Whew!
I was sitting here thinking about the last week and a half, and realized that by the time I depart Chicago, IL on Sunday night, I will have been in 9 states in 9 days! I'm starting to feel this pace a bit...
Anyway, the tour is going very well. Last night, I had the chance to perform at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Prior to this tour, I had heard a bit about the new facility they built there at BSU to house the music school, and it is every bit as grand as I have heard. If you ever have the chance to get to Muncie just to see this facility, it really is worth the trip.
The recital there was great fun, and it was nice to see both Dr. Mordue and his wonderful students.
Tonight I find myself in Kalamazoo, Michigan, just a few miles away from the campus of Western Michigan University. The day began with the three hour ride from Muncie to Kalamazoo, with a nice lunch stop at Cracker Barrel here in Kalamazoo around 1pm. (I really should get them to start sponsoring these tours!) Anyway, it was Ruthanne's (my accompanist, travelling with me) first visit to a Cracker Barrel, and I think she was impressed.
After we unloaded our stuff in the hotel, we quickly ran over to the campus to meet Deanna Swoboda, a fantastic tuba player who has done much for the instrument, both in terms of her own performance ability as well as her pioneering work with children. I really admire the nitch she has carved for herself.
Anyway, we dashed off campus to First Presbyterian Church in downtown Kalamazoo for a quick rehearsal of David Gillingham's Diversive Elements, and it made me look forward to tomorrow night's recital even more.
Following the rehearsal, Deanna, Ruthanne, and I had a nice walk (in 72 degree weather!) to a nice restaurant downtown, where we were soon joined by Deanna's husband (of nearly a year!) Scott. He is a great guy, even if he is a graduate of Louisiana State University. We hit it off well, as I am a graduate of another SEC school, the University of Georgia. We were all entertained by a show choir from Western Michigan, which was performing at the restaurant. They really were a fantastic group, (with some really outstanding voices) and it made for a lively evening.
Both being a practice junkies, Ruthanne and I headed back over to WMU for an additional hour and a half of practice. If tomorrow night's recital goes as well as the practice session tonight did, it should be a great show.
If you're anywhere near Kalamazoo, Michigan, come hear the concert tomorrow:
First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo
231 West South Street
Kalamazoo, MI
7:30pm
I hope to see you there!
From Kalamazoo,
Jason
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
A Good Start in Bowling Green...
Greetings from Bowling Green, everyone!
Since 2003, I have been blessed to have the opportunity to go out on the road for a recital tour every year. This one, however, is undoubtedly the most interesting one that I have ever had the chance to participate in.
Most significantly, it has been a bit hard to get focused on this trip. Just prior to the tour, last Wednesday, April 9, I departed from New York with my wife (Bonnie), mother and father-in-law (Norma and Mike), sister and brother-in-law (Julie and Dan), and nephew (4 mo. old Benjamin!) for an 850 mile drive to Louisville, Kentucky to pay tribute to Bonnie's recently deceased grandfather, Dr. George Doyle. While the fact that we were going to Louisville for a memorial service made for an emotional and challenging trip, the fact that I got to learn, appreciate, and even love my wife's family more made leaving on this recital tour a bit hard to do. It's hard enough to leave my wife for a trip on the road, but add in the entire immediate and extended family (full of wonderful and loving people), and it's a lot to take in.
Nevertheless, here I am, finding myself in Bowling Green, Ohio, at the end of the first full day of a 7 day stint that goes through four midwestern States. Today's recital here at Bowling Green State University was a real challenge - not only did I need to get the face going for an earlier performance (at 2pm!), but I also still am trying to get my mind where I actually am. Admittedly, my thoughts are with my wife and her family as they head back across West Virginia and Pennsylvania for New York.
Suffice today's recital to say that it was indeed a real pleasure to perform alongside Dr. Ruthanne Schempf (on the road with me from New York) and David Saltzman, the principal tuba of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the instructor here at BGSU. He is an amazing player, and the chance to perform with him on David Gillingham's Diversive Elements was awesome.
The other side of being here in Bowling Green is that both Ruthanne and I have been able to stay with her brother and his family, Kevin and JoAnn Schempf, their three girls and one boy. They are an amazing family, and I have had true pleasure getting to know them.
Tomorrow, however, it's on to Muncie!
From the road,
Jason
Since 2003, I have been blessed to have the opportunity to go out on the road for a recital tour every year. This one, however, is undoubtedly the most interesting one that I have ever had the chance to participate in.
Most significantly, it has been a bit hard to get focused on this trip. Just prior to the tour, last Wednesday, April 9, I departed from New York with my wife (Bonnie), mother and father-in-law (Norma and Mike), sister and brother-in-law (Julie and Dan), and nephew (4 mo. old Benjamin!) for an 850 mile drive to Louisville, Kentucky to pay tribute to Bonnie's recently deceased grandfather, Dr. George Doyle. While the fact that we were going to Louisville for a memorial service made for an emotional and challenging trip, the fact that I got to learn, appreciate, and even love my wife's family more made leaving on this recital tour a bit hard to do. It's hard enough to leave my wife for a trip on the road, but add in the entire immediate and extended family (full of wonderful and loving people), and it's a lot to take in.
Nevertheless, here I am, finding myself in Bowling Green, Ohio, at the end of the first full day of a 7 day stint that goes through four midwestern States. Today's recital here at Bowling Green State University was a real challenge - not only did I need to get the face going for an earlier performance (at 2pm!), but I also still am trying to get my mind where I actually am. Admittedly, my thoughts are with my wife and her family as they head back across West Virginia and Pennsylvania for New York.
Suffice today's recital to say that it was indeed a real pleasure to perform alongside Dr. Ruthanne Schempf (on the road with me from New York) and David Saltzman, the principal tuba of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the instructor here at BGSU. He is an amazing player, and the chance to perform with him on David Gillingham's Diversive Elements was awesome.
The other side of being here in Bowling Green is that both Ruthanne and I have been able to stay with her brother and his family, Kevin and JoAnn Schempf, their three girls and one boy. They are an amazing family, and I have had true pleasure getting to know them.
Tomorrow, however, it's on to Muncie!
From the road,
Jason
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)