OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY - Courage & Compassion
A quick stop at a Tim Horton's for coffee and donuts, and Alan and I arrive at OSU about 8:30 AM. Milt Allen is waiting for us. Milt shows us the hall where we'll be recording, and then the other rooms nearby -- we need to decide where the control room is going to be. We consider the girl's bathroom for a moment, and then opt for the slightly-farther-away-but-far-more-dignified green room. We help Alan unload the gear, and then Milt and I sit down for one last look over the score.
The musicians begin to arrive... I manage to steal a few minutes to discuss percussion options with the percussionists: Maria, Chris, and Chris. Maria and the Chrises are very open to my opinions, and are happy to try out different mallets and instruments for me. I also recognize a few of the players from the OWU gig -- Sarah (percussion - but not in this ensemble), Joe (trombone), and Zach (tuba) -- but only have a few seconds to say hello and see how they've been before the session starts.
The session begins... after touching on a few spots, the band runs the entire piece. This is the first time I've heard them perform it, and I truly can't describe the experience in words. After waiting over a year to hear this piece really performed the way I'd imagined it... it was the first time I could - just for a moment - stop thinking about the notes, and reflect on WHY I'd written this in the first place. It was almost overwhelming, and I had to pull myself back into focus so I could make notes in the score.
The session went very, very well, and the recording should sound great on the next BCM CD. I cannot express enough gratitude to Milt Allen and the Ohio State band members for their hard work and the wonderful musicality they brought to the piece. And thanks go to Alan as well, for trucking through some of the more scenic sections of Columbus with me to make this beautiful-sounding recording. I thank you all so very, very much.
The musicians begin to arrive... I manage to steal a few minutes to discuss percussion options with the percussionists: Maria, Chris, and Chris. Maria and the Chrises are very open to my opinions, and are happy to try out different mallets and instruments for me. I also recognize a few of the players from the OWU gig -- Sarah (percussion - but not in this ensemble), Joe (trombone), and Zach (tuba) -- but only have a few seconds to say hello and see how they've been before the session starts.
The session begins... after touching on a few spots, the band runs the entire piece. This is the first time I've heard them perform it, and I truly can't describe the experience in words. After waiting over a year to hear this piece really performed the way I'd imagined it... it was the first time I could - just for a moment - stop thinking about the notes, and reflect on WHY I'd written this in the first place. It was almost overwhelming, and I had to pull myself back into focus so I could make notes in the score.
The session went very, very well, and the recording should sound great on the next BCM CD. I cannot express enough gratitude to Milt Allen and the Ohio State band members for their hard work and the wonderful musicality they brought to the piece. And thanks go to Alan as well, for trucking through some of the more scenic sections of Columbus with me to make this beautiful-sounding recording. I thank you all so very, very much.
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