Most years my December playing calendar is full. I have opportunities to play with some amazing people all around Indiana, Illinois, and beyond. The great gigs are what can help get me through the sometimes slower months of January and February.
Of course, this year is different. BUT, sometimes different isn’t a bad thing. Since this year has not been full of great playing opportunities, we as musicians have to create some different contingency plans in order to play with some great people!
The week before Thanksgiving I played with the Muncie Symphony Brass for a video capture performance they released for the Holidays. While there, Chris Van Hof (professor of trombone at Ball State) brought in some trombone quintet Holiday arrangements by Tommy Pederson for us to read. They are great, short, and quite entertaining little pieces. After we finished, Chris suggested we figure out a way to do a holiday video. We pulled in tubist Paul Mergen from the Muncie video shoot, and we were 60% of the way there. I decided to just go for it and ask my friend and great trombist Jim Pugh (professor at University of Illinois, plays with Steely Dan, and all around great guy)! Jim agreed to join us. Chris reached out to the fabulous trombonist Brittany Lasch (principal trombone Michigan Opera Theater, Assistant Professor of Trombone at Bowling Green State University), and we had our group!
I created some click tracks, send out the parts, and just like that we had an ensemble we are calling ‘The Flyover Five’! Chris Van Hof put together the video and now it is my honor to present to you some Holiday Cheer:
Playlist:
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
God Rest Ye Merry GentlePEOPLE
Deck The Halls
Personnel:
Jim Pugh
Brittany Lasch
Chris Van Hof
Richard Dole
Paul Mergen
Video editing: Chris Van Hof
Audio mixing/editing: Richard Dole
Mythical 5th Position 
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