Cedar Ridge HS Bands tonight!

The Cedar Ridge HS Wind Symphony and Symphony Bands are playing my MetaMarch and Radiant Joy tonight, in Hillsborough, NC. I'll be working with both bands in rehearsal today, and at the concert tonight. Triangle people, come on out!

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.

WYWOP 2009

Had yet another great week in Schladming, Austria, at Mid Europe 2009. The World Youth Wind Orchestra Project, or WYWOP, gave a great concert this past Saturday night to close the festival. The concert was shared among four conductors: Gary Green from the Univ. of Miami, Joseph Horovitz from Great Britain, Johann Moesenbichler, president of Mid Europe, and for the first time, Verena Moesenbichler, Executive Director of the WYWOP and Director of Bands at Duke University (and my soon to be wife!). Gary did several tunes, including a new piece by Austin-based composer Ryan George, which is a really solid, fun piece, and I expect it will get a lot of performances. Ryan and his wife Sara(h?) came out to Austria just for this performance, and turned out to be truly delightful people to hang out with.

Gary also did my Radiant Joy with the group, which was a little scary in rehearsals, but all-but-flawless in performance (special shout-out to John Di Egidio and Nicola Martini for the Sop. and Bari. sax solos, and the percussion section for laying down a completely solid groove the entire time). Green closed the concert with the second movement of Mackey's Kingfishers Catch Fire, which, as always, brought the house down. This year's band had a particularly strong and large trumpet section, which was a perfect fit for John's piece.

Verena did a masterful job with the piece she was tasked with conducting (which was itself NOT a masterfully transcribed work from the original brass band version, but that's another story). The sheer energy and presence she has on the podium is breathtaking. I can't wait to hear her conduct Alchemy in Silent Spaces someday. :)



Now we're spending the remainder of our time in Austria, where she's preparing for her first year as Director of Bands at Duke University, and I'm finishing the new piece for the Nebraska consortium. I had finished it before I left for WASBE a few weeks ago, but have decided it needs a better climax section and ending, so I'm back to being unfinished. Then we fly back to the US, where we load up all of our stuff in a big truck, and drive 14 hours to our new home in Durham, NC!

Dusk at Disney Hall

Apparently Westlake HS is playing Dusk sometime around now at Disney Hall tonight. I had no idea, but ... COOL. Props to John Mackey for the heads-up.

Much more catching up to do : New York was great. MAYWE played their hearts out in Carnegie, and it was great to work with them and their fearless leaders, Robert Ambrose and Laura Moates Stanley. I sincerely hope I can come down to Atlanta and work with all of you again!



The rest of the trip consisted of seeing old friends, including finally meeting the dangerously charming and brilliant Newman/Schlactmeyer offspring, popping in on the Bang on a Can marathon with Jonathan, and checking out all the changes at Juilliard. I took some pictures, but wasn't able to capture it in a satisfying way, so just look at John's pix from his visit a few weeks ago.

I'm flying mostly under the radar while I compose this new piece for the Nebraska consortium. It's not due until August, but I need to finish it by the end of the month. On July 3rd, I head down to Denton to rehearse Ecstatic Waters with the UNT Wind Ensemble before we all pile in the bus and take the show to WASBE in Cincinnati. Concert is Thursday night, July 9th - I have no doubt it will bring the house down!

After that, it's straight from Cincinnati to Austria (well, not really straight - have to go through Atlanta, Munich, and then cab&train to Schladming) for the MidEurope Festival. The word is that Gary Green's doing Radiant Joy with the WYWOP, and Verena finally makes her conducting debut with the group, after running the entire show behind-the-scenes for the past several years!

And then it's to Durham, NC in August! Verena is the new director of bands at Duke University, which kicks total ass. So proud of this girl - came to the US and did both MM and DMA in a total of 4 years, and not even in her native language. That's just one of the many reasons I asked her to marry me. :)

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!

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 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...

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.

Midwest 2008!

I'm in Chicago this week for the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. On Wednesday, at 1:00pm, the Penn High School Symphonic Band will be performing Radiant Joy. And on Thursday at 11:30am, the Lockport Township High School Wind Symphony will premiere Eric's Libertas Imperio for symphonic winds and electronics. I'm particularly eager to hear this in light of all my recent work on Ecstatic Waters. Lastly, the USAF Band of Flight will play a portion of my First Light on their reading session Thursday evening at 5:30.

So, if you're at the convention, please say 'hello' and I look forward to seeing you there. Also, I strongly encourage you to go by the MidEurope booth and speak with Johann, Sieglinde, or Verena Moesenbichler about their festival. Imagine Midwest, but instead of Chicago in the winter, it's in the Austrian Alps in summer...

Me and Allen Vizzutti

...sort of.

Just found out the VCU (Virginia Commonwealth Univ.) Sym. Wind Ensemble will do Radiant Joy tonight, and are also featuring guest artist (trumpeter) Allen Vizzutti on the program. Cool. Will probably be a worthwhile show - if you're in Richmond, VA, go!

Tonight at 8pm. Here's the info. Live web stream at 8:00PM EST at www.themusicpage.com.

CD releases - Naxos and Albany Records

Just got word that two CDs will be released shortly:

American Tapestry (Naxos). This is the debut release of the Lone Star Wind Orchestra under the direction of Eugene Corporon, performing my work Radiant Joy. Release date April 29th, 2008.

