Midwest Wrap Up

As I sit sipping coffee at the Corner Bakery down the street from my hotel, waiting for my wife to arrive to Chicago for the rest of the weekend, I have some time to sit and reflect about Midwest. Recently, a colleague had asked me to start blogging again. Jes even mentioned it when I mentioned that I had a few free hours here. Finding a place to jump back in, especially after taking a new post in a new state, had been difficult. This does seem like the perfect situation. I apologize in advance for my return post being a “stream of conscious”

I hadn’t been to the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic since before grad school. I basically went to meet with a few professors in hopes of finding a mentor for grad school and I wasn’t able to through the conference. Some of the people I met seemed completely uninterested in music, but were more focused on looking through me, desperate to find someone to talk that held more stature than I. I don’t think I had a full understanding of what Midwest was about until I learned from Dr. Booth. I wish he would’ve been here, to share this with all week.

I went to a few clinics that were worth a listen, but the best experiences were hearing students perform great music! High school kids (word at 720 South was that the MS kids were killing it too) that were passionate about music, collaboration and performing. Teachers that were passionate about teaching and that had found a way to get their school and community to value art. Now, that’s inspiring!

I went to hear Owasso’s Wind Ensemble, thinking I would discover something I’d like to program for my band. I made it a personal mission at this conference to listen to new things so I can keep expanding my love for the repertoire. You never know where the perfect piece will reveal itself to you, right? What I discovered was passion for music making. This experience was repeated by The Woodlands and Marcus. I guess Midwest South is dominating!

The only thing that surpassed these experiences musically, was Leonard Slatkin conducting the Lonestar Wind Orchestra. I mean the Pines of Rome with 30 or so additional  antiphonal brass players!?! It was inspiring.

There were some good non-performance moments too. I listened to Frank Battisti have a casual interview with Dr. Tim. I felt like part of history. Battisti, at age 82, has more life in him when talking about music than anyone I've ever seen. I heard the stories of the Ithaca HS Band. The room was packed as we hung on his ever word and laughed with him. It was great to experience that with one of my mentors, Shelley Jagow. Truly a once in a lifetime event. I'm so glad Dr. Booth had made sure I had taken "with-it-ness 101" during grad school.

As I sat back to write this, I had a wonderful interruption. One of my friends and colleagues, maybe the person in the field I've known the longest, Justin Davis happened to walk by the window. I was so glad he recognized me and came in to chat. We talked for a few hours. It was the most musically in-depth conversation I had the whole week. I was very thankful for the talk and the rekindling of a friendship.

The conference was all about thanking our mentors which means I owe some people some emails and calls. What a great career it's been so far, I can't wait to see what's in store in 2013.

20 Minute Update

Grad school isn't a cakewalk, ironically neither is "Cakewalk" from Bennett's Suite of Old American Dances...

We're are halfway through the quarter(I know it's weird to not be on semester's. I think that all the time) and I'm busy, you can tell by my lack of blogging, but I love it. I'm being challenged and depending on when you ask I'm either overwhelmed by, or immersing myself in learning. I'm sure for Jes it's like living Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde. I'd like to come up with creative music names for that, but it's 10:30 and I have trumpet lessons tomorrow so I'm not witty.

Anyway, my schedule is very different based on the day, which is a change from teaching 5-12 band. Somedays are packed with conducting lessons, wind band literature class, trumpet lessons, studio class, and a number of rehearsals(chamber players, wind symphony, symphonic band, pep band). That doesn't include lunch or coffee with my new found mentors. Somedays I don't have anything "official" to do until 1PM. I never seem to have a shortage of things to do, including those random tasks assigned to grad assistants.

I have mentioned my connection to the Centerville Jazz Band and I'm enjoying that as much as I am school. The hours are pretty tough, but I would really miss working with kids like that. It's like taking the best students at my old HS gig and multiplying them in number by 15. The most surreal moment so far: I'm talking to Mr. Wayne Markworth about doing an independent study with him next Fall at a rehearsal last week. I said, "Mr. Markworth, do you think we can use the CJB as part of independent study." He replied, "Not unless you call me Wayne." He has always been a distant legend in my eyes, now I'm standing beside him, calling him Wayne. He also added me on Facebook. Seriously, it blows my mind.

The Pep Band(my ensemble) is taking off. The students are working really hard to make it a more professional group and the numbers are growing. I'm hoping that fans and athletics will take notice. We started with around 20 members and it looks like we're going to break 60 next quarter. I'm learning how to pound the pavement for recruitment, even though it's not something I was comfortable with I know it has to be done. We have volleyball this Friday, but really I can't wait for basketball to start.

My trumpet playing is getting better thanks to a great new trumpet teacher, Dan Zehringer. He actually played a gig this summer with one of my former teachers, Dr. Bruce Briney. Small world. I'm working on the Hindemith Sonate for Trumpet. It's pretty far above me, but the range isn't bad so at least I'm not fighting that demon. After my audition I was told my tone was too bright, I sounded like a jazzer(kudos Dr. John Cooper right?). I'm working, but it's slow. Not sure I'll take trumpet every quarter it's struggle to find time to practice both trumpet and conducting enough. I always feel like I'm short changing something.

The best moments of learning so far have came in informal ways. I had coffee(well both of us drank tea) with Dr. Jagow to talk about how she does score study. I like to use color and so does she so it was great to have her help me articulate why I use color. We spoke about how much we like where we are and how different things are in Canada(her home). We even had a visit with another professor's parents and toddler daughter. It's great to see the teachers as human, with families...you know normal, but awesome like I hope to be someday.

I spent 10AM-2PM with Dr. Booth today. We conducted, we talked history, then we went to lunch. At Arby's we discussed pieces we thought were cornerstones of wind band lit as well as the "coming of age" composers I have played a lot of and had my students play. Over a market fresh sandwich and curly fries we talked about "La Fiesta"(he was shocked someone my age listed that piece) I really enjoyed that talk today and I hope for many more like it.

Alright Jes is home and it's time for me to get back to work! Hopefully the next one of these posts will happen a little quicker. Until next time...