“Like a magnetized needle floating on a surface of oil, Resistance will unfailinly point to true

North-meaning that calling or action it most wants to stop us from doing. We can use this. We can

use it as a compass. We can navigate by Resistance, letting it guide us to that calling or action that

we must follow before all others.

Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance

we will feel toward pursuing it.”

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—Steven Pressfield

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Infallible accentuates the stereotypical role of a trombone which frequently plays soaring melodies

in concerto style music. I break this apart with interruptions of pedal notes, the use of plunger and

multiphonics to demonstrate how much the trombone has to offer.

Through the physical push and pull of the slide, we see physical resistance as well as the act of

blowing into the trombone and creating buzzing sounds which offers a change of embouchure,

thus resistance.

 

Structurally, the piece follows the act of resistance in a comical sense. Performer James

McNaughton stated it resembles the frustration of practicing and getting it wrong over and over

again. The piece linearly progresses to show that the wrongs are right, and whilst the performer

‘acts’ upset and frustrated about this, the melody (idea A) and extended techniques (idea B)

eventually fuse together. We see the performer relax as these two ideas merge and are accepted

as one.