Rising Stars: Meet Glenn Hill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Glenn Hill.  

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a trombone player and producer from Memphis, TN. I’ve been living in Nashville for about 9 years. I started playing instruments in the 7th grade. At my school we had to go through a rotation of different Fine Arts classes for about 8 weeks, so every student had to play in the band for a little bit. I went to my band rotation kicking and screaming and was put on the trumpet. I played it for a few weeks, but I thought the mouthpiece was really small and it was painful to play high notes. I asked my band director if there was anything a bit easier, and he recommended I try the trombone since the mouthpiece was bigger. I started playing trombone and fell in love with it. I never really looked back after that. 

I joined the school band in 8th grade and started auditioning in regional and state honor bands. The summer before my senior year of high school I went to this music program called Governor’s School. The kids in the program stayed on campus at MTSU for a month and we played in different ensembles, took private lessons, and performed in recitals. We played for about 8 hours a day, and this was when I realized I wanted to do music in some fashion with my life. 

In the last month of my senior year of high school, I was at All-State. I went to a college fair and ran into one of my judges that auditioned me for Governor’s School – He was the band director for Lipscomb University. He told me that all of his trombone players were graduating and he encouraged me to apply. I had no interest in going to school there, so I was pretty reluctant to apply. But eventually, I auditioned and toured the school and really felt God was leading me there. 

I graduated in May 2017 with a degree in Finance. At that time music was solely just an academic extracurricular activity that I had kept up since middle school. Once I graduated, I didn’t pick my horn up again. I had accepted a Graduate Assistant position to run the Intramural Sports program at Lipscomb and they would cover my Master’s degree. That was my plan and I was going to start in August 2017. 

July 29th, 2017 – I was at home with my family in Memphis getting ready to move back to Nashville to work on my Master when I received a phone call. It was from an unknown number and I didn’t answer those at the time. I have left a voicemail and asked about my availability for a fall tour. I called back and learned it was for a position to play trombone for Kelly Clarkson for her album promo tour for a few months. I was surprised since I was 22 and really had no professional experience prior, but I believed God was giving me an opportunity to pursue my dreams and I jumped on it. Those few months turned into 4-5 years in Kelly’s band. We’ve done promo tours, arena tours, tv and award shows, and a few Spotify Studio sessions. That opportunity started my music career and since then I’ve had the opportunity to play with several artists and put together horn sections. A few of the artists I’ve played with include Gladys Knight, Dan + Shay, Meghan Trainor, Brett Eldredge, Maggie Rose, The Rickey Minor Band, and others. I am currently on the road with Zach Williams on his Spring tour. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been smooth. In 8th grade, I sat 2nd chair in the trombone section. I was very proud and happy about that accomplishment. I continued to practice and progress and learn to get better at my craft. I think the effort was intimidating to the 1st chair trombonist, so he started to bully me. Whenever I would play, he would say “you suck” or more personal attacks like “you’re fat” and “that’s why you don’t get girls.” Those words always stuck with me. I know they would never define me, but as a 13-year-old it didn’t bode well for my confidence, alongside those words, the 1st chair would practice with the 3rd chair so that he could get good enough to challenge me for my chair they could sit next to each other. When I got a little older, I would give lessons to younger trombone players. I’ll never forget the 1st chair coming into my lesson one day and asking the student: “Do you really want to learn from the second best?” All of these things made me want to quit and give up on trombone completely. I tell these stories to encourage younger musicians that might share these experiences. Don’t give up – these situations grow you and make you stronger. I owe my entire music career to my mother… she would not let me quit. After 8th grade, she told me “You’ve got to play one more year. If you don’t like it after then, I’ll let you quit.” My life would look so much different if I gave up – so thank you, mom. 

The pandemic was a rough time. I wasn’t playing bone anywhere, I really got burned out on creating, and was pessimistic about the music coming back to where it was before. I thought “what’s the point of practicing? Nothing’s happening.” But God was extremely good and gracious. He sustained my family and me throughout the entire pandemic. I’m very grateful to God for making it to the other side of this when so many did not. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Aside from trombone, I am a producer. I draw my creative inspiration heavily from trap, hip-hop, and some R&B. I released an instrumental album in Fall 2021 called “Peace of Mind.” It’s available to stream everywhere. I’ve produced a couple of singles as well for Bridget Sarai and Dave Orwell. I produced a record for Nate Jollay, a rapper based in Nashville, and he and I have locked in and planning to release our music this year. I love to create and work with different people and learn from them, so I’m excited to see what happens this year. 

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Save as much as you can. For a lot of my musician friends, music was a sole source of income. Being able to have an emergency fund while you pick up the pieces can help bridge the gap as you find work. So always being conscious of how much you’re saving can go a long way. 

Having a support system. Without God and my family, I would have folded in the pandemic. Find a reliable support system that can help navigate you during the times you get anxious or scared or just need wisdom on your next move. 

Never give up hope. No matter what situation you find yourself in. If you sleep on it, a lot of times it feels better in the morning. 

Contact Info:

• Website: glennhill2.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glennhill2/

Image Credits
Loc Vo
Maddox Fowler
Christopher Bellamy
Grant Exline