I’ve been reading Alex Stewart’s Making the Scene: Contemporary New York City Big Band Jazz. This has coincided with my recent VJO listening binge. I don’t know exactly when or if I’ll be living in New York, but part of me wants to try it.

I’m a good player and a good writer, but that only goes as far as my time here at UNT. I’ve managed to make it to the middle-top of the food chain, here, which is nice. Once I graduate, though, it’s on to a whole new set of challenges that will probably kick my ass so much harder than UNT has these past five years.

I’m excited about the prospect of entering into a new musical community, be it in Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, or some other place that I haven’t even considered yet. Succeeding in any of these places will take a lot of perserverence and patience. It takes time to build relationships and reputation. At the same time, first impressions are crazy important. I’m going to practice being as professional as possible during my last few months at UNT.

I’ve been thinking about who the most important people in my musical life have been.

I recently visited my home of Minnesota and spent some time with my high school trumpet teacher Brad Shermock. I began taking lessons with him during my junior year of high school. It was through him that I first learned about the UNT Jazz Program. He did his undergrad there in the late 80s and early 90s and played 2nd trumpet on the album The Translucent Two by the UNT Two O’Clock Lab band. He stressed trumpet fundamentals and we rarely (if ever) worked explicitly on playing in the jazz styles. Regardless, he made sure to warn me that UNT is an easy school to go to, but a hard school to stay at.

We hung out for about 4 hours, and I could’ve hung out for 4 more, but I was meeting some friends in St. Paul. Talking with him during my trips home usually encourages and re-energizes me about music. I’m ready for my sixth and final year at UNT, after which I’ll receive my Master’s in Jazz Composition.

So Brad is one mentor in my life, the second is Phil Holm. I think I’ll collect my thoughts and write about him soon.