Today Apple released a new app designed to help musicians get ideas out of their heads and on record. Music Memos is simple on the surface, just a recording button when you open the app, but has a lot of neat features for a first generation app. The app picks up on your tempo, analyzes your […]
West Central Missouri Music Educators Association
It’s a great honor and privilege to direct the West Central Missouri All District Jazz Band. In addition to directing the band, I wrote a new piece we’ll be premiering Saturday night in Sedalia. “Pathways” was fun to write and I look forward to hearing the band play. About the piece: “Pathways” was written for the […]
Holiday Themed Videos
Here are a couple of videos to entertain you during the holiday season:
2015 KC Metro #3 All District Jazz Band
The 2015 KC Metro #3 All District Jazz Band was involved in something that’s never been done before. The band was the first (of what we hope will be many more) to participate in a collaboration with the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City’s historic jazz district. Yesterday’s rehearsal and concert took place at the […]
Chicago 48HFP 2014
I wasn’t able to make the trip to Chicago for the 48 Hour Film Project, but I had the opportunity to work on the music remotely by harnessing the power of the Interwebs. Jason Beaumont and the rest of the cast and crew put together a great film which picked up a few awards as well. […]
Glitch
I’ve been fortunate enough to visit the Midwest Clinic in Chicago many times and one of the highlights is seeing the Chicago Symphony Brass perform. In 2013, they performed a selection of piece by Mason Bates called Alternative Energy. Roughly a month after that I heard a small band from Missouri perform a piece by […]
Wyoming All-State Band
Pleased and honored to have Dr. Scott Lubaroff from UCM take my concert band piece, Syndrome, to be performed by the 2013 Wyoming All-State Band. I look forward to hearing a recording and hope the students (and conductor) had fun!
Chicago 48 Hour Film Project 2012
As is typically the case, A is for Amateur Productions joined forces with Group Mind Films so we could put together a bigger team for the Chicago 48HFP, supplementing our skeleton crew with actual writers and actors. We had a good time filming Knight Train and got the award for Best Costumes.
St. Louis 48 Hour Film Project
A is for Amateur Productions put together another exciting entry for the St. Louis 48 Hour Film Project. We drew “romance” as the genre and since we’re natural romantics we had no problem weaving a heartwarming tale of love between a young couple with a slight…incompatibility. We were honored to receive the Audience Award for […]
Lee’s Summit West High School Symphonic Band
Join the 2012 Lee’s Summit West Symphonic Band directed by Clif Thurmond at the 74th Annual MMEA In-Service Workshop/Conference at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri on January 27, 2012. The band will be performing two new pieces on the program. One piece composed by LSW orchestra director Kirt Mosier and I wrote called Syndrome.