Laura Goodenkauf
Founder and Lead Musician
Laura Goodenkauf is a freelance horn player in Los Angeles, California and performs regularly in both classical and pop settings. As the founder and lead musician of Sunset Blvd Brass, Laura has organized musicians, musical groups, ensembles, and marching bands of all sizes for major television productions, corporate events, private parties, and everything in between!
Laura can be seen and heard on multiple episodes of the Late Late Show with James Corden, Lip Sync Battle, ESPN SportsNation, movie premiers at the Beverly Hills Writer's Guild, and celebrity parties and events. She has performed with James Corden, Adam Sandler, Brian McKnight, Gad Elbaz, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Garner, Demi Lovato, and Kevin James.
As a classically trained horn player, Laura loves playing orchestral music. She has performed with the Mozart Classical Orchestra, Orquesta de Baja California, San Bernardino Symphony, Santa Monica Symphony, Whittier Regional Symphony, San Fernando Valley Symphony, Orange County Symphony and the La Mirada Symphony. Before moving to Los Angeles, Laura held the position of principal horn with the American Wind Symphony in Pennsylvania and principal horn of the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra in Lawrence, Kansas.
In addition to her extensive orchestral experience, Laura is also an active chamber music player. She performed regularly with Patriot Brass, a non-profit chamber music organization that provides support to U.S veterans. She has also performed with the Conical Sound horn quartet alongside famous Hollywood studio recording artist Richard Todd at the International Horn Society’s 2011 annual convention in San Francisco.
Laura is also a passionate music educator. She is the Adjunct Professor of Horn at California Polytechnic University in Pomona, CA. She also coaches horn at Scripps College and the Pasadena Youth Symphony. She has taught with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, the Harmony Project, and other Los Angeles area schools and programs.
Laura studied French horn performance at Indiana University’s prestigious Jacobs School of Music and the University of Kansas. Laura teachers have included Elizabeth Freimuth, James Thatcher, Jeff Nelsen, Richard Seraphinoff, and Paul Stevens. She has also studied with the Atlantic Brass Quintet at Boston College and Sonoma State University.
Laura also embraces the entrepreneurial spirit. In her time away from music, she trains horses at Laura Goodenkauf Dressage, where she trains, teaches, and competes in competitive dressage.
The Sunset Blvd Brass Musicians
JT Burson, Trumpet
Trumpet performer and educator John-Thomas (“JT”) Burson has pursued his passion for music across a diversity of arenas. Based in Los Angeles, Burson may be heard and seen in a variety of film and television projects, including numerous appearances with Sunset Blvd Brass on CBS’ Late Late Show with James Corden and a commercial segment with Dos Equis’ “The Most Interesting Man in the World.”
Recently recording with American singer-songwriter Trevor Myall, Burson may be heard on the single “Pyro Heart,” which was released in February 2019 on the EP, “Ticket to Ride.” He has been a featured soloist with numerous ensembles, performing Arutunian’s Trumpet Concerto with the KSU Symphony Orchestra and appearing in 2015 as cornet soloist with the Georgia Symphony Symphony for an audience of over 4,000.
Equally invested in education, John-Thomas works with trumpet students throughout the Los Angeles area, including South Pasadena Music Center and Conservatory and Brentwood School. Burson holds a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) from Kennesaw State University and a Master of Music (M.M.) from Stony Brook University, where he studied with Kevin Cobb of the American Brass Quintet. www.johnthomasburson.com [2019]
Matt Evans, Bass Trombone
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Hailing from America’s mitten state (Michigan) - Bass trombonist Matthew Evans received his Bachelor of Music from Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 2013 on the highest awarded Dean’s Merit Scholarship. During his studies at Oberlin, he was a student of James DeSano, retired Principal Trombone of the Cleveland Orchestra. Feeling that 16 straight years in school wasn’t as lucky 18 years, Matthew continued on to graduate with his Master of Music on a full ride merit scholarship from Carnegie Mellon University in 2015. He was a student of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's Murray Crewe (deceased), bass trombonist, and Craig Knox, Tuba.
When Matthew isn’t fathering his three lovely plant children or reading books to rocks, he can be seen and heard all over Los Angeles, playing bass trombone, tenor trombone, euphonium and tuba on Tv shows and commercials, artist albums, symphony and opera orchestras, musical pit orchestras, chamber ensembles and in jazz and commercial bands.
Securing the next generation of musicians, Matthew is on faculty at the
Silverlake Conservatory of Music, and additionally has a teaching position with the Key to Joy Music program, a substitute teaching position with the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) and maintains an active private studio.
Nathan Stearns, Trombone
A native of Southern California, Nathan Stearns studied trombone performance under Peter Ellefson at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Happily returning to his home state, Nathan now maintains an active career as a freelance trombonist and educator in the Los Angeles area.
As a performer, Nathan is well versed in many styles and genres of music and can be heard playing with various orchestras, chamber ensembles, big bands, pit orchestras, television programs, and choirs throughout Southern California on tenor trombone, alto trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, and tuba.
As an in demand educator, Nathan teaches with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), Pasadena Youth Symphony Philharmonic, the Harmony Project, the Temple City Unified School District, the Claremont Colleges, and maintains his own private studio.