As the summer winds down, the NCB family's journey of summer memories isn't over yet! We're excited to present the fifth installment of our favorite summer vacation photos and stories.

NCB member Joe Schorer’s (trombone) west coast summer adventure continued with a memorable special visit in San Francisco. His journey led him to the lower level of the Davies Symphony Hall, where Tim Higgins, the principal trombone of the San Francisco Symphony, graciously gave him a private lesson. While the session focused on a solo piece, it was filled with constructive, actionable suggestions to improve his playing. The lesson concluded with a special moment as the two played some duets. Joe was particularly grateful for Tim’s generosity, as he is soon to embark on his own new adventure—leaving the San Francisco Symphony to become the new principal trombone of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

This summer, in between long weekend road trips to Michigan and Wisconsin, NCB members Jennifer (flute) and Bruce (euphonium) Nelson adopted a cat! Their new feline family member is named Skimbleshanks Coda. His first name is a tribute to a character from the Broadway musical Cats, and his middle name, Coda, is a musical expression that literally means "tail", which is a fitting description for his very long tail. Skimbleshanks is settling in nicely and enjoying his new home.

What We Did On Our Summer Vacation 2025 - Part 5