Hello Friends,
A few weeks ago I played live on the radio again with my friend Rob Crozier, a bass player from Ann Arbor who curates a live show on U of M's student radio station one Sunday a month. This month we we were with a local radio personality Michael G. Nastos. He was the host of a jazz program at EMU for 27 years, and really knows his music. It was a great show. It is always a treat to play for an audience, even when you can't see them. I also really like the fact that the shows are broadcast over the Internet, so my family can listen in if they feel like it.
The following week was hectic. I was very busy getting ready for the Go Like The Wind Christmas concert. I had to prepair 20 pieces of music for the 1st through 9th grades. The music program has grown a lot this year. It went from one big orchestra to 3 separate, smaller groups. We now have a beginning band, string orchestra, and advanced band. It has been a lot of fun, and it is so rewarding to watch the students who started from scratch come into their own as young musicians. The show went off without a hitch, and I am as excited as ever for the new year.
Just one day after the Christmas concert I was at the Zen Buddhist temple in Ann Arbor for the first Kirtan potluck and chant. It was put together to bring the community together, say thank you, and have one last chant for the year. There were a lot of participants, (I think around 80), and the temple turned out to be a great place to play. It was a bigger room with hardwood floors and a wood burning stove, which made for a cozy evening. Honestly though, I was so wiped out from the crazy week that I was barely able to keep focus. It is an interesting situation to find yourself in...so tired you can barely play and faced with 2 hours of intense playing. By the end my arm was freezing up. It wasn't agony, but it was very close. I guess, to be positive about it, you could say that it is a great way to find the easiest, most relaxed playing positions.....work yourself to exhaustion, and then play 2 hours for 80 people.. *don't try this at home ; )
That is all for now. Just one more show left this year, but it is a great one.....Mike Waits C.D. release party at Kaufman Auditorium in Marquette. I am so excited! I will let you know how it goes......
Thanks for reading, and I will talk to you soon.
John
