500 Trombones - Two of Them From Reston

Jeanette Essig, Reston resident and a Fairfax County Public Schools music resource teacher, and Darien Whaley, an eighth-grade student at were among the hundreds of trombone players who played in pursuit of a world record at Nationals Park Friday night.

The event was organized by Arena Stage's Larry Goldberg in conjunction with the new production of Meredith Willson's The Music Man, now playing at Arena Stage. One of The Music Man's signature songs is 76 Trombones.

Arena Stage said in a press release it was aiming to focus awareness on the musical education needs of children in the DC Metro area.

"It was really cool having all those trombones there at once," said Darien.

Said Essig, a former music teacher at Reston's "It was great to see young players and seasoned trombone players from all across the Mid-Atlantic region, and beyond, braving the elements to set this record."

Alas, the Washington Nationals' game against the Atlanta Braves, which was supposed to follow the trombone playing, was rained out.