Moving On (Part 1 of 2)

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. 

Fresh out of grad school in 2010, I moved to Greenwood, Indiana, with nothing more than a part-time job as a "pit tech" at Center Grove H.S. to count on (other than a couple writing gigs elsewhere). But by God's grace, and in his awesome plan, my three years at Center Grove turns out to be far more than I ever expected, and shaped me and prepared me for what's ahead more than I ever could have imagined. Here are a few highlights and reasons why my time at CG will hold a very special place in my memory for many years to come.

Midwest Clinic 2010

Let It Snow!

'Tis the season to be jolly! Sure it's not Christmas yet, but I'm jolly indeed, because I'm recording and releasing a Christmas album this November! It will be all new arrangements for marimba solo and marimba/vibraphone duet (Colin Hill will be joining me for the duets).

I have launched a Kickstarter campaign to help raise the funds necessary to make this album, and it's already off to a great start! You can watch the video below and check out the Kickstarter page here.

Since the first few days have been so successful, I have (unofficially) increased my funding goals. You can read more about that here.

Please spread the word and share with your friends and family if you wish. I am working hard to make the best album of interesting and beautiful music that I can. I hope you'll consider joining me while we Let It Snow!

The Love of Money

We all know that money is the root of all evil, right? That's how the saying goes, isn't it?

Not quite.

"Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." – 1 Timothy 6: 9-10

Money itself is neither good nor bad. It is simply a tool or a resource, like a brick, for example. A brick can be thrown through someone's window or it can be used in the construction of a building. The way we view money is where things go awry, and I have seen and believed a range of viewpoints when it comes to money.

Why not?

Why is it that we can come up with a thousand reasons not to do something that we actually desire to do?

It probably won't go very well.

I don't have enough time.

I'm not any good at that anyway.

It seems too hard.

There's no need for my perspective on that.

I don't want to fail in front of everybody.

I don't know how.

It's too expensive.
I'm too tired.

I don't want to go alone.

I am afraid of heights.

It's too scary.

I might get hurt.

They don't need me.

I don't bring anything worthwhile to the table.

It's much easier to not do anything at all.

I'm too old.

I'm too young.

I missed my opportunity.

It might not live up to my expectations.

I might not live up to their expectations.

Making music with friends

As I look back at all the performances I've been a part of in the last year, here are the typical sorts of things I've been doing.

- section percussion with an orchestra
- studio percussion with large ensemble
- solo marimba concerts
- mass drumline at the Super Bowl (What? You don't think that's typical? Okay, you're right.)

What I realize is that I tend to play with a large group of musicians or as a soloist. What's missing is chamber music. I have had (or made) very few opportunities to perform with a small group in the past year and a half, and recent events have helped me remember how much fun chamber music can be.