Though living in the Northeast, the one thing I enjoy about January and February – besides Pitt basketball playing conference games in the Big East – is getting the chance to just teach. Nothing pressing, no standardized tests on the immediate horizon, the students have returned refreshed from break, and there is plenty of fertile ground to plant some good musical seeds. This week my Wind Ensemble began receiving music for our chamber recital in mid-March. Now in addition to the music for our concert “A Night at the Opera” on March 4th, they will be breaking out into some small group work at least twice each week. The more I do chamber music with my students, the more good things I see happen in their performance skills, and in their ability to analyze their work, critique their own and their peer’s performance, and begin to develop some comprehensive musicianship. Read more…
A great find tonight on Youtube. I was fortunate enough to have Irish Jig for Young Feet performed at the 63rd Annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Decmeber by the Vandercook College Symphonic Band. My thanks to Dr. Charles Menghini and Stacey Larson for programming this piece. Stacey did a great job with the band, and it was a pleasure meeting her. You can view the performance by clicking here. Another great performance was given by the Florida State Summer Music Camp Wind Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Patrick Dunnigan of American Visions. My thanks to Dr. Dunnigan for selecting the piece and sharing it with these students. You can view the performance by clicking here. I am also pleased to learn that both Irish Jig for Young Feet and Pirates! were selected to the BandWorld Top 100 for 2009-10.
It was awesome getting a call from Corky Whitacre the other day – the Naples Concert Band will be performing American Visions on their November concert. I also received notice that Irish Jig For Young Feet will be performed at the Midwest Clinic this December. The performace at Midwest will be given by the VanderCook College of Music Symphonic Band. My thanks to both Dr. Charles T. Menghini and Harris Lanzel for programming this music!
Where would I be without Joe Pisano? Still kicking around wondering if my stuff was good enough to be out there – that’s where. Joe has been in my corner from day 1 on this journey. He is my friend, my colleague, and my brother, and I really appreciate all he has done – which included calling me the other day to say “Hey, I updated your site. That’s a great picture!” Thanks again Joe, for all you have done for me!
Another guy that has really given me a shot in the arm of late is Drew Fennell. Many thanks again to Drew who this afternoon debuted “Shine!” with the Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Summer Wind Ensemble!!! My respect and appreciation for Drew as a musician, conductor, and composer continues to grow. The performance was great, and I really appreciate those students bringing this music to life!!! Bump on over to myspace and check out the live recording from the July 18th concert – it even still has that new recording smell to it…I think!
More to come in the months ahead, so stay tuned! And if not, Korg makes a very affordable model (that’s free advertising you can’t buy anywhere!)….
What a couple of weeks!!! It has been absolutely humbling to have so many performances of “American Visions” over the past few weeks – my sincere thanks to many friends and colleagues who made the piece a part of their spring concert. My thanks to Drew Fennell and the River City Youth Brass Band for their world debut performance of “A Frontier Fought and A City Found” at the Spring Concert “A Pittsburgh Celebration” last Sunday evening. It was an honor to write for such a great musician and conductor like Drew, and a group of outstanding musicians in the ensemble.
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