Coursework Done! Now, Summer fun!

Hello there!

Wow, it has been a minute since I wrote. I have had tons of ideas and topics that I wanted to write about then days and days and weeks would go by and I would never get to the writing. So I apologize for that!

The past couple of years have been rather busy. Splitting my time between Indianapolis and Champaign-Urbana, being enrolled full-time as a DMA student, teaching lessons and running ensembles at University of Illinois, and teaching at Butler University has kept my daily/weekly life rather busy! Not to mention, that when I’m not doing all the aforementioned activities I’m trying to spend time with my family.

But now, all that has changed. I’ve completed all my coursework!!!

Once I finished my coursework, I originally intended to move back to Indy and re-kindle my freelance playing so that in the coming year I could simply work on my document, hang with the family, and play gigs. This summer I have been happy to get back to some practicing and hanging with the family.But, you know how it goes…best laid plans and all that…

…So, I will be working on my document through the next year, and I will be spending more time with the kids, and my freelance work will be picking up, (check out my gig calendar) but I will also be heading back to University of Illinois for one last year of teaching, directing, playing and working as Jim Pugh’s Teaching Assistant for a third straight year!

Cheers to many more coffees and espressos with Jim!

I’m super excited to be heading back to University of Illinois and continuing the work I’ve been doing there. Just being around Jim Pugh, Joel Spencer, Larry Gray, Joan Hickey, Chip Stephens, and Chip McNeil is a great opportunity, but to work with students and ensembles (plus getting paid to do it!) is really icing on the academic cake. I mean, this will be my terminal degree, no more school in my future (as a student), so I might as well take advantage of this opportunity.

Here are a few pics from the last year of my activities at the University of Illinois as a jazz trombone TA:

I played bass trombone in the AWARD WINNING Jazz Trombone Ensemble. We traveled to Washington D.C. in March to perform at the American Trombone Workshop.
In April of 2022, I started a Reading Band at the Rose Bowl Tavern, a local club that hosts jazz. This band is made up of community members, music grad students, music undergrad students, and non-music majors. It’s a lot of fun to prepare and direct this ensemble!
This is the Jazz Trombone Collective that I directed this past year. Our final concert consisted of all original tunes and arrangements. This band went above and beyond and I am quite proud of all they accomplished!
After a long day of rehearsing, teaching, and performing, we sometimes end up at the aforementioned Rose Bowl Tavern decompressing and playing Jenga!
(The JerBer is pictured here expertly setting up the mini-jenga set.)

One thought on “Coursework Done! Now, Summer fun!”

Add yours

  1. SUPER PROUD 0F IT ALL – MOSTLY THE FAMILYPART!!
    Best Dad to my deargrandchildren Griffin & Ellie – Love to you all!

    Reply

Leave a comment

Website Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