga and the Ki Aikido martial art? Do you find that your yoga practice contributes to your musical career?
Fortunately, no. As a tenured musician, I don’t have to re-audition. That would be stressful! But of course, I have live performances every week during the season, so that does require a degree of intestinal fortitude. I do find that my practice of Iyengar yoga—and before that, Ki Aikido—helped develop a mental calmness that greatly aids in an enjoyable performing experience. And like most professional musicians, I spend a lot of time with my body in an unnatural playing position, and yoga really helps put my body back into a healthy alignment!
Is there a piece of music that is really trombone-friendly that you’d love to see the symphony perform?
I enjoy playing the music of Mahler and Strauss, which we do regularly, and that of Bruckner and Elgar, which we do more rarely. After this many years in an orchestra, I especially like playing works I haven’t done before.
What is a typical (if there is such a thing) day for you? Do you practice every day? Are you the cook in the family? How does daily life work?
I don’t really have a “normal” schedule. We usually have eight “services”—some combination of rehearsals or performances—in a week. A somewhat typical week is Monday and possibly Tuesday off, Wednesday and Thursday a couple of rehearsals in the morning and afternoon, Friday morning rehearsal, concerts Friday and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. However, this is highly variable, and we may have two or three programs we are rehearsing or performing in a week. No matter what, I try to get some yoga in first thing in the morning—between 40 minutes and 1½ hours, depending on whether I have to head to work or not. I practice trombone for a couple of hours daily, as we’re expected to have our parts mastered before rehearsals begin. And I teach a couple of yoga classes weekly at Yoga Gallery in Overland Park. Then I fit in things like mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, feeding the dogs, etc. Fortunately, my wife is a good cook, since I’m not.