Music | Photos
Just a brief note to say that the premiere of Axis Mundi was spectacular. The bands in Japan are unbelievable. Outrageously good. My eternal thanks to Mamoru Nakata for spearheading the JWECC consortium, and to Shintaro Fukumoto for conducting the hell out of the piece. They’ll be bringing a recording with them to CBDNA… continued
Jerry Junkin and the UT Wind Ensemble just blew the doors off the Meyerson with Ecstatic Waters tonight. Holy cow. I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate to have had such time with, and access to, one of the very top wind ensembles in the nation, if not the world, and am infinitely grateful to Maestro Junkin… continued
…at ABA last Thursday night. I rode over to the ABA convention with Verena and AEJ on the band bus (hooray for band bus trips!), to hear the UT Wind Ensemble give their concert at Texas A&M. It was a hell of a concert – for me, the biggest highlights were Sunil Gadgil’s absolutely astounding… continued
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,… continued
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… continued
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… continued
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!
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,… continued
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… continued
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… continued
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… continued
Had a great time in SF and San Jose working with the Honor Band at the CMEA Bay Section Conference, as well as with Ted Ferrucci’s High School Wind Ensemble in Los Altos. Sincere thanks to Ted Ferrucci for organizing this and being a great host, and to Mike Gomez for coming up with… continued