high points
After weeks and weeks and WEEKS of wild travel, concerts, premieres, and intense deadlines, I'm finding it very difficult to adjust to "normal life". Since I can't seem to get used to it, I thought I'd dwell in the past and share a couple of moments from the past few months that may not have made it into the blog:
Most rock-n-roll moment (onstage) - Rehearsing Chaos Theory at Nazareth Academy -- then after an INTENSE run-through, having the director suggest it could be a little bit LOUDER! YEAH BABY!!!
Most rock-n-roll moment (offstage) - CENSORED
Most educational moment - watching Tom Leslie coach the band at Mountain View -- I learned a TON.
Best performance space (the Steve Bryant award) - Murchison Center for the Performing Arts, on the University of North Texas campus.
Most positive media moment - the review of the Threnody premiere in the Chippewa Herald.
Coolest media moment - seeing my master class on the NBC evening news.
Worst bomb in a media moment - doing a really BAD Marlon Brando/Don Corleone imitation on a "morning zoo" radio show while promoting an upcoming Chaos Theory performance.
Best food (the John Mackey award) - VERY difficult to say, but I'm going to go with the Peanut Butter Silk Pie in Sun Prairie, WI.
Most thoughtful surprise - The directors in Chippewa Falls snuck into our hotel room before we arrived and left flowers for Nicki (and beer for me!).
Warmest, fuzziest surprise - Finding that Jerod and Ursula Tate, Eric Whitacre, and Barry Kardon all made it to the Sticks & Stones premiere! Thanks again guys!
Coolest memento - the Watercolors t-shirt from Huffines Middle School.
Most unique question during a presentation - "How much money do you make?" (from a 6th grader)
Most unique question after a presentation - "Can you get me a job?"
Most commonly-asked question after a presentation - "Can you get me a free copy of Mortal Kombat?" (answer = NO)
Coolest presentation - the guitar master class at Bismarck State College.
Wildest autograph (the Eric Whitacre award) - this was a toughee, but I think it would have to be signing a trombonist's face in Mountain View, CO.
Most unique gift - a custom-made, chain-mail bracelet from a bass clarinetist.
Most auspicious gift - a proclamation from the Mayors of two cities in Texas.
Best first run-through at rehearsal - the first movement of Chaos Theory at Sun Prairie.
Worst stagefright - playing the bass guitar solo on TranZendental Danse of Joi in Colorado... it was my first live performance on bass guitar... and I decided to take a solo?!?
Most emotionally moving premiere - the Threnody premiere in Chippewa Falls, WI.
Most intensely exciting premiere - the Sticks & Stones premiere (with Shilo Stroman on drums) in Mountain View, CO.
Most auspicious premiere (the Newman award) - undoubtedly the Watercolors premiere in Denton, TX.
Best CD/DVD of a performance - I don't know... I haven't received any of them!
Fastest trip - Indiana Purdue University (the second time): set up gear, quick soundcheck, played Chaos Theory, got the check, then broke down the equipment and left... all within 1.5 hours. It was great, but it was FAST!
Worst video game moment - getting absolutely SMOKED by Guitar Hero in Mountain View, CO (but I've been practicing and I'm ready for a rematch!!!)
Worst night's sleep (off the road) - the first night after I started putting notes down on paper for Threnody.
Worst night's sleep (on the road) - the hotel room where the fire alarm battery was going dead (had to rip it off the ceiling) at 2 AM, then the bachelor party returned to the room next to us for a dice game at 3:30 AM, then the jerk who had the room before us had boobytrapped the alarm to go off with a Christian rock station at full blast at 5:20 AM!!!!!!
Most talented student-musician - impossible to say...
Best band - YEAH RIGHT!
Most rock-n-roll moment (onstage) - Rehearsing Chaos Theory at Nazareth Academy -- then after an INTENSE run-through, having the director suggest it could be a little bit LOUDER! YEAH BABY!!!
Most rock-n-roll moment (offstage) - CENSORED
Most educational moment - watching Tom Leslie coach the band at Mountain View -- I learned a TON.
Best performance space (the Steve Bryant award) - Murchison Center for the Performing Arts, on the University of North Texas campus.
Most positive media moment - the review of the Threnody premiere in the Chippewa Herald.
Coolest media moment - seeing my master class on the NBC evening news.
Worst bomb in a media moment - doing a really BAD Marlon Brando/Don Corleone imitation on a "morning zoo" radio show while promoting an upcoming Chaos Theory performance.
Best food (the John Mackey award) - VERY difficult to say, but I'm going to go with the Peanut Butter Silk Pie in Sun Prairie, WI.
Most thoughtful surprise - The directors in Chippewa Falls snuck into our hotel room before we arrived and left flowers for Nicki (and beer for me!).
Warmest, fuzziest surprise - Finding that Jerod and Ursula Tate, Eric Whitacre, and Barry Kardon all made it to the Sticks & Stones premiere! Thanks again guys!
Coolest memento - the Watercolors t-shirt from Huffines Middle School.
Most unique question during a presentation - "How much money do you make?" (from a 6th grader)
Most unique question after a presentation - "Can you get me a job?"
Most commonly-asked question after a presentation - "Can you get me a free copy of Mortal Kombat?" (answer = NO)
Coolest presentation - the guitar master class at Bismarck State College.
Wildest autograph (the Eric Whitacre award) - this was a toughee, but I think it would have to be signing a trombonist's face in Mountain View, CO.
Most unique gift - a custom-made, chain-mail bracelet from a bass clarinetist.
Most auspicious gift - a proclamation from the Mayors of two cities in Texas.
Best first run-through at rehearsal - the first movement of Chaos Theory at Sun Prairie.
Worst stagefright - playing the bass guitar solo on TranZendental Danse of Joi in Colorado... it was my first live performance on bass guitar... and I decided to take a solo?!?
Most emotionally moving premiere - the Threnody premiere in Chippewa Falls, WI.
Most intensely exciting premiere - the Sticks & Stones premiere (with Shilo Stroman on drums) in Mountain View, CO.
Most auspicious premiere (the Newman award) - undoubtedly the Watercolors premiere in Denton, TX.
Best CD/DVD of a performance - I don't know... I haven't received any of them!
Fastest trip - Indiana Purdue University (the second time): set up gear, quick soundcheck, played Chaos Theory, got the check, then broke down the equipment and left... all within 1.5 hours. It was great, but it was FAST!
Worst video game moment - getting absolutely SMOKED by Guitar Hero in Mountain View, CO (but I've been practicing and I'm ready for a rematch!!!)
Worst night's sleep (off the road) - the first night after I started putting notes down on paper for Threnody.
Worst night's sleep (on the road) - the hotel room where the fire alarm battery was going dead (had to rip it off the ceiling) at 2 AM, then the bachelor party returned to the room next to us for a dice game at 3:30 AM, then the jerk who had the room before us had boobytrapped the alarm to go off with a Christian rock station at full blast at 5:20 AM!!!!!!
Most talented student-musician - impossible to say...
Best band - YEAH RIGHT!
3 Comments:
I'm sorry Jim, but at least you had beer and flowers!!!!
"Can you get me a job?"
Looks like somebody already asked my big question. :p
Jim i am ready and waiting for that guitar hero rematch.....
John Clarkson
Mountain View
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