WASBE to MidEurope

UNT's performance of Ecstatic Waters at WASBE was a big success. This is the first time I've heard it in performance without running the electronics (did some rehearsals at OSU where I got to listen, but not the performance), and WOW is it exhausting to listen to - in a good way. The group played wonderfully (as always), and I had a great time really hanging out with everyone over the past week - nothing like a 19-hour bus ride to encourage bonding. Thanks to Eugene Corporon for programming it, and to Bob Schwartz and David Robinson for running the electronics, and last but most of all, to Shannon and Jen Kitelinger for going above and beyond in taking care of, and entertaining, me during the entire week, as well as basically running the whole show behind the scenes.

So, WASBE was a lot of fun, and I believe I managed not to sound stupid on either composer panel I was on, so I consider the whole adventure a great success! I even managed to end up riding a mechanical bull at the Cadillac Ranch in Cincinnati after the concert. And yes, there are pictures. No, they're not going to show up here.

Saturday morning I took off for Austria, which involved planes, trains, and automobiles, and now am happily enjoying the cool mountain air of Schladming. The Mid-Europe festival starts this week, and the WYWOP (World Youth Wind Orchestra Project - which defines youth as ages 15-30) will be playing Radiant Joy as part of their concert on Saturday night. Also on the program is John Mackey's Kingfishers Catch Fire, Mvt. II, which I believe will close the concert (as it always should - no one in their right mind would want to follow it on a program). Both works will be conducted by Gary Green, and it should be a great week and a great concert.

Time to eat soon. I want some schnitzel.

The Big Day at WASBE

Been in Cincinnati the past few days doing run-out concerts with the UNT Wind Symphony (with a side adventure last night on the way back from Athens, OH, in which the bus broke down on the side of the highway - fun times!). The concerts have been great, though, and I think tonight will be extraordinary. Made a few more small changes (have removed the bassoon mics and used Bassoon 3&4 as live echos instead of a digital delay, though I don't know what I'll do for groups that don't have 4 bassoons - gotta figure that one out next week). Also some cool stuff with the trumpets (Rob Murray is playing lead and has been very helpful with some suggestions. He also took the very end of Mvt. IV up an octave - can you say high screamin' F? - and it sounds FANTASTIC. Definitely adding that to the score...as an optional part, of course).

I'm off to a composers panel moderated by Martin Ellerby. Just found out yesterday that it's me, Gary Carpenter, and Jennifer Higdon. This is a little higher profile than I had realized...

After that, Jack Stamp and the Keystone Winds play their concert at 3:30, which includes my Radiant Joy and my friend Jim Colonna's 7, which I've never heard live. I hear the group is playing REALLY well, so very much looking forward to that. This will be followed by setup and sound check with UNT, then a quick pre-concert talk with Andy Trachsel and the composers on the UNT concert (Bruce Yurko, David Sampson, Scott McAllister, and myself) at 7pm, and the concert itself at 8pm. Full day!

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. :)