In Light of Recent Circumstances

The more I think about the tragedy in Connecticut and about "why" it happened, I can't help but come back to a simple conclusion. Yes, gun control in this country is an issue. Yes, mental health issues are often ignored or, worse yet, made to be a sign of weakness or shame. But I think it's a much simpler reason and a much, much more pervasive problem that we're facing: we have lost our sense of connection.

We live in a world where it is too easy to argue on the internet, to insult someone for how they think; we can send a nasty text instead of owning up to our feelings eye-to-eye; in short, we don't have to SEE someone with whom we disagree. We can avoid them and yet still insult or hurt them. We have lost our civility, our humanity, and until we are able to come together, to look each other in the eye, and say "I disagree" without hatred or malice, but with understanding and cooperation, there's not much hope.

I teach children, young adults really. I don't teach orchestra nor do I teach music. I teach human beings. I love and live with human beings. And I hope to teach them that through music, and all the arts, we can share love, passion, and connectivity. Please, don't just "share" on Facebook. Get out in your community, your schools, your world and share real connections. I truly believe it will make the greatest difference in our world.

I wish you peace this holiday season,

Jeffrey

Giving Thanks...

Wow, is it November 20th already?  Where has the time gone?  Oh, yeah.  It's gone into an amazing year spent with some of the most incredible people.  I've had another great semester at SMNW, working with some of the most talented young musicians.  I've nearly completed my second semester of PhD coursework at Kansas State University.  And, I've published my second novel on Kindle and saw my first novel come out in paperback.

Not too bad, really.  But what is more important, I have had the most amazing period of personal growth as a person and as a composer.  My creativity has been off the charts - several commissions already completed and an amazing new one on the horizon.  So what's my secret?

Family.

I have an amazing partner who inspires me.  She is the most amazing woman I've ever known and every day I give thanks for her presence in my life.  And then there's her kids, two of the most amazing young people I've ever known.  They have accepted me into their lives and I am so thankful for that.  And then there's my biggest fans: my folks.  Every year, every day, they never give up on me.

So, as we pause this weekend to give thanks for all that we have, I want all y'all to know how much I appreciate the love and support I have in my life.  And if you're a former student, colleague, friend, or family member, or a newfound fan of Bartemus or my music, I want you to know how much I am thankful for YOU.

Peace,

Jeffrey

Trailer One for "Bartemus Ammblin in the Old Forest."  It is available on Amazon Kindle now and will be released in paperback in October.  Check it out!

Please share with friends and family (especially those who like to read)! Thanks!

Peace, Love, and Bunny Rabbits,

Jeffrey

When I'm not teaching or composing (or working on my PhD - geez, I think I may be a little busy), I'm writing.  I've written a lot of poetry and some professional journal and book articles, but my heart lies in a lovely little project I call "The Prairie Adventures."  It's about a group of friends who lived on the Prairie before humans showed up.  Bartemus, a Rabbit, Timblelew, a Badger, and Willoughby, a very hungry Wolverine, make up the core group of Critters who solve mysteries, play music, and get into a lot of trouble together.

The first book in the series, Bartemus Ammblin in the Old Forest (Prairie Adventures Volume One), was released in October of 2011.  The second book, Bartemus Ammblin on the Back of the Giants (Prairie Adventures Volume Two) was released this week.

I'm very blessed to work with an amazing graphic design firm, J.Steadman Creative and Marketing Services, for all my covers.  Check them out here.  And, please check out Bartemus and Friends, here, and let me know what you think.

Until then, may all your creative dreams come true!

Peace,

Jeffrey

New School Year, New Possibilities

School started a couple weeks back, both for my students and for me.  We're hard at work at SMNW, well, I'm hard at work trying to get them to practice after a long summer hiatus from their instruments, and I'm hard at work on my PhD studies at Kansas State University.

Commissions are going well, too.  I am finishing up commissions for Shawnee Mission West's Symphony Orchestra, a new powerhouse work entitled "Aethelinda" (Welsh for "dragon") as well as a string orchestra work commissioned by the Gold Orchestra/40th Annual String Fling at K-State.  And, oddly enough, I may be adding a work for solo tuba to the mix.  I'm excited about that one, as I've not done much chamber music and really would like to explore the virtuosic aspects of the instrument (confession: yes, I play the tuba and I like it).

But mostly, I am happy in my personal life, surrounded by loving friends and family who keep me honest and on an even keel.  They are my real reward in this crazy world.

Perspective, folks.  Keep it real.

Peace,

Jeffrey

Always enjoy seeing a package from UPS on the ol' doorstep and today I had a nice surprise from one of my publishers:

"Erebus" is my newest work for string orchestra available from Kjos Music Co.  You can listen to it over at my YouTube Channel as well.  And now that I've gotten the last paper of my summer semester finished, I can concentrate on getting back to writing more music!  I love the fact that my "other job" is such a joy!

I hope you're staying cool out there!

Peace,

Jeffrey

Wow. Long time, no post, huh?  Sorry about that.

Bit of a whirlwind in this composer's life I guess you could say!  Wrapped up a really good year at SMNW and sent another class of young people out into the world armed only with ambition, good hearts, and a willingness to ask questions. Hopefully they'll play their instruments every now and then, too, but really, that'd be frosting on the cake.

