who are we? -- brass section

The brass section of The Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle (RTOOT) is headed by Patti Jean Spinillo, trumpet, whose prior experience includes playing the alto part in hymns for the University United Methodist Church Haute Couture Chambre Ensemble. Ms. Spinillo was also the Principal Associate of Mr. Hobgood's "Bless Your Heart Eastern European Concert Tour of 2001" wherein she served as roadie for nine stops on the tour including several in Lithuania and Venice. Ms. Spinillo was recently wed to Francesco Spinillo, who hails from St. Arsenio (Italy) and plays the Italian cowbells in our percussion section. Also on trumpet, if he can find an old one around the church, is Director of the Ministry of Music Tim Baker, at University United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill. We welcomed Taylor Ward in the Durham auditions.

And at last the horns are coming out of the woodwork!!! Well, out of Wisconsin anyway. Hope V. Horton wrote to tell us she is moving to the area soon and would like to play fourth horn, slightly out of tune and with earsplitting high notes. She will be in process of moving for the next month but will be most welcome when she can come. Hope also is involved in Sound Healing and produces workshops to activate the unlimited potential of sound and vibration for personal and planetary healing. Any other horns in the listening audience???

Our trombone section is headed up by Brian Walker. Brian saw our ad in The Independent and thought to himself, "I used to play trombone, and still have it… if only the dogs wouldn't attack me when I try to play, I could be reasonably decent again." He is sometimes assisted by Daniel Ponder, who in real life is the contrabassoonist with the UNC Symphony Orchestra. If there is no bassoon part, Daniel plays trombone with Brian. But he also sometimes plays bass clarinet, clarinet, or pipe organ.

The brass section welcomes Cullen E. Whitley on tuba, who says he is a ”tuba soloist, an Oxy-Moron if there ever was one”, and this alone qualifies him to be in the Really Terrible Orchestra Of the Triangle (RTOOT). He is also Vice President of the Triangle Chapter of USA Dance (triangleusadance.org) and is in charge of all amateur dancing in the North Carolina Piedmont. In real life he is an urban forester, plant expert, and teacher. Trish Weaver joins the Tuba section as a result of her audition in Durham, and Joe Lowman will be joining the tuba section from Chapel Hill.