The Summerglen Files

This year, Andrew and I have been working with the Millbrook High School Marching Band on their Moulin Rouge show–Andrew’s the percussion instructor, and I’m in charge of the brass line. It’s been a fun and challenging experience, and now we get to see the results of all the students’ efforts over the last [...]

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Earlier this week, I stopped by Andrew’s blog and was intrigued by one of his posts about balancing creative input and output. Andrew compares his creative expression to a conversation–just as a totally one-sided conversation gets boring, creating turns into drudgery if it’s always going one way. Reading his post made me think [...]

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If I had to choose one musician that I dig above all others, it would have to be John Coltrane. I’ve always admired his insatiable appetite for musical exploration and boundary-breaking…and that otherworldly energy that he channeled through his playing, WHOA! In honor of Coltrane’s birthday today, here’s an awesome live recording of [...]

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I stumbled upon this great post on the Trombone-L discussion list, and had to share it. Basically, this guy went to one of Joe Alessi’s trombone seminars, and then ever-so-kindly posted his notes for the benefit of trombonekind: http://maillists.samford.edu/pipermail/trombone-l/2005-September/003589.html. Each of these tips is an absolute gem. Enjoy!

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Yesterday, I started the final run of the Women Embracing Creativity course for 2009…and it was AWESOME!!! We had a kitchen full of wise women, each one exuding her own unique creative energy and passion. And although these women had met each other only minutes before, they were already enthusiastic about helping each [...]

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This past weekend, Andrew and I went to our favorite spot in the world, Mount Airy, NC. For years, we’ve gone to this wonderful little corner of the world for relaxation, rejuvenation, drive-in movies, excellent food…heck, we even got married there!
Fall is an absolutely gorgeous time in Mt. Airy, so if you’re anywhere [...]

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This is a short little video with a powerful message! So…have you carried yourself like a wildly successful artist today?

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1. Practicing good habits, even in the face of chaotic schedules, is a good thing…
2. but there’s no reason to beat yourself up if you get a little off-balance. Just keep on keeping on.
And above all:
3. Where there’s an active schedule, success is somewhere nearby. Either the success made you [...]

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