Midwest Clinic 2006

On Monday, we head to the annual Midwest Clinic in Chicago. This year, the Austrian brass ensemble, "Sound INN Brass" will premiere a brand new version of Loose Id for brass and drumset. The concert is Saturday morning, 9:30, in the Grand Ballroom. If you're at the convention, don't miss this concert - this group will floor you!

And of course, don't forget to come by and say 'hello' at the BCM booth, #325. I'll have a new recording of Radiant Joy (not the one here on my website), so come have a listen!

Lots of preparation left to do for the booth and the convention in general - printing scores like mad, making up flyers, figuring out a schedule (can't miss the Dallas Wind Symphony's concert and Corigliano "Circus Maximus" presentation). Plus all the gluttonous food and drink consumption. It is Chicago, after all...

See you there!

Back in Blue

The MSU Wind Symphony concert was particularly good this past Sunday. "Blink!" went really well, and sounded leagues better in the hall than it had in the rehearsal room (and also because I was actually sitting in front of the ensemble this time). The ending is a gorgeous, unexpected wash of sound, and is probably the most likely candidate for "I'm gonna steal some of that"...

The concert also featured a world premiere Piano Concerto by Ron Newman (no relation to Jonathan), performed with absolute confidence and skill by Deborah Moriarty. Both are faculty members at MSU. The first two movements held the most promise for me - the cadenza in the first movement had an engaging repeated left-hand bassline, while the right hand went nuts. The second movement's opening was also striking, with a bare, solo motive in the clarinet, against the piano. The orchestrational contrast was welcome and inviting.

The concert closed with Donald Grantham's "Southern Harmony" which I'd heard on recording, but never live. This was a great musical experience. Director Kevin Sedatole preceded each movement with eight singers presenting the song that forms its basis, which was a nice touch. The whole work was great, though the second and third movements captured my ear the most. The second movement, "Wondrous Love" even made me reconsider my approach to my current project...too early to tell yet what long-term effect it will have, though...

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Apparently Joel received a few e-mails about his green-clad enemy-embracing appearance in the previous post, so to be fair, here's his redemption shot:



(He insisted on taking this photo, though I'm not sure he recalls doing so, after dehydrating himself in his hot tub all day, and then partaking of one or two beers. I feel his pain. Well, not really, since I don't have a hot tub, but here's to hoping for one at my next residency. Puckett's raised the bar for all of us. Even you, Mr. Mackey!)

Blink!

Joel Puckett is the guest composer at Michigan State this weekend, with the Wind Symphony (conducted by fellow composer and DMA grad. student, Jim Colonna) doing his recent work, Blink!, tomorrow. I first met Joel a couple of years ago at the CBDNA convention in New York, and then again briefly at Midwest last year, but we had never had a chance to really hang, so this weekend has seen some long-overdue good times. Last night, after some sushi and sake, we ended up at the MSU/Ohio State hockey game. Now, Joel has Blue running through his veins, so he was in enemy territory, but he embraced the Spartan green...literally:


Joel Puckett and Sparty, December 1st, 2006

He's been super-cool to hang with, as I suspected would be the case from JN's previous report from KU, and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's concert. I've only heard the piece from the perspective of sitting behind the percussion section, so I still haven't really heard the flutes, or clarinets, or, well, the woodwinds...

(Oh, the Spartans smashed OSU handily, 4-1. Go Green!)