Summer -

Is it really over?

Well, yes and no. Right now Los Angeles is enjoying some weather that actually feels like September - mild and crisp. But this is probably not destined to last. We will almost surely have more heat waves to come. But until they do, let's enjoy this! And what does this find me working on? At least three different projects, small, medium and large, very large.

Two projects that are about to fall forward are a brass quintet, "Danse Macabre" by Jeff Bauer and an arrangement by Alan Wenger for the Star Spangled Banner for eight trumpets - fabulous for opening the basketball games you are likely to play for.

Gordon Mathie has developed a book called "My Trumpet Week" in which he sets out a day-by-day encounter with the warmups and scales that he uses as a basis for his practice. This will come along later this Fall.

Here's the big one - which will have all of these eggs working hard to contribute to - Anthony Kirkland's collection of Trumpet/Cornet audition pieces for Band. Twenty-six different works, each with commentary. This might also come with a CD. It promises to be an important project and a lot of work to bring it all together.