Where Did August Go?

I realized there was no blog post in August. Life gets REALLY busy sometimes!!! There actually was a lot going on this summer.

Lots of composing, things with the yard and house, as well as getting settled in a new apartment in Amherst. Amherst is 86 miles from our home in Boston. Why do we have an apartment in Amherst? Because I also will be teaching at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, on top of everything else! (Here is a photo Carol took of the old chapel by the pond on the UMass campus.)

I (and the rest of the family, rabbits and parrot included) will be there half the week and in Boston the other half of the week to continue teaching at the Boston schools I am affiliated with--New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory and Longy. That is only part of the schedule!

Carol (who, as you all know, is co-director of the Frequency Band with me) and I are very busy with FB projects. As a matter of fact, we just played at the State House in Boston for the 9-11 Commemoration. All the FB participants involved did a tremendous job in support of this event under very testing conditions. It was a great honor for us to be asked to contribute to such an immensely important event. Seeing and hearing from the family members who lost loved ones on that tragic day in US and world history was something we will never forget.

We are doing other work as well. The FB was asked to play at the Eastern Trombone Workshop. We will be putting on a 90 minute program with the Frequency Band and, also, I will be premiering a new work I am writing for solo trombone and band and look forward to playing this new piece with "Pershing's Own" at this ETW event in March. It will be a very packed week with a masterclass as well! Stay tuned for more details!

So much is on the go and more blog posts will start up again on a regular basis. Some topics will include the "A.R.T. of Teaching" and the "Mystery of the Embouchure-Air Relationship," plus some more of the masterclasses with Master Manlon. Keep in touch, much is on the way.....