Then I sent myself back to school.  I'm now officially a PhD student at Kansas State University.  My first class for the summer wrapped up earlier this week and I've got two more to go.  Interesting, being on the other side of the equation in the classroom.  Especially since my first class was on learning theories.  It really made me think about what I do and how I do it.  But nobody has yet to answer my most burning question: what is learning?  I mean that in the noun sense of the word, not the verb.  It's a quandary I'll continue to look at as I finish up homework for the course.

Speaking of which, I probably should go do homework now.

I hope you're doing well and enjoying your summer.  Stay mindful of the gifts in your life.  The air we breathe, the friends we choose, the family we keep close; all of these can give us more peace than we realize.  I am blessed to have such gifts in my life and I hope you do, too.

Until next time, I wish you peace.

Jeffrey

Another April ALMOST in the books, and it's been one of the best yet.  I'm celebrating my next trip around the sun this weekend, after a great week.  My orchestras did very well at State Contest, upholding a twelve year tradition of the highest ratings.  I've received a couple more commissions, one with some great travel opportunities as well, and well, it's my birthday!

We've got a few more big events and then school will be over before we know it. And then I will start my next adventure: work toward earning my Doctorate in Music Education from Kansas State University.  I'm excited and scared all at the same time!

I hope you're all doing well and making your dreams come true out there!  Because if you're not, you better go look in the mirror and see what's holding you back!

Peace,

Jeffrey

Oh, April....

April is a busy time for musicians, at least school teachers and their student musicians. Lots of contests, concerts, and other events keep us about as crazy as a cat in a rocking chair factory, but mostly it's a lot of fun.

Today, I got to work with an area middle school orchestra and enjoy their performances of my music "Brigid's Fire."  It was fun to work with students other than my own and to watch a great colleague in his classroom.  Sometimes, when we're the busiest, it's nice to stop and take inventory of what's really important.

So, as we head into this busiest time of year, it's nice to just stop and smell the lilacs (or roses, or tulips, or dandelions).  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get my tail out from under this rocker....

Peace,

Jeffrey

Ah, Spring....BREAK!

Beautiful weather here at the Tower of Composition.  Nothing like nice weather to make us want to do, well, NOTHING!  I'm really enjoying catching up on sleep and getting ready for the busiest time of the school year.  I meet with my advisor later in the week to begin my studies on the PhD in Music Education at Kansas State University, but other than that, life is pretty simple.

I did manage to get a new choral composition up over at my YouTube Channel, though.  You can check it out here.  I've been writing a lot more choral stuff and just loving it.  I've got a lot more percolating in my head....maybe even another opera?  We'll see....

Until then, enjoy the weather!

Peace,

Jeffrey

New Works Released for Publication

Two new works of mine are being released just in time for the 2012 American String Teachers Association Conference next month.  The first, Concerto a4 in D Major by Torelli, is an arrangement that I made last year for my freshmen.  It's a great Baroque style piece and, I have to admit, I love Torelli, so it was a pretty easy gig!

The second one is an original concert work that I wrote in honor of Capt. Jon-Marc Thibodeau of the US Army Medical Corps. "Flight of the Blackhawks" is a programmatic work depicting a day in the life of these amazing heroes that work so hard to save our wounded soldiers.  I have never been more proud of a piece, and I'm thrilled that my publisher did such a great job with the recordings!  Check 'em out!

And, as always, peace.

Jeffrey

Voices from Heaven (well, close...)

Spent the afternoon recently working with the Shawnee Mission West High School Chorale.  They commissioned a new a cappella piece in commemoration of their appearance at the 2012 Kansas Music Educators Association In-Service Workshop (the state convention for all us music teachers).  Their director, Laura VanLeeuwen, is an amazing musician and probably one of the best teachers I've ever seen work a group of kids.  When I showed up to listen to my piece and they were warming up, I knew it would be awesome.

And they didn't disappoint.

Laura asked me to set the King James Version of Solomon 8:6, the famous "Set me as a seal" passage from the Old Testament.  Most of the versions of this setting see it as something joyful, or praiseful, but I didn't read it that way. Rather, I envisioned more of an imploring, almost begging, for forgiveness.  So, being the weird little composer that I am, I wrote it to that end.  And those kids are just singing the crap out of it!  Superb intonation, amazing articulation, and more importantly to me, they really, really get it! 


So, "BRAVA" to you Ms. V!  And "BRAVO, BRAVA!" to the members of the SMW Chorale.  I look forward to your performance at KMEA!

Until then, all y'all....

Peace,

Jeffrey

String Flingin'

Well, all-state auditions are done, so that only means one thing: String Fling weekend is upon us!

I'm looking forward to heading west to Kansas State University to conduct the 8/9th grade orchestra at the 39th Annual "String Fling."  It's a two-day event featuring students from across Kansas.  It's a lot of fun, with lots of non-orchestra events planned for the kids (nothing like going swimming during the coldest months of the year in an indoor heated pool)!

Exciting, too, is the fact that I'll be starting my Ph.D. work at Kansas State this year!  I'm really looking forward to getting back in the classroom and getting my doctorate completed.  It's been way too long since I've done research and serious academic pursuits, so I'm excited to get going.

So, for all you Wildcat fans out there: EMAW!

And, until next time, stay warm out there!

Best,

Jeffrey