So yeah, as the title of today's blog states, I have a lot going on and a lot of news to report. So brace yourselves.
Probably the biggest news is that I've been commissioned to write a 2nd horn concerto! My good friend Ashley Gulbranson, a doctoral student in horn at the University of Colorado-Boulder, has commissioned the work. Ashley is one of those brass players that has gone through focal dystonia in her face, which is basically an inability to control muscles and actions with her embouchure. This, of course, serious impedes horn playing, and really puts the breaks on one's ability to advance in their horn playing until it is resolved. Ashley has and continues to do extensive research on the project, part of which is to commission works by composers that can cater to those who have gone through focal dystonia and are recovering from it, but doesn't limit their ability to play in a musically-advanced fashion.
So, my job with this concerto is put parameters on the solo horn part. I gotta keep the range pretty much within the treble clef staff, prevent large intervals, and make all fast passages slurred. I'm totally up for this challenge, and yes, it will be challenging to have limits on what I can write. My tendency when I write for horn is to write something I can play (just listen to my 1st horn concerto and you'll see). I definitely have my work cut out for me.
This project is to be done November 1st. Plenty of time, but man, it's still going to be challenging.
I'm also starting to really prepare for my brass camp. You can find info on the "Whidbey Island Brass Camp" page of this website for more info, just in case you or someone you know is interested. I plan to make this camp even better than last year, and to be much more prepared for it. Last year, I got started on preparations a little to late, and things just because stressful. And, as a result, I wasn't able to quite prepare the way I wanted to. But I'm gonna be ready this year.
I've just got a really busy week ahead of me, first...before all of these long projects. The Saratoga Orchestra performs this weekend, a nice little concert with the Whidbey Island Community Chorale on Faure's Requiem, among others. We're also playing this really great piece called "Bad Yetu", which is from the PC game Civilization IV. It's not the most exciting concert for the horn section, but we do have our moments. And hey, as long as I'm sitting in an orchestra and my horn is on my face, I will happily play anything.
I also have two students preparing to play at the State Solo & Ensemble competition this weekend. One is a trombonist and one is a hornist, both from Coupeville HS, and are each playing a solo piece and are playing a duet together. I really wish I could travel to Ellensburg to watch and support them, but I have the orchestra concerts. Believe me, though, I'm going to be thinking about them a lot.
My birthday is also on Friday. Wait, that's not important news...sorry.
The Whidbey Island Horn Club is currently working on scheduling a concert in June, likely on June 3rd. If all goes as planned, we will play a joint concert with the newly-formed Broad View Marimba Band, which my wife is in charge of. So, stay tuned for that! It's going to be a very interested concert if we can make it happen.
And speaking of horn club, I just got recordings sent to me (as I type this blog post) of our performance at the NW Horn Workshop last month. I don't have time to upload them now, but I will get them onto the web soon.
Take care and value music.