By now, most of you know that I have accepted a position as Instructor of Percussion at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. This is a very exciting time for my wife and me, and I feel incredibly blessed and undeserving of such an opportunity. However, as we step into the new and exciting, we leave behind family, friends, and jobs that mean a great deal to us. In particular, my job and experiences at Center Grove High School will be missed dearly.
Shortly before I started at CG, their concert percussion ensemble had earned a prestigious invitation to perform at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Josh Torres, the percussion director, not only invited me to help prepare the group, but commissioned me to write a new piece for his ensemble. Alarm! was born that fall, and in December, we took a 3-day journey to Chicago to not only perform at the convention, but enjoy Giordano's Pizza, take a trip to the top of the Willis Tower, and see the brilliant and hilarious Blue Man Group. The performance was astounding (I don't remember how many times I heard "I can't believe those are high schoolers!"), and it was just the beginning of what I would get to be a part of at Center Grove.
(L-R): Kevin Bobo, David Reeves, Jim Casella, Josh Torres, me |
CG Staff takes things seriously: Torres, me, Blue Man, Sarah (my wife), Chris Hodgson, Jason Hammond-Wood |
2011 Center Grove Indoor Percussion - WGI Bronze Medalists |
PASIC 2011
Scenes from the Woods quartet at PASIC (L-R): Hunter Haskell, Ian Nickum, Abby Hermesch, Eric Baysinger |
Next: Moving On (Part 2 of 2)
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