Every year the Tuba/Euphonium studio at the University of Iowa puts on the Holiday Tuba concert. They encourage people to bring toys to give to Toys for Tots, so there is a service attached to the fun concert. Here are some pictures from today's event.

Here we have Professor John Manning being interviewed for the Press Citizen.


Still being interviewed. We also see Professor Manning's baton, the candy cane.


Michael Ozment and Phil Runkel (both MM students in Horn Performance) are interviewed by the same guy that interviewed Manning. He interviewed them because they brought coffee.....


Some kid playing Sousaphone.


Laura Westfall and Bonnie Varga, BFF's! Just kidding. Laura is an undergraduate Music Education Major and plays the bass trombone. Bonnie is a first year Masters student in Trombone Performance.


More Random people I don't know.


M.O. and P.R. sporting their candy canes that were distributed by some lady that I have never seen before.


It was a cold, cold day, but the tubas put on a good show with all the Christmas hits and a rousing round of "Dradle, Dradle, Dradle". Good times and much merriment were had by hundreds in attendance.

Last night I played my first Motown (not speaking geographically, of course) gig! It was the "Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards". Dennis Edwards was one of the founding members of the Temptations and the only living original member. He has kept it going all these years. I'll tell you what, those guys were entertaining! They did all their famous tunes with their signature dance moves. It was a real kick to watch up close (we were behind and to the left of the them). Tons of fun!

Finally an Imogen Heap video on youtube that wasn't created by someone's cell phone camera. Those are always awful!
Anyways, this is a great version of "Just For Now".
Enjoy!

On March 13, 2007 Michael Mulcahy presented a recital and masterclass at the University of Utah. He was assisted by Dr. Ling Nu on piano and Larry Zalkind on trombone.

After the recital, Matt Laube (graduate assistant in trombone) and I played for Mulcahy. Matt played the Ropartz and I played the first movement of the Creston. It was great to have his (Mulcahy's) insights on these pieces. Following the masterclass portion of the evening, it was open to questions. In response to the question "What should someone do to achieve what you are doing?" (namely, playing in a major symphony), Mulcahy responded that one simply needed to listen to music (besides practicing and working hard, ofcourse), but that many people claim to want to be a musician, but they don't listen to recordings or live concerts. I suppose it would be the same to say "I want to be able to speak Chinese", but to never listen to it. It would be impossible.

Here is a picture from that evening. From left to right: Larry Zalkind, Dr. Donn Schaefer, Matt Laube, Jonathan Allen, and Michael Mulcahy.

Friday and Saturday night were the Mahler Symphony No. 2 performances at the University of Utah. They both went quite well. There were some little things here and there each night, but overall, it was a good performance. This is my first time I have had the opportunity to perform a Mahler Symphony. The experience was outstanding!

A funny side note: Kate overheard someone trying to sound intelligent and this person bombed miserably: he corrected someone saying "Mahler" and said he thought it was supposed to be pronounced "Malet" (French pronunciation). How many French Gustav's do you know?

Finally, the Three Medieval Dances arrived in the mail today. I have had all the other pieces that I will be playing for my April 14 recital, but this one has taken a while to arrive as it shipped from Sweden. This piece is supposedly the oldest known piece written for the trombone (1475). Christian Lindberg edited the dances and put them in modern notation, so it is only natural that his publishing company, Editions Tarrodi be the only place it can be ordered. The price is fair, but shipping from Sweden is a little spendy. I have looked at them a little in the 30 minutes I have had since I got home. They are going to be quite fun! As well as be a nice timbre change.

It looks like April 14 will be my next recital. That is O.K.'d by my committee and accompanist. I just need a few signatures and then we will be golden.

The repertoire for this recital is crazy hard:
Three Medieval Dances: Anon (oldest known piece written for trombone - unaccompanied alto sackbut - I don't own a sackbut, so it will be alto trombone)
Ferdinand David: Concerto
Paul Creston: Fantasy
Richard Peaslee: Arrows of Time
and a trombone quartet with Larry Zalkind, Dr. Donn Schaefer, and Matt Laube, the other trombone TA.

Apparently, Christian Lindberg WAS holding it hostage! Also, Christian Lindberg apparently has his own publishing company at Editions Tarrodi.

Thanks to Brian Thomas for the find!

If anyone can find the "Three Medieval Dances" for unaccompanied alto trombone sheet music please email me. I have spent over an hour looking for it.

I wonder if Christian Lindberg is holding it hostage so that no one else can perform it....

From University of...

Last night was my first masters recital. It was quite a taxing program for me. I played the Wagenseil, Hidas, Grondahl, Casterede and a jazz duet by Michael Davis. Larry Gee was on piano and Larry Zalkind played bass trombone on the Michael Davis.
There was a decent turn out. I am grateful that Kate, my parents, my brother nicholas, my students, and many friends were there. Thank you all for your support!

One thing they do well at the University of Utah school of music is raise money. This program has so much money and so many scholarships, but I have one gripe about the way they go about it.
There is an annual Gala concert to raise funds for scholarships. This is a normal event for schools of music. However, instead of displaying the talents of the school, the University of Utah sells out. Apparently, someone gives alot of money to the school to hear Mack Wilberg's arrangement of "Come Thou Fount" every year. It's a great arrangement and a great hymn, but it's place is not neccesarily in the concert hall. They can go down the street and hear it almost once a month but the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
And show tunes.... This year some wealthy benefactor offered a large sum of money for us to perform "I enjoy being a girl" from some Broadway musical.
I understand the need to raise money (I benefit from the scholarship fund!), but I feel there is a greater need to show those who donate what we can really do with what they have so generously given. Next semester the orchestra is performing Mahler 2. That is something to show off. Last year we did Dvorak 9. Again, something that could show off what the school can do.
But money trumps all.
Well.....it pays the bills.

Last night Kate and I went to the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall to listen to Shostakovich 11. It was phenomenal! This orchestra is one of the more underrated in the United States, in my opinion. The brass and winds are top notch. I was extremely pleased with the performance and now I am looking for a good recording!