I will not be teaching at Southeastern University for the 2007-2008 Academic Year. Those of you studying bass at SEU will be studying with Mark Neuenschwander. I will continue to teach privately in Lakeland and throughout Central Florida.
At roughly 11:43 pm yesterday, I (somewhat) successfully completed my first year of Graduate School. I started this blog to chronicle the experience and it is slowly evolving into something greater. Summer is upon me and I can finally do the practicing I feel I need to do, without the distraction of assignments.
These last few weeks have overwhelmed me, so I’m going to catch my breath on this last day of work (for the year) at the CJC and get into this full steam shortly. I have a secret project brewing, too, so keep your eyes peeled.
Trumpeter Randy Brecker got on a plane for Reno this morning after having spent the weekend in Central Florida, performing with Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge. He flew in from Zurich Saturday morning for the culminate of the USF Center for Jazz Composition’s Jazz Masterworks Series. This program, a tribute to Michael Brecker, had been planned with the hope that Michael would attend and perhaps participate in the music. Little did we know at that hopeful time, when Michael’s health seemed to be improving, that he would not be with us.
In conjunction with this concert was the 1st International Jazz Arranging Competition (IJAC), where competitors in the open and Young Artist categories were asked to arrange Michael Brecker original compositions for Big Band. After Michael’s passing, the Center went to the only person it could really imagine filling the guest artist spot on this tribute, Michael’s brother Randy. Randy very graciously squeezed us into his schedule for performances in St. Petersburg, Winter Park, and Tampa as well as a Masterclass on the campus of USF. 
The performances were extremely poingant, highlighting all original arrangements, save the Gil Goldstein arrangement of “Strap Hangin’” from Some Skunk Funk. Other arrangements were provided by CJC directors Chuck Owen and Dave Stamps as well as IJAC winners Fred Stride and David Peoples in addition to Vince Mendoza. The charts were amazing and Randy was in top form. Guest violinist Rob Thomas also contributed excellent solos.
We are very grateful for Randy’s visit and relish the opportunity to work with him.
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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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:
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!
It’s nearly the end of the semester and I haven’t added anything substantive to this blog in weeks.
Look for upcoming posts on:
a|Finals and Juries
b|Educational Blogging/Graduate Blogs
c|My “new” bass (at least she doesn’t sound like the bass I’ve been playing).
I anticipate a bit of free time soon, so look for these coming up shortly.
Most of you should know by now that http://youtube.com/ is the resource for jazz performance videos. The most vexing issue surrounding youtube it refusal to allow users to download video. I can tell you that I am presently watching Erroll Garner perform “All the Things You Are” on my brand new 5g Video Ipod thanks to the following steps:
01| If you are not already, you need to be using Firefox. It is free and a favorite browser of practically every serious computer user I know. Download it from the link provided.
02| Install one of the many extensions that allow you to download content from youtube (I am using Fast Video Download).
03| Download and install the Videora Ipod Converter. There is a full version of Videora that provides options for better quality/higher res, but it requires multiple steps to convert video for Ipod. Videora Ipod Converter will take the .flv file saved by the extension and convert it to a suitable format for Ipod.
04| Import the mpeg 4 (or other compatible format) file into Itunes from the File Menu.
05| Snyc your Ipod and enjoy.
No Monday lessons today.
I also have to move Rick this week.
I would like to propose the following for tomorrow, Tuesday the 14th:
4:30 Nate
5:00 Brandon
6:00 Rick
Let me know if this works.
ps-
Heath -
I’ll pick you up if you can get a ride back.
Lessons for Thursday, November 2 are cancelled. I will not be there. Don’t show up.
See you next week!
Monday night, the USF School of Music will present the faculty jazz combo and Jazz I with Leisl Whitaker and Pat Harbison (trumpets). This event will be at USF Theater I and is open to the public. Admission is minimal ($12, I think - $7 for students) and it is well worth it. The very first time I stepped foot onto USF’s campus was for a Monday Night Jazz with Rufus Reid. That changed my life and I don’t think I’d be a Double Bass player had I not seen Reid that night. (More later)
Come out and see the University if you can.
It’s been a taxing first week of Graduate School. I passed the Theory and History placement exams. Ohter than that, it’s been quite discouraging. After four push-backs, my bass is now scheduled to come Tuesday night; after another round of classes without it. Not only do I feel under-prepared for auditions/school/ensembles, I haven’t been playing on an instrument that is comfortable. Compound that with my complaining about a poor instrument (excuses, excuses), and I feel like I don’t quite belong.
I really just want to start lessons and work hard. I’ve felt stagnant already - no lessons yet, my instrument in MD. I’m counting on the Klotz to bring me out of my funk.
It’s quite an exciting program for the Orchestra this year (I made 2nd chair/4). The fifth symphonies of Thaichovsky, Beethoven, Rorem, and Mahler, Copland’s Appalachain Spring, Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks, and much more are quite exciting.
It’ll come.
Things are going quite well at the Center for Jazz Comp. My first major project is a complete update of the website, which is nigh half-way done. We aren’t too happy with the design/layout, feeling it needs some kick, but there is a lot going on this year and not enough time for a complete re-design. We are finalising artists for the Jazz MasterWorks Series and cannot add that content (most, at least) until that is done.
I cannot emphasize how much I love doing this. I really feel like I belong here, unlike the way I felt teaching. Too bad I know it will only last two years.
My first day at the CJC went rather quickly (well, it was only 4.5 hours). It involved proofing the CJC website for a list of updating needs, clearing out some parts that were left at the CJC and placing them with their scores in the music library, and some light cleaning/arranging of the facilities.
I don’t have to go every day this week, which is nice, but I really enjoy it. I can tell (I don’t know if I’m good at this sort of thing) that Dave and I will get along famously. I really enjoy the environment already and am looking forward to the tough stuff.
Even if I didn’t like it, it would be worth it because I’ll be heading with Dave and Chuck to the IAJE National Conference in NYC in January! Additionally, it looks like there’s a good chance of a European trip (my first) next summer.
To top it all off, I picked up Southeastern University’s double bass to continue practicing while Rumano performs surgery on mine.
The USF School of Music
The CJC
I will be meeting with Chuck Owen and Dave Stamps next Wednseday to discuss the details of my Graduate Assistantship with the Center for Jazz Composition at USF. I am quite looking forward to my time with the Center and believe that it may open as-of-yet unimagined possibilities for my future.
I cannot get ahold of my MMR records and am, therefore, unregistered at present. I have also found that my Assistantship (like all others, I presume) starts on the 7th! Almost three weeks before classes!
At least I’ll be enjoying myself.