2025 LMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble in New Orleans
I recently directed the 2025 LMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble in New Orleans, where students worked hard over two and a half days to prepare an exciting 50-minute concert. The program featured jazz standards and contemporary pieces, and the students performed at an outstanding level.
I recently had the incredible opportunity to direct the 2025 LMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble in New Orleans, and I couldn’t be more proud of the talented students who participated. Over the course of two and a half days, these young musicians dedicated themselves to learning and rehearsing a challenging and exciting program, culminating in a fantastic 50-minute concert that showcased their hard work and musical growth.
The concert program featured a diverse selection of jazz standards and contemporary pieces, including:
• The Eternal Triangle – Sonny Stitt/arr. John Clayton
• Boogaloo – Clarence Hines
• Footprints – Wayne Shorter/arr. Mike Tomaro
• Trav’lin’ Light – Young, Mundy, Mercer/arr. Nelson Riddle
• Cheek to Cheek – Irving Berlin/arr. Mark Taylor
• The Star-Crossed Lovers – Strayhorn, Ellington/trans. David Berger
• Cute – Neal Hefti/arr. Bob Mintzer
• What Is This Thing Called Love – Cole Porter/arr. Alan Baylock
The ability of the students to come together as an ensemble in such a short time and perform at an excellent level is truly commendable. Congratulations to all the students for their outstanding performance, and a big thank you to LMEA for organizing such a wonderful event. It was an honor to work with such a talented group of young musicians.
Peña Amaya - Upcoming Performance
Exciting news! The Western University Wind Ensemble will perform my composition Peña Amaya in their upcoming 'Echoes and Reverberations' concert.
Exciting news! The Western University Wind Ensemble will perform my composition Peña Amaya in their upcoming “Echoes and Reverberations” concert. The concert takes place on December 1st and the program includes March in F by Ludwig van Beethoven; Geschwindmarsch by Beethoven by Paul Hindemith; Pena Amaya by Clarence Hines; Variations on America by Charles Ives; and Symphonic Dances from “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein.
Recording Update #2: Sneak Peek of Rough Mixes
Hey everyone, I wanted to take a moment to give you an exciting update on my recording project. While the project is still a work in progress, I wanted to give you a little taste of what's to come. So, here's a brief sample of some of the music that’s been recorded so far.
Hey everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to give you an exciting update on my recording project. While the project is still a work in progress, I wanted to give you a little taste of what's to come. So, here's a brief sample of some of the music that’s been recorded so far. Please keep in mind that these are rough mixes and there's still a lot of fine-tuning and polishing to be done. But I hope you'll enjoy this sneak peek:
These rough mixes are just the beginning, and I'm thrilled with how they're shaping up. As for the album release date, I'm aiming to share it with you all in the coming months. In the meantime, I'll continue to keep you updated on the progress of the project.
Stay tuned, and until next time!
Featured on Wind & Rhythm!
I am thrilled to announce that "Peña Amaya," a composition for wind ensemble, was recently featured on an episode of Wind & Rhythm.
I am thrilled to announce that "Peña Amaya," a composition for wind ensemble, was recently featured on an episode of Wind & Rhythm. This nationally acclaimed radio show broadcasts on over 50 NPR affiliate radio stations across the country. Additionally, you can catch the show live-streamed through the stations’ websites during the show’s regular broadcast hour. If you happen to miss the live broadcast, don't worry! Wind & Rhythm offers convenient On Demand access to the episodes via your browser or mobile device.
In case you missed it, "Peña Amaya" took center stage on Episode 722: Going For A Hike, which was produced in June. This particular episode celebrated the natural beauty of the great outdoors and the undeniable connection between music and nature. Listening to "Peña Amaya," you will instantly be transported to the vibrant colors of the Spanish countryside and the serene tranquility of the mountain's summit.
Recording Update
Hey there, it’s been a while since I’ve given an update on my recording project, so let me catch you up to speed: it’s going great! At this point, the tracking process is mostly complete; there are only a few parts left to be recorded on a couple of tunes.
Hey there, it’s been a while since I’ve given an update on my recording project, so let me catch you up to speed: it’s going great!
At this point, the tracking process is mostly complete; there are only a few parts left to be recorded on a couple of tunes. Overall, the recording process has been a long and winding road, but it’s also been incredibly rewarding.
As exciting as it is to see the project come together, I’m even more excited to share it with the world. Little by little, we are getting there. All of the eight compositions on the project are coming together nicely.
With most of the tracking completed, I’m now in the process of creating rough mixes before sending them off to the mixing engineer. This is a crucial step in the process; the rough mixes help to give the mixing engineer an idea of the overall sound and feel of the tracks, and they help to ensure that they are mixed in a way that aligns with my vision for the project.
Overall, I’m feeling really good about the progress that has been made so far. While there’s still a little ways to go before everything is finished, I’m confident that the end result will be something truly special.
Stay tuned!