- About TJ -

TJ started his musical career in the 6th grade and graduated high school in 2024 from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, FL. TJ is currently a sophomore at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, where he is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in trombone performance, studying with Dr. Bradley Palmer. At CSU, TJ is a member of the highly regarded Schwob Trombone Ensemble, the Schwob Wind Ensemble directed by Dr. Jamie Nix, and the Schwob Philharmonic, conducted by Paul Hostetter.

Additionally, TJ has gotten the opportunity to attend summer festivals such as the International Trombone Festival and the Southeast Trombone Symposium, in which he was the winner of the 2024 STS Youth Solo Competition. He was also chosen as a member of the National Youth Orchestra 2 for the summer 2022 and 2023 seasons, traveling to New York, Miami, and the Dominican Republic.

In 2024-25, TJ was also a member of the Iridescent Trombone Quartet, based out of Columbus, GA. The group performed a southeast tour, traveling to middle/high schools in Florida and North Carolina and were finalists in the 2025 International Trombone Association Quartet Competition.

Some of TJ’s musical mentors include Christopher Bassett, Dr. Bradley Palmer, Brian Wendel, Megumi Kanda, David Schmidt, Don Zentz, Dr. Ken Williams, and his dad, Ted Shistle.

TJ plays on an Edwards T350-CR-E tenor trombone.