Surprise hit Trombone Champ has re-ignited many players’ long-dormant passion for rhythm games – whether they realized it beforehand or not. But while gamers and critics have been singing its praises, the voice of one group has not been heard enough: actual trombonists. As a musician myself – currently the second oboe in Leicester Symphony Orchestra – I set off on a quest to find out what real trombonists make of the game, how it compares to playing the real thing, and how a wrong note-filled journey to mastering a virtual instrument can highlight the joy found in classical music.
