Spirit of Houston Flute section leader Trenton Hill plays with the band during the Homecoming game against Arizona, Saturday, Oct. 18, Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Midday melodies are something of a trademark for music education fifth-year Trenten Hill.
Known to most as the flutist who practices on the stairs of Student Center South, Hill is the flute section leader in the Spirit of Houston Band, which performs at the annual homecoming game.
“Homecoming as a musician, but I guess more importantly as a student, is a celebration of everything that it means to go to UH and to be a Cougar,” Hill said. “It’s electric, no matter who we go up against.”
For Hill, marching is a combination of giddy excitement and intense focus, especially with a homecoming audience of both current students and alumni.
“You’ve got a lot of dots to cover, you’ve got a lot of music to accurately play, you have a lot of pictures to create and a story to tell, and that’s really fun,” Hill said. “And then at the end of each movement, everyone just gets up and cheers for you. It just fills you with this sense of satisfaction, knowing that people really like what you do.”
Hill’s love for music started early. Long before joining the Spirit of Houston, before he began creating music himself, Hill was coming of age in a family where music was everywhere.
“My mom sang, my uncles played drums and bass, so I’ve always been surrounded by people with musical aptitudes,” Hill said. “But my love for what I do today came from an older cousin of mine. She was the star of the family; like everyone loved her, everyone wanted to be her, including me.”
When Hill found out that his cousin played the flute, he made it his mission to do the same, starting as a sixth grader in middle school band. He hasn’t stopped since.
“There were definitely days where I struggled, and I felt really insecure about my aptitude compared to the other people around me, but it’s just not something I was able to give up,” Hill said. “Like whenever my flute would go into the repair shop, and I wouldn’t have it for a week, I feel myself itching for it. Because of that, I just know that I’ll never be able to put it down.”
Although Hill didn’t enjoy marching band in high school, he describes himself as “probably the most uncoordinated person you’ll ever meet.” College was a turning point for him, especially because it offered an opportunity to take on leadership roles.
“I was someone who had confidence in my playing ability, but it was very silent,” Hill said. “But when I came to college, I sort of wanted to challenge my own mindset on that. Maybe I was capable, maybe I could stand in front of a section and lead them.”
Hill is now in his second year as flute section leader and on the other side of overcoming impostor syndrome.
“There are tons of people around you who admire many things about the musician you are,” Hill said. “Most people aren’t thinking so critically of you, and that’s a phrase that I’ve heard my entire life, like you’re your own worst critic. I’m slowly beginning to figure out the truth in that statement.”
Environmental science senior and tuba player Shane Fisher met Hill in his freshman year — they quickly bonded as musicians, and Fisher said he quickly grew to admire how Hill put himself out there.
“My first impression was seeing him jumping around and just really leaving it out there on the field,” Fisher said. “He’s just at the front and dancing like crazy, like jumping 10 feet in the air.”
Hill is also the music chair of his sorority, Tau Beta Sigma, which is dedicated to supporting women in music. English and history junior Claire Pruett, a mellophone player in the Spirit of Houston, is Hill’s sorority twin sister.
“He’s very passionate about what he believes in, and he’s very open,” Pruett said. “He doesn’t hide who he is at all. He’s gay, he’s just always been so open with it and he’s always so respectful. That’s one of the reasons I actually befriended him.”
But behind the flamboyant personality and fiercely passionate composer, Hill says he is motivated by the fear of regret.
“I don’t want to look back and say to myself 10 years down the line, man, I could have done more, I could have achieved more,” Hill said. “I like to do as much as I can in the present so that I don’t have those thoughts in the future.”
Outside of music, Hill describes himself as a “really huge dork” — he’s a huge fan of Nintendo games and forensic science. His hobbies are fulfilling, but they never keep him away from his true passion for very long.
“Music opens up so many opportunities for people to express themselves, and it opens up a place for some people to fill,” Hill said. “Some people were put on this earth to create music, to teach music, to inspire through it. And because of what it does, it can’t not matter. It can’t not be essential.”
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