matthew wengerd|bassist

I am maintaining what I hope will be an official USF Jazz Blog at Blogspot. I am planning on cajoling more USF jazzers into contributing. Keep your eyes peeled.

I achieved one goal for this year already: I am principal bass of the University of South Florida Symphony Orchestra. This is an absolutely excellent large ensemble under the direction of Dr. William Wiedrich.

The ensemble’s next concert is February 15 at the Palladium Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida at 7:30 pm. The program is:
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Schoenberg|Fanfare on Motifs of “Die Gurrelieder”
Chausson|Poeme, Op. 25|Carolyn Stuart, violin
Helps|Gossamer Noons|Joanna Curtis, soprano
Rorem| Symphony No. 3

With the exception of Chausson, all od these were written in the last Century. Though not necessarily revolutionary, it is exciting to see an educational ensemble programming post-Classical/Romantic music.

My view from the front desk:

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Early hit at Lakeland Steak and Ale with Bendelow Road las night. It was my first hit with BR since IAJE, as I was sick and missed a scheduled hit and two last-minute bookings.

I think this was easily the best hit we have done. We played just a couple Bagwell originals, mostly standards and a couple groove tunes (Mercy, Mercy, Mercy; Cold Duck Time; etc.). We’ve got a long way to go, but I am really happy with how things are progressing with this group.

Leader Nick Bagwell:

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For those interested, I have finished my long (for me, at least) IAJE post.

I have strep throat.

Ah, NYC. 2007 marked a milestone for me: my first year attending the International Association for Jazz Education Annual Conference. The Conference is held at both the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers and the Hilton New York, which are one block apart and, as you can see, right in between Central Park and Times Square.

I attended as an emissary of the University of South Florida and the Center for Jazz Composition and, as such, spent quite a bit of time working these booths:

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This has been my life of late.  Yesterday, I broke down and went to Watson Clinic after two-and-a-half days of severe fever, headache, muscle ache, congestion, etc.  In triage, the nurse got readings of a 104+ degree Farenheit temp and a (get this!) 230+ bpm pulse!

I had asked the admitting staff to please expedite me because I really felt I was near the point of fainting or worse and was rebuffed every time.  Once these vitals were read, though, I was rushed into an exam room and immediately administered Tylenol and an EKG.  The EKG showed a pulse of 120+ bpm, a much better scenario.

Long story short, I have the flu and am on bedrest until Monday.  Oh, and I have a very large medical bill now. 

More later.

No, I haven’t gone mad. Darcy James Argue is an NYC-based composer I met at the IAJE annual conference in NYC this week. I did not get the pleasure to hear his music, as I was busy tending to our booth, but I caught a bit of a panel discussion he was on regarding the internet as a marketing tool (Myspace, blogs, websites, Mog, etc).

I have been reading his blog, DJA’s Secret Society incessantly since the end of that panel yesterday and really find it intriguing|a glimpse into NYC jazz life. I really would love to live here. Every musician I have met that has done the NYC thing or is successful tells me that the easiestbest way to break in is to just move there and start networking.

Until I can grow the intestinal fortitude to really consider it, I will bask in the street level view afforded me by Darcy James Argue.

Hello from the IAJE 2007 Annual Conference!

To all of my SEU students, I will send schedule sheets to you (use the one I sent last year if it’s not deleted) and we’ll get schedules figured out the first of the week. Please tell your friends they can take bass lessons for credit!

See you soon!