New Music from Bowling Green, Vol. 5 (Albany Records), featuring the Bowling Green Philharmonia, Emily Freeman Brown, conductor. World premiere recording of my orchestra work, Loose Id for Orchestra. Release date: May 1st, 2008.

Pick them up if you have the inclination!

91 F

It's 91 degrees here at the moment. In February. I'm trying to avoid turning on the air conditioner, because that seems so decadent and un-Earth-friendly in the middle of WINTER. I'm loving this sunny warm winter, but sure am glad I won't be around for the summer...

Random miscellaneous:

Dusk scores are sold out at Hal Leonard for the moment, but Shattinger Music has some in stock if you need them. A brand new printing of both scores and sets is coming soon, with some minor revisions (mostly changes that I end up making when conducting it, so now they'll finally be codified). The new score and set also includes an optional Harp part, which I'll post for download on the Dusk page.

Also, I'm working on Dusk for symphony orchestra - I think it will make a great youth orchestra work. Amazing how the strings solve a lot of the sustain/breathing issues from the wind version. I have about a third of it finished. Have two possible performances lined up in the Fall - in two countries! More on that later in the year as plans are confirmed.

Residencies:
Arkansas Composers at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. They'll be performing "First Light," and I'll finally get to do my first 'gig' with my old teacher, Francis McBeth! The forum and concert are on April 1st (not a joke!). Don't get to do many gigs in my home state of Arkansas, so this is a welcome event!

Going to Fort Wayne, IN on April 20th for a guest residency with Jim Colonna's group at Indiana University Purdue University -Fort Wayne (cumbersome enough name for you?). They'll be playing Radiant Joy.



The neighbors' puppy, Flower, on a little hike with us this weekend:



She's a cutie.

Back to procrastinating on the winds and electronics piece. I have a five-movement architecture laid out, but I can draw Corigliano-sketch-pictures all day long. Making the leap from there to actual notes is the chasm no one can teach you to jump across.

Radiant Joy wins NBA/William D. Revelli Award!

It is my pleasure to announce that Radiant Joy has won the 2007 National Band Association / William D. Revelli Compostion Contest!!

The official award ceremony is tonight - have to work up my acceptance speech... ;)

Conducting Dusk at Bowie HS this Friday!

Bruce Dinkins, director of bands at Bowie HS in Austin, has graciously invited me to conduct Dusk with his Wind Ensemble this Friday night, December 14th. I met the band last Thursday and we sight-read through the piece, and I have to say I was blown away. This band is good - they were making music from my first downbeat. I'll go over the piece again with them this Thursday morning, and that's it - who ever heard of a High School group putting a piece together in two rehearsals?

If you're in Austin, come down to Bowie High School Friday night. Concert starts at 7, I believe, and the wind ensemble is last on the program (there are other bands before them).

In other news, I finally have my laptop back, so I'll try to get some pictures up from my recent adventures in Seattle and Rochester. Right now, I must print up a box-load of Radiant Joy scores and sets for Shattinger Music - sounds like he's going all-out for Midwest this year...

St. Charles East HS success!

I neglected to take any pictures while I was there, but the St. Charles East HS Wind Ensemble did a fine job with Bloom and Radiant Joy. I conducted Bloom, and even though I totally got lost for two or three bars (and did the round "I'm lost" pattern until I got back on the horse), they played right on through without the slightest hiccup. I really enjoyed conducting the group, but also really enjoyed letting Maestro Jim Kull conduct Radiant Joy... :)

Also enjoyed speaking to the Music Theory classes. Best question: "Do you have anything that sounds ... epic...you know, like something that makes you want to punch a dragon?". Awesome.

(I had no idea how to answer that. Anyone out there ever think of punching a dragon after hearing any of my music?).

Huge thanks to Jim Kull for his persistent support of my (and all of BCM's) music.

Off to St. Charles East HS

I'm off to St. Charles, IL, where Jim Kull and the STCE HS Wind Ensemble will perform Radiant Joy and Bloom. I get to conduct the latter (which reminds me, I need to pack my baton and score...).

Looks like a fun 5-hour drive through snow and rain to the Chicago area tomorrow. Looking forward to being there, but not the trip itself...

Radiant success

The MSU Wind Symphony's performance Tues. night was a great success - really fine performance. The hall was less than optimal (very dry and the audience is too far from the stage, so there's little impact or presence in the sound), but ironically, I suspect that will make the recording sound quite good. The band played nearly flawlessly, of course due in no small part to VM's superb conducting!

Hope to have a recording sometime soon. If it turned out as well as I'd hoped, I'll post it...

Radiant Joy @ Michigan State tonight

We're back in East Lansing after a quick (but wonderful) trip to Austin, TX. Verena is conducting Radiant Joy tonight with the Michigan State Wind Symphony, which promises to be quite good. The hall is a bit dry and tends to 'sand off' the edges a bit much, but they're playing really well, and anyone in the area should come to the concert if you can! It's at the University Auditorium on Auditorium Rd. on the MSU campus.

Big shout-out to Daniel Montoya for being an excellent host this past weekend. It was great to have the inside perspective on Austin, and a free ride. And of course, for the unparalleled honor of guest hosting the Montblog... (I was coerced - they made me do it!!!) ;)