Things to be excited about
tommorow im off to northampton with Risa for a long thanksgiving weekend. there is nothing i need more right now than to go that peaceful, sleepy, little college town and have some great quality with my Risa. there is something so relaxing about Northampton, something about the town's architecture and its little twisting inner roads, and it's resteraunts and shops. I love how everything is laid out. Someday I would love to play music there, its a very beautiful and aestheticaly pleasing and inspiring town. the food there (beyond the incredibley tasty cooking of Risa's parents) is sooo tasty. Jake's, Osaka, and that tasty little Pizza place, all tucked away around little hills and streets. What a great town.
my schedule next semester is going to be INCREDIBLE. NO early classes, the earliest one being at 1PM, which makes for better sleeping options. to tell the truth, I don't like sleeping in too late all that much anymore. However since my living situation does not allow for good sleep, unless one has the option to sleep in, being able to sleep later allows me to have the same amount of sleep and coexist with the other suitemates a little easier (incredible hygiene issues regarding the kitchen and bath room not withstanding).
I signed up for some great classes, including The Music of McCoy Tyner, which is an appreciation class, so alot of listening, analyzing and discussion of the seminal pianist.
As well, I signed up for the Ornette Coleman ensemble, so if I audition and get in, I will be playing the music of one of the most important composers of the century, taught by someone who worked with the man himself, Jane Ira Bloom. So over winterbreak I am going to shed a bunch of his Ornette tunes so hopefully will have an edge on the audition. It would be such a thrill to play that music.
I also signed up for a history class that examines 60s jazz and the avant garde, can do no wrong there.
Speaking of legends, I had such an incredible time this semester in Reggie Workman's ensemble. Though it took a bit for the ensemble to gel, I think I learned alot of things from Reggie about approaching the music with a greater degree of awareness, even the most fundamental things.
Reggie told me I sounded great on two different occasions, and I think that alone made the semester for me. This is the man who played with Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey, Grant Green, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan, etc etc. No matter how many personal ups and downs there are, I will always take that with me. I must be getting somewhere, hopefully.
On other fronts, things are well, just wrapping up classes. I think I'm going to do pretty solid gradewise this semester, and I'm with ear training and theory out of the way, I think things are going to begin to get pretty interesting next semester.
I've been writing alot of tunes lately and I'm beggining to get more confident as a composer. This is immensley satisfying as I want to start presenting my own music at gigs, hopefully some over winterbreak.
Oh winterbreak, I have so much planned for you.
Until then,
gotta finish up this final weeks and for now take a load off and enjoy the beautiful town of Northampton with my beautiful girlfriend.
You know what? I think life is pretty damn good.
my schedule next semester is going to be INCREDIBLE. NO early classes, the earliest one being at 1PM, which makes for better sleeping options. to tell the truth, I don't like sleeping in too late all that much anymore. However since my living situation does not allow for good sleep, unless one has the option to sleep in, being able to sleep later allows me to have the same amount of sleep and coexist with the other suitemates a little easier (incredible hygiene issues regarding the kitchen and bath room not withstanding).
I signed up for some great classes, including The Music of McCoy Tyner, which is an appreciation class, so alot of listening, analyzing and discussion of the seminal pianist.
As well, I signed up for the Ornette Coleman ensemble, so if I audition and get in, I will be playing the music of one of the most important composers of the century, taught by someone who worked with the man himself, Jane Ira Bloom. So over winterbreak I am going to shed a bunch of his Ornette tunes so hopefully will have an edge on the audition. It would be such a thrill to play that music.
I also signed up for a history class that examines 60s jazz and the avant garde, can do no wrong there.
Speaking of legends, I had such an incredible time this semester in Reggie Workman's ensemble. Though it took a bit for the ensemble to gel, I think I learned alot of things from Reggie about approaching the music with a greater degree of awareness, even the most fundamental things.
Reggie told me I sounded great on two different occasions, and I think that alone made the semester for me. This is the man who played with Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey, Grant Green, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan, etc etc. No matter how many personal ups and downs there are, I will always take that with me. I must be getting somewhere, hopefully.
On other fronts, things are well, just wrapping up classes. I think I'm going to do pretty solid gradewise this semester, and I'm with ear training and theory out of the way, I think things are going to begin to get pretty interesting next semester.
I've been writing alot of tunes lately and I'm beggining to get more confident as a composer. This is immensley satisfying as I want to start presenting my own music at gigs, hopefully some over winterbreak.
Oh winterbreak, I have so much planned for you.
Until then,
gotta finish up this final weeks and for now take a load off and enjoy the beautiful town of Northampton with my beautiful girlfriend.
You know what? I think life is pretty damn good.