UMKC wrap-up

Some observations from last week at UMKC:

1) The band is HOT. The 7 horns in the back row sounded like they were in my lap...and I liked it. It was a fantastic performance, and I can't thank conductor Steve Davis, and his TAs Hayes Bunch and Michelle Van Unen enough for inviting me out and making the whole thing run so well.

2) The BBQ ribs at Oklahoma Joe's are a taste treat, and the Crown Prime Beef Rib at Jack Stack is utterly unbelievable. Only matched by the Hickory Pit Beans, which apparently are Bobby Flay's favorite. I could taste why. Forgive the blurry iPhone pic:


3) Steve Davis treats you right: I had a full-size Jacuzzi in my room. Not some sort of glorified bathtub, this was a completely separate, fully-mirrored affair. Ridiculous... and extremely relaxing (after wading through the extensive instructions):




I had a great time in Kansas City, and can't thank the band enough for playing so well. This was my first visit, but I certainly hope it's not my last. :)

Now on to University of Michigan for the Symphony Band's performance of Ecstatic Waters on Friday night. I expect they will also not be too shabby... :)

The Fall Schedule

Lots of performances coming up, and I'm happy to say I'll be at a number of them. The madness begins this coming Tuesday, as I make my very first trip to Kansas City (eager for BBQ - I've been to Memphis many times, lived in Austin, now live in NC, so KC is the last of the big 4 BBQ holy lands I have yet to visit). Here's a rundown of my travels this Fall:

Sept. 22-25: UMKC Wind Symphony (Ecstatic Waters concert 9/24)
Sept. 30-Oct. 5: Univ. Michigan Symphony Band (Ecstatic Waters concert 10/2)
Oct. 11-15: Univ. Miami Wind Ensemble (Ecstatic Waters concert 10/14)
Oct 27: Cedar Ridge HS (NC) Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band concert (Radiant Joy and MetaMarch)
Nov. 15-17: Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble (Ecstatic Waters concert 11/17)
Nov. 18-20: Univ. Nebraska - Lincoln / NMEA residency - WORLD PREMIERE of The Marbled Midnight Mile (concert 11/20)
Nov. 20-Dec. 1: UNC Greensboro Wind Ensemble (Ecstatic Waters concert 12/1)
Dec. 2-5: Williams College WInd Ensemble (Ecstatic Waters concert 12/4)
Dec. 5-7: Michigan State Univ. Wind Symphony (Ecstatic Waters concert 12/6)
Dec. 14-19: Midwest Clinic, Chicago, IL

So, those are the ones I'll actually be in attendance. A fuller (though not complete) list of upcoming concerts is here.

What makes this extra fun is flying with all my laptop and audio gear. Airport security loves to see me with my backpack full of cryptic (to them) audio interfaces and cables. Explaining that the big MOTU letters stand for "Mark of the Unicorn" doesn't really clarify the situation any, either.

Durham, NC - The Triangle

Verena and I are now happy residents of Durham, NC. We've finally gotten unpacked and are moved in - no more climbing around boxes and eating at the kitchen bar. She's in full swing with the Duke University Wind Symphony, preparing for their first concert on October 1st, and I'm preparing for an academic year full of Ecstatic Waters performances (somewhere above the 25 mark at the moment, I believe!), and about to begin work on three projects - first, chamber variations on Ecstatic Waters for Steven Bodner and the Williams College Symphonic Winds, set for premiere December 4th; second, my cello concerto (for orchestral winds and percussion) for Caroline Stinson, cellist with the Lark Quartet; and third, a brand new consortium, led by Jerry Junkin, to complete my Concerto for Wind Ensemble. The existing work from 2007 will be the first movement of this larger work.

This weekend it's off to hear the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Friday) and the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra (Sunday). The former will be led by Larry Rachleff, whom I'm eager to finally meet, and the latter features Terrence Wilson on piano, who was at Juilliard when I was there, and is a phenomenal pianist (I still remember him doing the solo piano version of Petrushka as a student and being utterly blown away).

Perhaps I'll record some Saxophone How-to's this weekend as well. It appears my lack of practicing for the last 15 years won't put me at much of a disadvantage... (someone please tell me that this is satire...please)