A Trombone with a purpose

A true story

I found this Trombone in an Antic Shop in Riga, few years back. I am not a Trombone player, but seeing it hanging there, gathering golden dust among scattered old Porzellan pots and dolls, my heart went for it, so I paid the indifferent shop keeper and took it.

It was wet and moist outside that day, so I wrapped it in a big black plastic bag and went out to the street carrying it on me. You can imagine the surreal image, me marching in the streets of Riga under drizzled fog, hugging a Trombone in a plastic bag. We kept walking for a while, until, by chance, we arrived the old big Synagogue of Riga. The synagogue had been burned to ashes by the Nazis, and today it remained as Memorial site. I followed the signes and I went in, walking among the ruins of the old walls - maybe 1 meter height, until I reached the sign telling about the story of the place. It has been burned while many families were locked in by the Nazis. It touched me, as I walked there along the ruins under the gentle rain. I allowed myself standing there, feeling the Energy of that place, imaging the horror that once happened here.

And then it stroked me! I knew what is to be done.

I took off the newly bought instrument out of the bag and assembled it slowly. As I was alone in that place, I put the mouthpiece on my lips and blew three loud, big, crying blows, and with each I cried out the agony of the people and the place. In the healing silence which remained after the last blow I knew, that this Trombone had fulfilled its purpose. I was gratefully humbled by the opportunity I was given to carry that task out.

I took the Trombone back with me to Berlin and today it found a home in our studio.