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Allison Martin
October 07, 2025
Finally feeling cool ❄️
I hope you’re doing well, ! It’s been a little while since our last chat, but I have a lot of fun things to share. If you’re a bit chilly like me, grab a warm drink and blanket, and get cozy with this riveting round-up.
GOD OF HORNS: A MARTIGANTI DEBUT!
My husband Ro Panuganti and I make a great team in a lot of ways, but our musical tastes do differ substantially. But this year, we got the grandest opportunity to bring both of our styles to the table with the release of Hades II, a rogue-like action game based on Greek mythology. Your character, Melinoë, fights against time (literally; his name is Chronos) and torment (pretty close to literally; his name is Typhon) across the Underworld and Mount Olympus. Whew!
The music of the first Hades was a star of the show and featured catchy metal riffs and lovely lyrical ballads, and we have even more of that here with the addition of an even bigger orchestral voice (and a few uh, vocal covers featuring me!). Trombones are heavy hitters in Hades II, which I’m particularly excited about! Ro and I have been able to include all of these flavors in a way that I think not many others can, and we also have our own style that really shows!
One thing I’m also very excited to share is the artwork, seen above. I was so happy to bring on my high school friend Trent Nickens for this project! Trent is a very talented artist, and he’s also a very kind friend! We’re always looking to bring in human talent to our projects—especially amidst the onslaught of AI-generated “art”—and we also love sharing opportunities to artists new to the scene when we can. If you need art, talk to Trent!
I’m really loving how the album is coming along so far, and I hope you enjoy it when it releases later this year. For now, though, feel free to rock out to our most recent single, Rock and a Hard Place!
LEVELING UP WITH THE 8-BIT BIG BAND
This is absolutely CRAZY! I got the most amazing opportunity to sit in with the 8-Bit Big Band during their concert at the Moore Theater on August 30. This is a Grammy award-winning group, so for me to be playing in its ranks was an absolute dream come true. …it was on bass trombone, but still! (Actually, bass trombone has been super fun, and if it gives me more opportunities, well…okay!) Check out a clip of the opening moments of the show below—we kicked things off with Wii Sports! |  |
TEACHING THE CRAFT
In the last few months, I’ve been doing a fair amount of teaching privately and in groups, both online and locally! I’ve had a blast getting to know a lot of passionate young players as well as older trombonists wanting to get back into playing, and teaching is always a good way to keep my own skills up!
CYSO CampI was the low brass coach for both weeks of the Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Sounds music camp! It was fantastic getting to know the program and its staff better, and it was also great getting to meet new local friends and colleagues! I also helped fill in some parts for the concerts, performing on bass trombone, bass drum, and triangle. Good times! | BYSO CoachingI get to coach more low brass this year with the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra (there are a lot of youth orchestras around here!), and I always have a good time with the students there. The material is always challenging, and it’s great for the students to learn about how to really work with their fellow orchestra members. I also fill in for bass trombone in this group when needed! | LessonsLessons are ongoing on as usual! I’ve been teaching local students (but online, ha!), as well as students from all over. I’ve met trombone enthusiasts from Singapore, New Zealand, China, Canada, and more! I love the fact that I can help and connect with so many cool people worldwide. |
This Month’s Video Pick:
We’re keeping things classic with “What It Sounds Like” from KPop Demon Hunters!
…yes, I too have fallen victim to this movie’s charms. Truthfully, I’m pretty neutral when it comes to K-pop, J-pop, and the like…but I do love animation as an artform and don’t mind pop at all, so here we are. I’m particularly proud of the lower bass trombone parts you hear toward the end!
🌊 ALLISON CURRENTS 🌊
GAMES I WANT TO PLAY
| GAMES I’M PLAYING NOW
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THINGS I LIKE
| GOALS I HAVE
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…hello?
It’s a Garfy update!!
Garfield is getting colder along with the rest of us; his current hobbies are cuddling with us and our blankets, eating kibble, and curling up on his warm bed that I bought him. Every day I’m grateful that he actually uses a thing I bought for him—and for its original intended purpose, too!
He still gets his routine zoomies, though we’ve been giving him supplements to help him with his joints. Still, he’s very active and happy, and he makes a very good cushion of warmth on these cold nights. Thanks, bud!
Garfy doing what he does best. Look at his little mouth!!
That’s it for now! 🎉
It’s been lovely sharing all of this with you, . I’m taking things one day at a time, and while I’m very excited to get to releasing these albums and things I’m working on, I’m trying hard to take my time and really appreciate everything I have—and that includes you. Thank you for reading, and if you ever want to chat, please don’t hesitate to reach out!