Updates March 2023

The last few weeks have been dreadfully busy, not to mention that I ended up sick for a few days, which really through my schedule for a loop. Despite all of that though there are few things that I’d like to share with you that are coming up over the horizon for me.
The first thing that I would like to mention is my studio recital. While recitals time is usually a busy time for me, I really enjoy them. I love just getting to sit an listen to my students play and let them just have fun playing pieces that they have worked hard on. Not only does it give them a performance opportunity, it just a fun way to share our music with family and friends. My next recital will be at the end of the school year, in late May or early June. Normally I have a theme that goes a long with my recital, but I think for this third one, it just going to be music we enjoy.
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A couple of years ago I met my friend Ruirui. She has been a big champion of my music and I love listening to her play stuff that I have written. Last year, after Ruirui had finished playing my piece Ancient Alchemy, she asked if I would write something bigger. We discussed it for a while and then finally landed on a piano quintet (piano plus string quartet). I have been diligently working on this piece for her, I have had a few setback but and in a good work rhythm now and have a great start on the first movement. The premier of this piece will either this fall or next winter.

So, earlier last year I started working for Deer Creek public schools as the Fine Arts secretary. This job has put me in contact with several wonderful music and theater teachers. It has also given me an opportunity to explore writing symphonic band music again. In the next few weeks, the band director will read one of my pieces I have written previously. The students and the director will be giving me feed back on what they think about the piece and things that I need to work on. Hopefully this will spur me on to write some more pieces for band. I am looking forward to this opportunity and looking forward to what everyone has to say about the piece.

Along with the above upcoming events I am working on getting a couple of my pieces published. One piece will be a set of children’s pieces that I wrote last years. These are a set of little dances that are based on the five finger patterns. The other piece is a set of three short nocturnes. My goal is to get this out and available for purchase by the end of the summer. As a reminder I have two pieces are that are available for purchase if you are interested, 25 Pieces for Little Fingers and Ancient Alchemy.