Well hello there! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written a blog post! I just got done with a roller coaster of a week at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University working with the Rutgers Symphony Band on my new piece “Under The Night Sky In The Philippines”. I wanted…
I’m pleased to announce another consortium opportunity for 2023! The piece is lead by Dr. Robert Pippin and the Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) Wind Symphony. I became friends with Dr. Pippin while he was finishing his Doctorate at Peabody and teaching at my alma mater Northwest Missouri State University. We bonded quickly over our…
I’m excited to announce a new consortium has been created for my first ever trumpet concerto! This piece has been something I’ve been wanting to write for a very long time. Before I was a euphonium player, I started my brass playing career on trumpet in the 5th grade. This piece is the trumpet concerto…
I just got back from a residency with the Bellevue West Music Department that has been almost 2 years in planning and 14 years in the making. I graduated from Bellevue West High School in 2008. High school was a weird time for me. I never really fit in any social groups and mainly stuck…
I’m back home from CBDNA East. The machine has been unleashed upon the world in brilliant fashion. Here is a recap from what was a FANTASTIC premiere of “The Great Machine” Tuesday – 02-15-2022 Arrianne and I traveled out to Baltimore from Kansas City. Nothing uneventful to report here Wednesday – 02-16-2022 Dr. Harlan Parker…
Let me start out by saying that I think we can all agree that 2020 was probably one of the most eventful years in recent memories. For me, it was a year that started on a high note, went to crap really fast, but made a decent recovery. February: I celebrated my 30th birthday. We…
Hey all, I’m doing a public call for voice recordings. I’m looking to get as many people as I can saying the word “machine” for my symphony! Your voice would become part of the last movement of my work. Your name will also be credited in the score as well. For every voice that is…
With the school year rapidly approaching many directors are having to reduce their ensemble sizes to help combat COVID-19. I along with many composers/arrangers around the world have started to adapt many of our works to flex/small ensembles. This effort is a massive undertaking by everyone and has challenged me creatively in many ways. Below…
Now that I’ve wrapped up drill production it’s time to take a look back at this 2019 season. This year’s clients As with previous years I try to offer my services again to previous clients to make sure they have their spots reserved on my schedule before taking on any new work. This year I…
To say that this last weekend was a life changing experience would be an understatement. I’m still in a state of euphoria after the Peabody Modern Orchestra gave me the best world premier I’ve had to date. The entire concert in itself was phenomenal with 2 world premieres: Evan Jay’s “That Which We Cannot Live…
Hard to believe another year has come and gone. 2018 was another great year for me. I thought it would be good idea to do a write-up of my 2018. Personal life My wife and I celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary this year. She is the reason I can keep doing what I do. She…
Last night was a night I’ll never forget. I’m still recovering from the partying we did, but I still can’t believe we pulled off this big surprise for Russ Coleman’s 90th birthday. I decided to write this blog post explaining everything about how “Reflections” came to be. One day in early January 2018, I had…