Ecstatic in Illinois

I'm back in Austin tonight, after boarding a flight in the snow in Chicago, and walking off the plane into 86 degree heat 2 and half hours later. Good to be home... :)

Last night, the [wind ensemble of the] Fighting Saints of St. Charles East HS gave a very successful performance of Ecstatic Waters, after a FULL first half consisting of Newman's Avenue X, my own Dusk, Joseph Spaniola's Escapade, and Wataru Hokoyama's Fanfare. Oh, and they also played RB Hall's march, Independentia to close the concert...because Director Jim Kull is crazy - uh - ambitious with his programming. ;) I think he's addicted to stress, because Ecstatic Waters alone is a big production to perform! Many thanks are due to John Mizanin for making the sound setup flawless, Gil Wukitsch for keeping me from getting lost in the score, Jim Kull for taking on this project to begin with, and the band for working so hard and rising to the challenge of this music. You all did a wonderful job, and I had a great time! I hope all y'all stay warm up there! :)

Now, gotta practice Radiant Joy - I'm conducting it with the Greater Dallas Youth Wind Symphony at the Eisemann Center in Richardson, TX, on Sunday!

Ecstatic Waters across the Midwest

Last night, the Ohio State Symphonic Band under Rick Blatti gave a great (by all accounts I've heard) performance of Ecstatic Waters. I heard the dress rehearsal on Tuesday, which was fantastic, not just because they played the piece well, but because this is the first time I've ever been able to sit and listen to the entire work live without pressing buttons on the laptop. Big thanks to Pete Tender and Rich Clark for running the electronics, to Rick Blatti for being a part of the consortium and putting the whole thing together (literally - see Mahler Hammer below), and the band for working so hard on the music!

I wasn't able to be there because I'm doing the piece with the St. Charles East HS Wind Ensemble tonight. We had a good rehearsal this morning, despite me missing one of the cues (they kept going and did just fine, but a stressful few moments!). They've also programmed my Dusk, and Jonathan Newman's Avenue X, which they also commissioned a few years ago. Director Jim Kull is one of the biggest BCM supporters out there!

Wish us luck tonight, and come to the concert if you're in the suburbs of western Chicago: 7:30pm, St. Charles East High School!


Rich and Pete running the laptop at OSU


Mahler Hammer, custom built by Rick Blatti. This was the second incarnation. The first was apparently smashed through in a prior rehearsal...

Texas State has Suite Dreams

The Texas State University Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds concert was last night, and both groups did a fantastic job. I let the professionals handle the conducting, except for the last of my pieces, Suite Dreams, for which I just couldn't resist taking the podium. The group played really, really well, and I think it all went over well with the audience, as well. :)

Now it's off to Ohio State University tomorrow for rehearsals with Rock Blatti and the Symphonic Band on Ecstatic Waters, which they're performing Wednesday night. However, I have to leave from there on Wed. morning for St. Charles East High School (Chicago suburb), where Jim Kull and the Wind Ensemble are ALSO doing Ecstatic Waters, so I can perform it with them on Thursday night. If you're in either of those towns, you should go to one of the concerts - won't be quite like any band concert you've ever been to before!

Texas State University residency Day 2

I'm heading back down to San Marcos for a full day of rehearsals and presentations to various classes. Rehearsals on Tuesday went *very* well - both groups sound great. The concert is tomorrow night at 8pm in Evans Auditorium on the TSU campus - come if you're in the area!

Texas State University residency this week

I'm pleased to serve as the 2009 Texas State University Dept. of Bands Visiting Artist this week. I'm heading down to San Marcos for rehearsals with the Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Winds (Rod Schueller and Caroline Beatty, directors) today, and then will return for a full day of seminars, rehearsals, etc. on Thursday, and then Friday evening for the concert, featuring Radiant Joy, Suite Dreams, Dusk, and MetaMarch. Concert is Friday night at 8pm, in Evans Auditorium on the campus of Texas State University.

And as a TMEA recap - Baylor did a great job with Alchemy in Silent Spaces, Mvt. I, the logic of all my dreams last week! It was a pleasure to hear them play, and I had a great time as always in San Antonio!

Off to San Marcos...

TMEA: Baylor performs Alchemy

V, JM, and I will head down to TMEA in San Antonio tomorrow morning for the Texas Tech and Baylor University concerts. Texas Tech is doing two movements of Mackey's Sax Concerto at noon, and Baylor will follow at 2pm, with Mvt. I the logic of all my dreams, from Alchemy in Silent Spaces. I heard Baylor last week at rehearsal, and again this morning in a pre-TMEA performance at Westwood HS here in Austin, and they are doing a fantastic job with my piece (and the others, too, notably Corigliano's Gazebo Dances and Daugherty's Bells for Stokowski). So, all you TMEA people out there - we expect to see each every one of you at the Texas Tech and Baylor concerts on Thursday! :)

...and then hopefully it's off to a bar so Mackey can introduce us to the newly-created Asphalt Cocktail!

GDYO Wind Symphony

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure to rehearse my Radiant Joy with the GDYO Wind Symphony. Conductor David Kehler invited me up to work with the group, in preparation for their March 1st concert at the Eisemann Center, in Richardson, TX. I admit I was a bit nervous - this is my first time to conduct Radiant Joy, but the band played wonderfully, and forgave me for getting lost a couple of times... :)

This is a great group of kids - extraordinary level of playing and really good attitudes, even if not all of the music is to their liking (Ellerby, Mvt. III, I'm looking at you). If you're anywhere near the Dallas area on Sunday, March 1st, you absolutely should come to the concert. The fun begins at 2:30pm!

And on that note, March 10th, at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas: Jerry Junkin and the UT Wind Ensemble will do my new Ecstatic Waters for wind ensemble+electronics. More about that soon.

Alchemy at Baylor

Off to Baylor University today to hear the Wind Ensemble rehearse Alchemy in Silent Spaces, Mvt. I. They are performing the work several times next week, culminating in their TMEA performance on Thursday at 2pm. I heard them do a fantastic job on this piece last Spring under the baton of H. Robert Reynolds, and have no doubt they'll give several more fine performances under their director, Eric Wilson. If you're around for any of the following concerts, definitely check them out:

Feb. 9th, 7:30pm: Baylor University campus concert - Jones Hall
Feb. 11th, 9am: Westwood HS (Round Rock)
Feb. 11th, 1:30pm: Hays HS (Buda)
Feb. 12th, 2:00pm: TMEA - Lila Cockrell Theater (San Antonio, TX)

I'll be at the TMEA performance, and perhaps at one of the HS performances on the 11th. Say 'howdy' if you're there!