New Beginnings

I returned to Cincinnati on January 1st very exhausted, to a cold, rainy world and a lonely lonely lonely apartment, having turned down two weeks worth of gigs, and worried about losing many more. But good luck and good work seems to fall out of the sky when I need it, as well as encouragement from reappearing and new friends.

I have probably had more of a social life in the past seven days than I have had in the past two years.

Dayton Jazz Orchestra did an excellent reading of some of my music Thursday, and people enthusiastically talk of publishing, as well as asking to buy copies of my big band music. I will start pushing my work on companies when I finish school.

I have to take 18 credit hours this quarter to graduate on time.

Puerto Rico was a wonderful place to visit, but not a place to live. They have the tightest, loudest and most macho bands I have ever played with, a beautiful rainforest, the world's largest radio telescope, and a corrupt government and infrastructure. But the people have a real sense of historic and cultural pride, and pride in their local arts and music, bomba and plena is real and tangible to them, salsa and merengue is on almost every FM radio station, it's the equivalent of every american loving our appalachian folk music tradition, blues and gospel, and jazz. Not left to hipsters and ethnomusicoligists there, it really is the music of the people. Everyone was very friendly, I had a great trip.

The trip did not help me heal, but only suspended feelings which I had to deal with upon returning to Cincinnati. But I am eager to dive back into my work, I will be leaving the city within the year, with many possibilities on the horizon. New York is often on my mind.

Although I am not ready for it, I have taken up a date offer I can't refuse for the next week. I would prefer to hole up in my apartment and practice and write for a few months, and repair my life in solitude, but friends never cease to pop up and drag me out for fun. Probably the most healthy thing.