Life Since This Semester

It's been exciting, to say the least. I know it's been several months since my last post, but I've been VERY busy. I had two works, as mentioned in my last post, performed by members of the Frost School of Music. It is such an incredible experience to work with the talented faculty and students at U. of M.! But even more exciting was what came next. I was the winner of the First Annual Fredericksburg Brass Institute Competition, which meant that the 2015 FredBrass ensemble would commission a work for large (gargantuan?) brass choir from me. In addition, Buddy Deshler and Austin Boyer, the directors, decided to program Sketches for Brass and Percussion (minus the percussion) for their side-by-side ensemble. Buddy had played in the brass choir concert where Sketches was premiered, and loved it. 

So, after an exceedingly eventful trip, I arrived in Fredericksburg, VA, at about noon on June 22nd. The week of rehearsals, lunches, listening to music, and watching Mnozil Brass videos was unparalleled as a musical experience. The level of playing at #FredBrass15 amaxed me. High-schoolers, college students, and young professionals all came together and invested their time and energy to create music. Where Heroes Lie, tho commission, was brought to life for the first time, so to speak, with mind-boggling results. Also, many unbelievable opportunities presented themselves at the festival. Possibilities of commissions, performances, and more are exciting to think about. I look forward to a great year as a composer!

I also look forward to writing more frequent blog posts.