So, I’ve been in New York exactly 3 weeks and I’ve already done so much. I’ve been hanging out and playing some jam sessions in Brooklyn. Everyone there sounds good. I haven’t heard a single person that sounds bad. It’s an inspiring thing. I’ve done a couple live sound assisting gigs for a HUGE (14 piece) party/wedding band. They sound awesome, and the gigs make me miss playing and singing with Groove Academy.

I’m off to see Jonathan Kreisberg tonight. There is so much good music to hear all the time here.

I just spent a week in New York City. I’m moving there in August and I spent some time scoping out potential neighborhoods to live in. I also saw some more shows including the Vanguard Orchestra on Monday night and the N Result last night. There is a LOT of good music happening here constantly. It’s exciting.

I have the uncompressed .aiff files of my graduate recital. As soon as I convert them to a smaller size (mp3), I’ll post them to this site. It was a great night and there was music made that I’m really proud of. Videos on youtube will also be put up, once I do all the technical stuff.

I’m in New York right now for a week. Hanging out and seeing shows. I saw the Le Boeuf Brothers at the Jazz Gallery last night.

This is a video of the Australian Jazz/Funk band VOID performing their tune “London” at the 2006 IAJE Conference in New York. I might be somewhere in the back of this video, as I wandered into the hotel during their set. It’s hard to tell. They write and play great tunes, which have inspired me to write some of my own.

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 recently recieved Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard, the newest recording from the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. I’ve been listening to it a lot.

I’ve become increasingly interested in this band since the beginning of college, and even more so now that I’ve seen them live. I saw the band this past St. Patrick’s day, only a week after the passing of their longtime bassist and UNT Alum Dennis Irwin.

I’d like to make another trip to New York next year, and seeing the Vanguard Orchestra again will need to happen.