Where did all this music come from? My role as a composer has become an integral component of my philosophy and my daily walk as a music educator. Since my time as an undergraduate student I have always held an interest in arranging and composition for instrumental ensembles, but after taking my first teaching position I found my duties did […]
Some quick reflective thoughts as 2011 closes, and 2012 begins from my small corner of the podium:
The recent Holiday concert which the students at Mercer presented was really well done, and as their teacher I am especially proud of their efforts over the past two months. There were some very traditional settings like “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and “Winter Wonderland” (both older arrangements by Jerry Nowak), mixed in with some newer and interesting settings […]
Two new works are now up on my compositions page. Yankee Overture, recorded by the GCC Wind Ensemble, and Romance for Winds, recorded by the Westminster College Wind Ensemble are both under publication review. Yankee Overture is a rousing concert opener based upon the folk song “Yankee Doodle”. “Romance for Winds” is a bit of a departure from some of […]
Since May of 2011 I have been preparing for the last week of my life, and I still did not feel ready. With all course work complete at Kent State University, the next major hurdle in front of me towards a doctoral degree in music education were candidacy exams. On Wednesday & Thursday (10/26 & 27) I wrote for a […]
