– About

The Raleigh Area Trombone Society is committed to fostering a vibrant community of trombone enthusiasts through education, performance, and collaboration. We aim to inspire musicians of all ages and skill levels by providing opportunities for learning, sharing musical experiences, and promoting the appreciation of the trombone as a versatile and essential instrument in various musical genres. Through workshops, concerts, and outreach programs, we celebrate the artistry of the trombone and strive to create a supportive environment that encourages creativity and excellence.

2026 RATS Officers

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President – Matt Neff
Class of 2029

Matt is the bass trombone with the NC Symphony, a position he has held since 2020.  Previously he was with the U.S. Navy Band in Washington for 27 years. Matt is also a composer and arranger, as well as an advocate for music education, active in the North Carolina Symphony’s Music Discovery Program and conducting master classes and clinics throughout the country.

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Secretary – Jeep Morrison
Class of 2028

Jeep is the founding President of RATS. By day he is an executive in the clean energy industry finding time to play trombone as often as he can.  He plays with the NC Revelers Orchestra, and Brasissimo!, a brass quintet. Over the years he  has organized trombone ensembles such as Brass-on-the-Slide, A Trombone Collusion, The Trombone Continuum and the Grand Traverse Trombones.

Thomas Hill
Treasurer – Thomas Hill
Class of 2027

Thomas is the Marketing and Office manager of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and serves as the current Treasurer of RATS.  He is a graduate of Oberlin College, earning a BA in Musical Studies, with a concentration in Arts Administration & Leadership. He also performs with the Old North State Brass Band.

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Membership – Matt Weingarten
Class of 2029

Matt plays bass and tenor trombone and performs with various ensembles in the Triangle including the Raleigh Concert Band, NC Revelers Orchestra and the Neuse River Big Band. He holds degrees from NC State in Arts Applications, and from ECU in Music Education. Matt is a veteran of the Marine Corps Reserves. He is currently working as an IT support manager at Veradigm, a healthcare technology company.

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Programs – Wendell Welch
Class of 2028

Wendell is a founding member of RATS. He is a retired USAF Major and a retired Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wildland firefighter in Boise, Idaho. He played principal trombone with the Meridian Symphony Orchestra in Meridian, Idaho for 20 years. Wendell began playing the trombone in 5th grade, selecting the instrument because it seemed more interesting than the other band instruments that had “buttons” to push. In the 7th grade he began studying trombone at the Blair School of Music, which at that time, was part of the then-independent Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee (Peabody is itself now part of Vanderbilt University). Wendell studied trombone with Henry Romersa, Karl Hinterbichler, and George Turner. Wendell has a bachelor of Arts degree (2007) from the Northwest Nazarene University in applied music on trombone. He and his wife moved to North Carolina in 2023 to be near grandchildren.

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Communications – Cameron Collar Class of 2027
Cameron is the Instructor of Low Brass at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, principal trombone of the Carolina Philharmonic, and the second trombone of the Fayetteville Symphony. Cameron has recently performed with the North Carolina Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, and the Durham Symphony. Cameron is a 2023 graduate of the Eastman School of Music, in Rochester, NY, where he earned his Master of Music degree in Trombone Performance and Literature. In 2021, Cameron graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Trombone Performance.
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Member at Large A – Tom Jenner
Class of 2029 (Focus on Middle and High School)

Tom is a retired band teacher and a member of the NC Bandmaster Hall of Fame. In addition to teaching at Millbrook and Enloe High Schools he has served as the director of the Duke University Wind Ensemble and of the Old North State Brass Ensemble. Tom received his Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he studied with John Locke. He holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Florida State University where he studied with James Croft.

Steve Wilifong
Member at Large B – Steve Wilifong
Class of 2028 (Focus on connections with Colleges and Universities)

Steve is a professional trombonist and electric bassist who has performed for numerous National Broadway tours, North Carolina Theater, the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra, the North Carolina Ballet, the North Carolina Opera Company, the North Carolina Symphony, the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Frank Sinatra Jr., Michael Feinstein, and many others.

Steve studied trombone with John Riegger (Principal Trombone, Dayton Philharmonic), Earl Hoffman (Bass Trombone, San Antonio Symphony), Thomas Streeter (Low Brass Professor, Illinois Wesleyan University), Keith Jackson (Professor, West Virginia University), and Michael Kris (Senior Lecturer, University of North Carolina). Steve has had additional study with Keith Brown, Frank Crisafulli, Slide Hampton, David Baker, and Phil Wilson.

RATS functions because many people volunteer to make things happen.

There are several teams within RATS creating programs and connecting to the larger trombone community. If you would like to join in, please drop us a note.

Working Teams - Programs

Events for General Membership

Organize events open to all who wish to participate. This includes:

  • Annual Meeting
  • Summer Reading Event
  • NC Trombone Festival
  • Trombone Christmas
All-Stars Ensemble

Organize rehearsals and appearances for a RATS select ensemble to showcase trombone performance. Examples include playing for the following: ;

  • NC Trombone Festival
  • Cary Brass Festival in May
  • Fall Concert
  • NC Music Educators Conf.
  • Holiday All-Stars – this is an opportunity to generate income for RATS
Student Events

  • Create events for middle and high school students (e.g. audition workshops, Youth Trombone Ensemble, NC Trombone Festival)

  • For larger RATS events pay special attention to nurturing students’ experience (e.g. for Trombone Christmas pair middle school students with adult “guide”)

Higher Ed
  • Create trombone faculty special interest group (SIG)
  • Find opportunities to collaborate with faculty (e.g. NC Trombone Festival)
  • Include college students in RATS events

Working Teams - Communications

Webmasters
  • Maintain the RATS website and curate content with input from the larger communications team.
  • Create web functions for registrations and payments.
Social Media
  • Create content for posting on social media.
  • Promote upcoming RATS events
  • Highlight RATS activities
Newsletter
  • Prepare quarterly newsletters of interest to the regional trombone community.
  • Highlight events and activities of RATS
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