The Tour

Hi all!

It's great to be back at school after a whirlwind tour with the Iowa Brass Quintet.  I have been so lucky to have been apart of the group for the past year.  We all learned quite a bit on tour, I certainly did.  I'll give you the run-down.

Our first stop was a small high school/jr. high in southern Iowa called Central Lee High School.  It was our first live performance together and the kids really enjoyed it.  We headed back to Iowa City that same day and the next day we set off at 10 am towards Missouri.  It was at Maryville that we gave a master class.  The college was small, but the students were great.  They have a lot of potential and they were also great to work with.

Our next stop was the next day in Lawrence, Kansas.  That day the weather was just perfect for playing and after we had lunch at a Mediterranean place, we headed over and played our program.  It was interesting to be in that environment as a student.  Besides sometimes adding my own comments, I was definitely learning a lot about teaching and what it means to be a professional.  That same day we headed up to Kansas City, MO.  We stopped at UMKC for a bit and gave a master class and  answered some questions.  I met few people there and it was great to talk shop with students at a conservatory.  After the concert, we headed over to the cheesecake factory for some seriously delicious food and I got to talk to a few more students there.  Although UMKC is a conservatory, they said it was actually laid back.  I can definitely see that within the brass studio.  Kansas City was amazing, by the way and if you ever get a chance to go, take it!

The last stop we made was to Truman State University in Missouri.  It was small, but their music program is very good!  I was impressed by the students there, not only in their playing, but their demeanor as well.  After we did a master class, Dr. Schendel did kind of a impromptu Q& A with us.  It was such a learning experience and I thought it was fantastic to vibe with other students with the same and sometimes different ideas.  After that we all went out to a jazz concert at a theater.  It was really fantastic.  I don't remember the name of the group, but they came down from New York to this little town called Kirksville to give us some great tunes.  That definitely topped the night off.

I learned quite a bit traveling with the Iowa Brass Quintet.  I won't forget the experience and I'm glad I made some new contacts.

That's all! See you in class tomorrow!