University of Iowa

Well team,
it is unofficially official. We are going to the University of Iowa for the DMA (Doctorate of Musical Arts). The unofficial part is that I have been offered a verbal agreement, but have yet to sign a contract, but that should change in about a week or so.

This is how it is going to go down:
The Iowa Performance Fellowship guaratees funding for three years. One of the years requires no duties, and the other two years, you must perform some other kind of TA duties. Apparently, I have been offered a jazz TA, so I will fulfill that the first year, then have my fellowship year the second year, and the trombone assistantship the third year.

This is an amazing situation for us. We are excited for the move, the new opportunities, and the beginning of the end of school!

Michael Mulcahy Recital and Masterclass

On March 13, 2007 Michael Mulcahy presented a recital and masterclass at the University of Utah. He was assisted by Dr. Ling Nu on piano and Larry Zalkind on trombone.

After the recital, Matt Laube (graduate assistant in trombone) and I played for Mulcahy. Matt played the Ropartz and I played the first movement of the Creston. It was great to have his (Mulcahy's) insights on these pieces. Following the masterclass portion of the evening, it was open to questions. In response to the question "What should someone do to achieve what you are doing?" (namely, playing in a major symphony), Mulcahy responded that one simply needed to listen to music (besides practicing and working hard, ofcourse), but that many people claim to want to be a musician, but they don't listen to recordings or live concerts. I suppose it would be the same to say "I want to be able to speak Chinese", but to never listen to it. It would be impossible.

Here is a picture from that evening. From left to right: Larry Zalkind, Dr. Donn Schaefer, Matt Laube, Jonathan Allen, and Michael Mulcahy.

Iowa - the official state instrument.

I saw this on the ITA website and personally, I think it's awesome!


Iowa State Legislation Considering Making Trombone the State Musical Instrument

It's not a state muffin or bird, but there are those who think Iowa's cultural heritage owes a lot...to the trombone. Two northern Iowa senators want to slide a resolution past their peers to make the trombone Iowa's official state musical instrument. Thurman Gaskill of Corwith, a Republican, and Democrat Amanda Ragan, a Senator from Mason City, point out that nothing did more to make the state famous than Meredith Willson's "Music Man," and of course Glenn Miller, a native of Clarinda, Iowa, was a renowned trombonist and big band leader. It's the mainstay of every marching band, their resolution points out -- the giant among jazz band instruments, and the two say it's high time the trombone was Iowa's official state instrument. A copy of the proposed resolution follows:

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 20
BY RAGAN and GASKILL
A Resolution declaring the trombone Iowa's premier musical instrument.
WHEREAS, the trombone is certainly the most recognizable of the brass instruments, being the only one with a true slide section, having been in existence for over five centuries, and remaining relatively unchanged; and
WHEREAS, the trombone holds a unique place in Iowa's musical heritage; and
WHEREAS, two of Iowa's favorite sons, Meredith Willson and Glenn Miller, have made the trombone a centerpiece of their careers; and
WHEREAS, the trombone was made famous by Mason City native Meredith Willson in that rousing song "76 Trombones," which was part of his Broadway hit and Hollywood movie "The Music Man"; and
WHEREAS, Clarinda native Glenn Miller made dynamic use of the trombone in his big band hits "In the Mood," "Moonlight Serenade," "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," "Pennsylvania 6-5000," and "A String of Pearls"; and
WHEREAS, the trombone is a mainstay of every marching band and jazz band in Iowa and in the nation;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate, honoring the lives and music of those great Iowans, Meredith Willson and Glenn Miller, declares the trombone Iowa's premier musical instrument.