January
Beginning
- I began the year in a motel room in Council Bluffs, IA (border of Omaha, NE) on my DMA trip no 1. I knew this would be the year the biggest decision of my life would be made...where I would spend the next 3 years.
- Stayed the next night in Wyoming, -20 degree temperatures in Laramie, WY....brrrrrrr
- I had successful auditions at University of Utah (added Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Utah to states visited)
- Car broke down on the way to Arizona (glad I avoided Tuba City, AZ) with radiator problems in Las Vegas, NV (added Nevada to states visited)
- Went to my first casino and did a little gambling...while my car had to be fitted with a new radiator
- Successful audition at University of Arizona
- Drove from Tuscon, AZ to Oxford Ohio and began my final first week of the semester for my MM degree.
- Had the first week syndrome of 8am ear training, and enjoyed my first weekend with nothing till March
Middle/End
- Got sick driving to Iowa (stomach), but still a very good audition, and also a good audition at University of Illinois.
- Good audition at Michigan State
February
- Successful auditions at Eastman School of Music, Ohio State, and UNCG (added North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia to states visited)
- Got back in the dating scene
- A random week and a half of spring-like temperatures
- Matt Gray visited from Arkansas, and had orchestra concert that weekend...first weekend without an audition
- Final audition of the tour, FSU, and ended up being a great audition and hanging with the MacDonalds in Tallahassee, while Ohio was still cold
March
- It was cold all month, lots of snow and rain
- Spring break in Chattanooga, TN at the SERTEC tuba conference....solo on Don Giovanni's Hollenfahrt
- Had first meltdown about recital scheduling, and the 2nd mental meltdown of my MM degree
- Bydlo Bydlo Pictures at an Exhibition, Bydlo
- Acceptance letters roll in for DMA schools
April
- No joke, it RAINED 29 of the 30 days in this month. What a great way to end up my time in Oxford.
- A successful recital (after already playing 6 hours earlier that day)
- All that stood in my way from graduation was a solo repertoire project
- Sadly started to say goodbye to many friends
- Decided on a DMA school....a VERY tough decision due to the quality programs and teachers, but chose Ohio State as it felt right.
- Bought an iPhone :)
May
- It rained a lot
- Graduation...though my name wasn't in the program
- Apartment hunting was a success, after many headaches
- Had first lesson with my new professor and met the studio
- Solo Literature project....
- Moved from Tuba Manor to Cody Grabbe/Dave Kamran's place for the summer...one 3rd story apartment to another
- More Solo Literature project....
- Some major heartbreak...recovered to
June
- More rain....rain rain rain
- Got invited to do the Atlantic Brass Quintet seminar in Sonoma, CA....the tubamobile (92 camry then with 225000 miles) and a cross country trip
- Saw Ray Jacinto in Reno, NV
- Had fun in Sonoma, met some good friends and colleagues....went to a winery (Cline Cellars)
- Drove from California back to Ohio...
- Saw Evan Woods and Billy Prude in Ohio...good ACU friends in my state!
- Solo Literature project...no practice
- Repeat entry above a million times
July
- Went to Hamilton 4th of July event
- Finished the draft of my MM project on tuba solo repertoire....110 pages single spaced
- 1.5 weeks to prepare for orals...
- 3.5 days before oral exams, get last topic...talk about major stress and freaking out
- Oral exams....da da dummmmmm
- Passed oral exams, thus officially was a Master of Music!
- Pub-crawl in Oxford with Alan Wiseman...that is all that is in that town is bars...
- Moved to Columbus, OH
- Hung out and met new Columbus/OSU friends...surprised how many were from Texas
- Practice
- Rode public transit for the first time...and decided to make this my transportation method here
- Still rained
August
- Saw all my other friends start school while I still had another month of summer
- Kind of missed paychecks
- Rain rain rain
- probably ate too much with all the good food here
September
- Rain....
- Played/placed on sublist with Newark-Granville Symphony
- I really don't remember much besides practice and boredom
- My pre-birthday present...getting a couple shots too many
- Birthday present--a cute girl named Jillian and I met
- School started...still didn't get paid till October 31
- Learned how to manage money and be very cheap
- Oh and that graduate school orientation....that was valuable practice time
October
- NEW F TUBA!!!! Gronitz PF 125 and it is amazing (Okay it was Sept 30...)
- LOTS of car problems
- Enjoying playing great repertoire in ensembles, and teaching music majors...which is essentially what I want to do for a living!
- Was sick most of the month
- It rained a great deal of the month, and got cold....
- Played Shostakovich Symphony 5 with Lima Symphony
- First successful all-nighter and hell week with 2 concerts
November
- Me and Jillian become official :)
- Heard Cincinnati Symphony play Rite of Spring...2nd tubist was amazing!
- Played Death and Transfiguration with Lima Symphony (and Church gig)
- Lots of practice
- Thanksgiving with Jillian
- More rain
December
- Tchaikovsky Symphony No 6 with OSU
- Juries...and sitting on the jury panel as well
- 5 concerts in 1 week....yuck
- Charlotte Symphony Orchestra audition is given to me...time to get into shape...then got sick
- Christmas with Jillian
- Rain and no snow
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