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Vantage Point

Portland Magazine

October 21, 2020

By Sharif Morton ’21

I've played trombone since my freshman year of high school. Trombone is the only instrument I can get to bend to my will. If I’m happy, it sounds happy, and if I’m sad, it sounds sad. When I’m confused or angry, it all comes through. I’m able to put intent and emotion into the music. Some days it doesn’t sound the prettiest, but it feels good.

I practice some days, and I play on others. Playing for me is about self-expression.

If it’s a nice day, I go outside to play. The air feels fresher. I like the acoustics. I can hear a note I play echo across the river and come back to me. It’s cool. It’s easier to relax outside as well. I’m just “being” there; I’m not trying to accomplish anything. Stress from academics, professional and community obligations, and being waist deep in campus and national politics make self-care and coping a daily endeavor; playing music is an outlet I plug into. I like playing into wide open spaces, too. I like to envision sound going a long distance and imagining it dissipating. I imagine the song filtering through the trees and diffusing. I love high vantage points. I’m always looking for roof access, getting up as high as I can to look out. It’s cool to play out there, and when I do, I play the songs I’ve memorized. Sometimes I play John Coltrane’s “In a Sentimental Mood” or “Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)” by Antonio Carlos Jobim. I always start and end with “Black Orpheus” (Vince Guaraldi), a slower version to start and another more upbeat version of it to close.

Sharif Morton ’21 is president of UP’s Black Student Union and manager of the University Jazz Ensemble. The BSU’s podcast Black on the Bluff can be found at Spotify; subjects include “Becoming Aware of Race” and “Black or African American.”