Thursday, December 29, 2011

2011 in Review

2011 was an adventerous year from January 1st till now, and as always, I do these by year

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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