Hi guys!  Lots going on and very little time to talk about it!

I’m leaving for Austin, TX next week for a quick jaunt to my old stomping grounds!  I used to work for a company called Acclaim Entertainment that had a development studio there, so I lived in the Lone Star State for a couple years in my 20s and had a blast.  I didn’t have a car at the time, so I rode my bike everywhere I needed to be.  (Picture me with a camping backpack full of groceries!)  I also joined a wind ensemble, and consequently a brass quintet so I was playing my trumpet a lot.  The other trumpet player in the group and I became good friends, and now he’s the leader of the wind ensemble, and he very kindly asked me to write a big piece for the wind ensemble!  Guys, I’m writing for a live group again!-)  Nothing pumps me up, and scares the bejesus out of me like the prospect of standing in front of a group of talented musicians and displaying the deepest darkest recesses of my creativity.  There’s no hiding my mistakes behind technology!  Thrilling and terrifying and I can’t wait…  but I’ll have to as we’re talking May of 2020…  which might be enough time to remember how to transpose for all those instruments.

I might also be stepping into a couple Austin establishments for some chats about this and that.  Also as part of those discussions I’m going to finally reveal a sheet music project I’ve been working on (mostly because people have been asking me about it!) for a long time.  It might not be exactly what some of you are expecting, but hopefully it’s cooler and more useful to more people!

As always, have some new YouTube content going live soon – I think these glimpses into the writing process are useful?  I really enjoy revisiting the tracks- they’re frequently giving some new ideas…  or rather, old ideas I should revisit!  I’m never sure how much detail is too much detail, but it seems like the comments are mostly satisfied with what I’m covering?  Lemme know…  but I’m hoping to have the Musical Tour of the Spiral wrapped by the end of the summer.

And finally, look out for a teaser for another project that’s been eating my time of late!  It’s a bit of a throwback, but I think there’s some interesting material there…  and now that I think of it, kind of a nice bookend to the live element!

What about you guys?  What creative projects are taking up your time?

-n