Boom. 2020 started, I made a bunch of jokes regarding hindsight being 2020 and then foresight, then someone said today that their vision was 2020 and I got a chance to make a joke again. 2020.
All joking aside though, this is a nice new year that is starting here. I am starting out the year continuing to promote my new vibraphone album “Cloud Nine.” This album is a culmination of my development as an improviser. I have recorded relaxing and simple as well as challenging and technical improvisations on YouTube, which I now have released in a remastered album format.
Each of these works will eventually be written out, and many already are. Pensive Light and Feels are two of my other works for two mallets that are receiving some attention as well as Ethereal Vibe, which is for four mallets.
Another MEGA cool thing that happened that has started off my 2020 with inspiration is being added to the Marimba One family as an Education Artist. This is definitely an honor and I am glad I get to represent Marimba One through my music and through my teaching and performing at any event.
Marimba One instruments have inspired me since I first heard one. When I kept borrowing the schools marimba, my teacher told me I had to get my own. Marimba One was an easy choice, and all of my writing over the years has been influenced in a beautiful way by these glorious instruments. Thank you to Ron Samuels, Jeff Hartsough and everyone at Marimba One!
All of that being said, there is a big 2020 ahead of us. I know I will be giving an improvisation workshop soon at the Jazz Gallery for the Arts here in Milwaukee, will be traveling to Seattle with the Oak Creek High School Band, I will have a world premiere of a new commission that I wrote for Ryan Brumbaugh and the Adna Percussion Ensemble at a percussion festival in Washington State, I know Mike Neumeyer & Friends #15 will be this year, I have a new album coming out called “Marimba Maverick,” named after its title track. Whew! That is just the tip of the iceberg folks. Happy 2020 to you! See you in the 20s! đ
