2021 started and ended with huge rises in COVID spread. It’s tempting to say that it was 2020 all over again, but it was palpably different. With vaccinations and more knowledge about effective mitigation, we were able to do a lot more normal things, even as we missed out on many others. And because of all the cancellations of 2020, I appreciated all the things I got to do like I never had before.
Writing
I published a new post on this site every day in 2022, totaling 364 posts (plus today!).
I wrote over 66,000 words written for my blog this year; That averages to over 5,500 a month or around 180 per day, or a little less when you factor out a few longer posts. That’s always my goal – an easily and quickly readable post.
My goal remains to publish a post every day under three main tentpoles: education, vocal music, and creativity. Almost everything I write pertains to one of the three. I’ve also begun categorizing each post for easier searching; but it’s a big hurdle to go back over more than 2,000 old posts and 500,000+ words to add categories to all the previously published posts.
Composing/Arranging
I completed one new arrangement for Shades of Blue this year: You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To, which will soon be published with Anchor Music. A recording with Shades of Blue is forthcoming.
Rockford Choirs ended up doing two Cabaret shows this year: our usual November one but also a special one-night June Cabaret to raise money for our Spain trip. I wrote 19 charts for the Spain Cabaret and 29 for the November Cabaret, completing each set in less than a week. I always love working with wonderful musician friends as bandleader for this event, and making some great music with great students.
I completed the exercises for 2023 MSVMA High School sight reading for Choral Festival and Solo & Ensemble.
I completed several new arrangements for The Rockford Aces, including an arrangement of the Muppet Show Theme as an opener for our annual show this year.
I created a number of one-off types of gift arrangements, including a couple things for my son, a set of “Bugle Codes” for a bugler in our Scout troop, and a scat soli entitled “Straighten Right & Fly Up” for the MYC Youth Choir and my friend Randal Swiggum.
Finally, for my Patreon, I completed a few projects: “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” was supported by my Patreon, a new bluesy SSA piece titled “Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliaphobia”, and a canon titled “Let Us Then.” More is in the works for my Patreon soon!
I’m blessed to be able to stay busy writing music I’m excited about. If you’re interested in commissioning something in 2023 or beyond, now’s the time to hit me up!
Conducting
The Rockford Aces are now in their 15th year. This year feels much more “normal” than any year since 2019. They are making great music, and we are building toward a huge anniversary celebration on May 26 – with a new album in the works, a big commission being finished right now, and alumni returning to join us! It remains a joy to direct this group – I still love it! – and I am ever mindful of the privilege.
I am now in my sixth year directing GRCC Shades of Blue. This spring we had a great semester of music-making, with all of our usual concerts. This fall I had a fantastic quartet to work with, and we surveyed the great quartet vocal jazz repertoire through the ages: Manhattan Transfer, The Hi-Lo’s, Swingle Singers, New York Voices, and more. I have videos from our fall mini-concert available on YouTube.
Professional Growth
I continue to serve MSVMA as Supervisor of the All-State Jazz Choir. We had a fantastic ensemble in January, 2022 under the direction of Christine Guter. Right now we’re about 3 weeks out from the 2023 ensemble, directed by my dear friend and mentor April Tini. We had the most auditions ever for the ensemble, and I’m excited to see this activity to continue to grow and flourish with the support of MSVMA.
In addition to conducting Shades of Blue, I continue to teach applied lessons at GRCC – I have been teaching jazz voice, jazz piano and composition. Jazz Theory will not be running this year due to low enrollment, but I am proud to continue contributing to this very fine music department in various ways.
Speaking of Jazz Theory, my first book landed in its final form in 2022, and I am excited to find a way to get Jazz Theory For Choral Musicians into the world soon. I’m already at work on planning the next book.
In other publication news, I am proud to be publishing through leading independent jazz publisher Anchor Music. I think so highly of Matt Falker’s leadership and keen eye and ear for vocal jazz, and I’m hopeful to publish many more of my arrangement with him in the future. Right now, look for “What’ll I Do?“, “Where is Love?“, “This Can’t Be Love“, and “Fly Me To The Moon“. which was featured at the new vocal jazz reading session at the 2022 JEN Conference. “What’ll I Do?” is scheduled to be read at the 2023 JEN Conference.
I also continue to have works in print with UNC Jazz Press, Pavane, and at Sheet Music Plus.
In addition, I maintained my Patreon, focused on writing vocal music. Under my model, a $5/month commitment earns you performance rights to the work I publish there each month. I’ve experimented with original choral compositions, arrangements of public domain songs, and more. I do hope you consider joining me there! (It’s also a way for me to “underwrite” commissions for ensembles who can’t afford my whole commission fee.)
Every day I am looking for more and better ways to give back to my professional community – with my time, with my attention, and with my words. If you have an idea for a project we could work together on to make the choral community stronger, please contact me!
Personal Growth
I baked over 90 loaves of bread in 2022, and hardly a week went by without some of our family staples: homemade pizza, pancakes, waffles, focaccia…. Cooking and baking remain outlets for me to clear my head of music, and a tangible way to express my love for family and friends. 50+ loaves of my sandwich bread means my kids can’t really imagine what store-bought sandwich bread tastes like. I like that. I finally learned how to make a sourdough loaf that was simple enough that I could fit it into my schedule. It’s a hit!
I started 2022 as the Troop Committee Chair for my sons’ Scout Troop, and ended it as their new Scoutmaster. I really didn’t expect this, but I’m excited to serve them and focus my volunteer hours on something that directly impacts my own children’s pastime. I camped seventeen nights with our troop, hiked 50+ miles in six days at Scout Camp, and completed an advanced leadership course called Wood Badge that involved two long weekends away from the family. I also got to watch my sons grow, mature, and learn leadership and life skills through the troop. My son Owen is inches away from completing his Eagle, having built an outdoor classroom in the woods behind his elementary school for his Eagle Project. My son Julian is the Senior Patrol Leader for the troop, and earned the troop awards for most merit badges earned, most nights camped, and most service hours completed in 2022.
I read 16 books in 2022. I find it hard to carve out as much time for reading as I want to, but am also mindful that I read a lot more than many. It fills my spirit.
Our dear dog Bijou remains a blessing – she gets me out into the world every day. Thanks to her insistence, I walked over 500 miles in 2022. She doesn’t care about the weather – she just wants to be out in it. She is down from her peak of 4 miles/day (she’s 10 1/2) but 2 miles every morning is essential.
I finally did my first round with COVID-19 this December. I was lucky to have made it this long, and it was really quite rough. I’m glad to be through the worst, and glad that I was diagnosed during finals week at GRCC and missed only a little bit of concertizing during the December rush.
My favorite week of the year was once again the week off of the grid in western Massachusetts. Reconnecting with Alice Parker, but also reconnecting with our family, with play, and with the world. I seek more moments like that.
I can’t imagine doing any of what I’m doing without my amazing partner, Mandy. She inspires and motivates me, is my first and most trusted editor and confidant, and makes everything I do better. We celebrated our 20th anniversary this year, and it just keeps getting better.
My life is full in the best possible ways, and on the horizon I see possibilities I couldn’t have dreamed even a few years ago. Every day I try to do the best I can at the job in front of me, and on most days I see positive change.