in a good place

opposite the spectrum from the inevitable lows, is the good feeling i am experiencing right now. musically, i feel like i'm doing well. my arranging is coming along OK. i have some good ideas that i will work on this summer as far as arranging and composing.

i'm doing better than i expected in improv 2, due in full to my elevated dedication to practicing this semester. a B is completely acceptable in that class, but an A may be within my grasp.

lab band has been fun, and my reading keeps improving. hopefully i'll be in the 4 o'Clock or above next semester. a few people in trumpet section positions are graduating this semester, which is good for me in that regard.

i'm going to do jazz combo next semester, and am super psyched about that.

i'm listening to "Second Sight" off of Lab '92, which is easily in my top 5 favorite one o'clock charts to play/hear. hm. maybe i'll list those. in no particular order:

• F.M. - though, lately i've been hearing it a LOT. we played it in the 5, the 6 played it. probably a couple other people did too. let's cool it off for a while, huh?
• Second Sight - it's totally the antithesis as well as the thesis of the One o'Clock lab band spirit. it's really hard to play well. moreso than most other charts. partly due to the very exposed doubles at the beginning. it's really obvious when a saxophonist hasn't practiced his flute/clarinet/bass clarinet in a while, and also if a trumpet player hasn't quite come to a friendly agreement with his flugelhorn.
• A Lift of the Foot - I played this in the 5 this semester. It's so ridiculously fun to play. there's so much interesting stuff going on, especially in the 3rd and 4th trumpet parts.
• Got a Match - i haven't played this one, mostly because it seems/is very difficult. it's such a high energy piece. my leg is always bouncing after hearing it.
• Overture to the Royal Mongolian Suma Foosball Festival - i've actually only heard this performed once by the One o'Clock, and that was my first time seeing them at the syndicate my freshman year, so it was before i had begun to get into the North Texas vibe. i really want to hear it done again, now that i've listened to it so many times on CD.

ok so this post went somewhere i didn't expect when i started.

anyway. i'm feeling good and i'm excited for next fall. i almost just want it to be fall so i can audition for lab band and play some more, though it will be VERY VERY nice to get home.