What is your name?
Rod Simmons

Where are you from?
Newfoundland

Where do you live now?
Kamloops

What instrument do you play?
Bass Trombone

How long have you played your instrument?
35 years

What made you pick that instrument?
My father played tuba and bass trombone throughout my childhood. At age 12 I didn't have the air to play tuba, so I settled on tenor and eventually bass trombone.

Where did you study?
Memorial University of Newfoundland

If you could have dinner with any composer (living or dead) who would it be and why?
Mozart. I would be interested in what kind of conversations one would have with that level of musical genius.

What is your favourite genre of music, other than classical music?
Broadway Musicals

What is your favourite band?
The Eagles. I love the tight vocal harmonies.

Other than the KSO, who do you perform with?
Thompson Valley Orchestra, Brandenburg Orchestra

What are some interesting places you have traveled to?
Alaska, Hawaii, Las Vegas, southern California, Florida, and all ten Canadian provincial capitals.

What are your hobbies outside of music?
Daily walks, science fiction and fantasy novels, keeping up on current events.

What is your favourite flavour of ice cream?
Any flavour containing cheesecake.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Popcorn and Doritos.