Carolyn FitzGerald is a freelance trombonist and trombone teacher in the Central New York area. Carolyn graduated from Ithaca College with her bachelor of music in trombone performance where she studied with late Hal (Doc) Reynolds, Tim Smith, Will Porter, Alex Shuhan, and Jeff Dunn. During her time at IC she played principal/lead trombone in a variety of ensembles including symphony orchestra, wind ensemble, concert band, jazz ensemble, trombone troupe, and various chamber ensembles. In addition, Carolyn was actively involved in the musical theatre program at IC, playing in a variety of shows including Twelfth Night, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Newsie’s, and Urinetown. She currently plays with the Fall Creek Brass Band, a staple of the Ithaca, NY music scene and is a sought after jazz, funk, and pop trombonist in the Central NY area.

During her summers, Carolyn has attended the Gene Pokorny Low Brass Seminar in 2021 and 2022 at Northern Illinois University, the Summer Trombone Workshop in 2021 at East Tennessee State University, the DC Trombone Workshop in 2022 and 2024 at Shenandoah University, the New York Jazz Workshop in Italy in 2023, and the Windy City Trombone Retreat hosted by the non-profit group Brass Beyond Binaries in 2023.

Carolyn has a private trombone studio based in Ithaca, NY. She also works at Texas Roadhouse as a server, and previously worked at Hickey’s Music Center as a customer service rep and at the Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre, and Dance as a Marketing and Events Promotion Assistant. During her free time, Carolyn enjoys hanging out with friends, singing, and playing with her cat, LC.