Notes

Monday, November 6, 2018! I will be performing a program of solo and chamber music for bassoon, including Jenni Brandon's Colored Stones, Ludwig Thuille's Sextet for Piano and Wind Quintet, and Mozart's iconic Concerto in B-flat for bassoon and orchestra, K.191. I am so excited to be sharing the stage with some of my good friends and colleagues at Frost who have contributed so much to my musical development here. 

Admission for this event is free, and will be live streamed. Please join us live or online! For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/384068762012166/

It has been quite some time since I updated the content of my website, but summer is here and it's time for a revamp. The second year of my doctoral degree program flew by, and I'm in the middle of preparing for my third and final year. A few things have happend this year, including getting engaged(!) to the love of my life, Diana, teaching music at several summer camps in Florida and Texas, writing the beginning stages of my DMA essay, and as always, practicing for my next season of performances which will be announced very soon.

My last recital involved a massively successful project of putting together a chamber orchestra for Francisco Mignone's Concertino for bassoon and chamber orchestra with my dear friend and conductor Alexander Magalong, and this fall we plan to collaborate again and perform Mozart's bassoon concerto, also with a full chamber orchestra. 

I also recently returned from Houston, TX, where I was a bassoon instructor at the renowned Bocal Majority/Operation OBOE for a week. I learned so much about myself as a performer and teacher in just a few days, and I'm grateful for the friends I was able to stay with and people that I worked with while there.

More to come as a new season arrives. Stay tuned!

Thank you to everyone who attended my first DMA bassoon recital, Eclectic Dreams, featuring the talents of pianist Nicholas Tagab and clarinetist Annabelle Inhyung Hwang. We performed a variety of bassoon chamber works from the Romantic era to the 21st century. In the midst of recital season, I wish everyone at UM and other institutions a happy season of performing!

Now that my recital is in the books, I move on to a busy schedule of different performances over the next few months. Please see my performance calendar to learn more!

As many already know, I have just moved from Arizona to Miami, Florida to begin pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in bassoon performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. While it was a bit difficult to leave Arizona, my friends and colleagues in Phoenix and ASU, and my way of life on the west coast, I'm looking forward to being immersed in the progressive, wildly creative environment at the UM Frost School, and becoming involved in the vibrant community here.

The trip itself was 2,400 miles across 7 states in 5 days, and I have officially crossed over Interstate 10 in its entirety, stretching from California to Florida. I was fortunate to have my dad with me, who helped me every step of the way and continues to passionately support my way of life as a musician. I feel so lucky to have such supportive parents, as well as two other younger siblings who are amazingly creative themselves and continue to make their marks in the world.

As for this website, I will continue to update it as regularly as I can with my thoughts, ideas, and performance schedule as it takes shape. If you are a frequent visitor or a first time reader, thank you for stopping by regardless, and I look forward to musically serving you in Florida and beyond in the future.

As a bassoonist, I get a lot of frequently asked questions about the instrument I play, what it looks like, and how it sounds. Because it is one of the more unique woodwind instruments, this is a great topic to address for many reasons, and I hope others may refer to my new page- Bassoon FAQ!

Arizona music students, prospective bassoonists, colleagues, educators, and friends! Do you know a bassoonist, someone wanting to learn to play the bassoon, or want to learn to play yourself? Are you interested in improving your chamber music skills? Consider a private or group lesson with me, and read more about my bassoon studio!

Earlier this summer at the Talis Festival in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, I had the opportunity to work with bassoonist Scott Pool, Assistant Professor of Bassoon at University of Texas at Arlington. Not only did we work together as musicians at the festival, but we also did a quick photo shoot with the help of the beautful, natural surroundings in Saas-Fee, resulting in a whole new set of professional photos for me! 

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk2W5BmN

Thank you Scott for these great shots!

Now that school is done for now and I'm all graduated, this blog post by saxophonist and fellow UO graduate Kate Haller is extremely relevant for me. As a muscian who majored in performance in college and graduate school, Kate talks about keeping up on practicing while holding down a job not necessarily related to your instrument or field of study. The practice incentive game might be my favorite...I may have to start doing this! These are great suggestions, and she welcomes suggestions from others as well. 

Going to concerts, taking lessons from others you may not not have known before, and finding a group to play with are what does it for me. Also, even in the musically not-so-busiest of times, turning on my favorite piece of music or playlist every once in awhile will keep the inspiration going. If you have a duo partner, trio, quartet, or quintet, suggest a few pieces to sight read, just for fun! 

Read Kate's original post here. Enjoy!

Several weeks ago, I completed my Master's Degree in Bassoon Performance from Arizona State University. It was a jam-packed journey, but went by rather quickly, and made lots of friends and connections in the process. Not to mention I got so much better at playing the bassoon. I would like to thank my professor, Dr. Albie Micklich for his continued mentorship, as well as my family and close friends for their constant support. 

I also recently just bought a new bassoon, a Moosmann Model 200E, from Justin Miller of Miller Marketing Company (https://flic.kr/p/nRPvYK). It's a wonderful instrument that responds well, has a rich, resonant tone, and really sings. I'm playing it a little every day right now, and I can't wait to get started playing it with an ensemble. I will take a trip to Switzerland next month to play in the first annual Talis Festival and Academy in Saas-Fee, directed by Scott Pool and Maria Wildhaber, both bassoonists. It will be a packed two weeks of chamber music, and I'm tentatively planning to venture to Southern Germany after the festival is over, to see the country and maybe visit Bernd Moosmann's bassoon factory.

Right now is a time of transition for me. I continue to work part-time for Music Celebrations, who is in the middle of their busy tour season handling dozens of groups going on tour this summer all over the world. Hats off to my colleagues both here in Arizona and abroad making this happen. To read about some of our most recent projects and festivals at MCI, click here. I'm also trying to keep up my chops by practicing orchestral excerpts every day, preparing for auditions that may come up at any time. Teaching is going well too, but I could always take more students, both for my experience and your learning benefit. For information about studying with me, see my studio page.

As summer comes, staying in a routine is important. Even if things slow down, I know that if I just keep working toward something, be it a tricky passage in a piece of music, a reed, or a job application. Then I know that I'm getting something done for the day. I'll follow up on a seperate post about this later. Off to Oregon in a couple weeks for my brother Kyle's graduation from the University of Oregon, where I did my undegraduate work. He'll be graduating with two degrees in Journalism and Cinema studies. Check out his stuff- it's really, really nicely done!

All for now- here's to progress, new direction, and some well-deserved relaxation. Congratulations Class of 2014.

Arizona folks: I am now happy to teach bassoon students in the Tempe and Phoenix areas! Please contact me about your interest or feel free to pass on this announcement to any interested music educators, students and parents. Thank you!