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It’s showtime in Dubuque!! Many thanks to Nolan Hauta and Evan Glickman for having me out to the University Dubuque Honor Band - what a fun day making music with FABULOUS students!
An appropriate image, given I’m putting the finishing touches to a new work of mine today. “Among the Aspens” was commissioned by the South Dakota Phi Beta Mu Chapter in celebration of their 60th anniversary. I’ll conduct the premiere in March, performed by the South Dakota All-State Band. (F 2.0 1/4000 100 ISO) #52weeksofphotos
This one was taken during the week of the winter solstice. I do love the light at that time of year! (F 1.8 1/1000 100 ISO) #52weeksofphotos
Back to the frozen tundra after a wonderful time conducting the 11/12 NCIBA Honor Band! The students were so much fun to work with; I was sad the day went by so quickly. In addition to works by @kevindaymusic and Joni Greene, we premiered a new work of mine: Vignettes of Mount Vernon. It’s a grade 3+ composition in 3 movements, reflective of autumns spent in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Many thanks to NCIBA for everything!!
Honor banding this weekend with a twist - pretty wild to stay in this Frank Lloyd Wright design!
So I’ve been late in posting, but check out the windows!
This poem felt fitting this morning. Happy New Year!
A farmhouse window far back from the highway speaks to the darkness in a small, sure voice. Against this stillness, only a kettle’s whisper, and against the starry cold, one small blue ring of flame.
—A Winter Morning, by Ted Kooser
(F 18, 1/60, 100 ISO) #52weeksofphotos
Merry Christmas!!!
(F 3.2 1/80 100 ISO)
#52weeksofphotos
In true middle child fashion, my little buddy Owen is the last of our three to make an appearance in my weekly photos! I’ve been traveling all week so this is a flashback from September. I’ll get the camera out this week for something seasonal! (F 6.3 1/80 50 ISO) #52weeksofphotos
So I began writing jazz long before anything else. Here’s a clip of a medium-level tune of mine called “The Waiting Game.” With modest ranges (trumpet written G) and catchy grooves, this chart will make your jazz band sound like a million bucks; it worked wonders for the U.S. Army Blues Band! 😉😂 Find it on my website or J.W. Pepper (eprint or hard copy) next week!
Congratulations to Tanner Smith, Dan Berard, Lizzie Rivera and the Wakeland High School Wind Symphony on an absolutely incredible performance today from start to finish! Brian Balmages, your piece is stunning!
Tanner, thank you so much for not only commissioning Bluebonnet Drift, but also for allowing me the creative space to try something a bit different, which resulted in a work for winds and electronics (featuring the awesome playing of Joel Vanderheyden on processed tenor sax).
Thanks again to all for an unforgettable performance!
Jazz reading session right now! “The Seer” by Joel Vanderheyden and my chart - “The Waiting Game” - on the session!! Stop by my booth to grab a copy of both!
Atlanta Wind Symphony; ya’ll were incredible! Thank you for such a heartfelt performance of “As Sings the Tune Without the Words.” ❤️
“My Patrick.” It’s the only thing Anna has ever called my dad. When I showed this picture to her just now, she still remembered exactly what she and “my Patrick” were doing that afternoon. All of the little moments matter. I’m not sure how he does it, but he always finds time for all of his grandkids, just as he did with us as we were growing up. While his birthday was last Saturday, we look forward to celebrating his 65th tonight! (F 6.3 1/200 50 ISO) #52weeksofphotos
A roof! Finally! #L91studio
I can remember attending the Midwest Clinic for the first time when I was an undergrad, sleeping on a hotel floor, ten in a room, only dreaming of having my music performed at the conference. Fast forward to today. I’m honored to collaborate with these wonderful people and cannot wait to see everyone next week! Here is where you can experience my music:
Thursday, 9:00 AM, 375AB: “And Sings the Tune Without the Words” for wind orchestra will be performed by The Atlanta Wind Symphony (David Kehler, conductor). This work is extremely special to me. It was commissioned by Jason and Melissa Nam in loving honor of their daughter, Evelyn.
Friday, 10:30 AM, W196, Jazz New Music Reading Session: The U.S. Army Blues will perform “The Waiting Game.” Additionally, they will perform an awesome new chart that Longitude 91 is publishing called “The Seer,” written by my good friend Joel Vanderheyden. Joel is a wonderful composer and performer, and I’m thrilled to be publishing his jazz work!
Friday, 12:15 PM, W184, Concert Band New Reading Session: The Bands of the Air National Guard will be performing a new release of mine called “Steeplechase.”
Friday, 2:45 PM, 475 AB: “Bluebonnet Drift” for wind orchestra and electronics will be premiered by The Wakeland High School Wind Symphony (Tanner Smith, conductor). The electronics are a collaboration between Joel Vanderheyden (processed tenor sax) and myself (digitally modeled analog synth). Many thanks to Tanner and his wonderful students for commissioning and bringing this work to life!
I look forward to seeing many of you at these performances. You can also find me with Tyler S. Grant and Kevin Day at our booth in the exhibit hall! #midwestclinic @tanner_smithtx @whsbandfrisco
On Saturday I conducted an honor band for the first time in two years. My students were incredible: extremely talented musicians and an absolute joy to be with. Joni and Kevin (@kevindaymusic ), we loved your music!
Melanie Brooks conducted the other high school group and was fabulous!
Many thanks to Deron Jimmerson and NEIBA for the invitation; it was great to spend the day with everyone!
Fortunately, my wonderful percussion section was still putting things away after the concert when I realized I needed some pictures!
Happy Birthday, Dad!!!
Here’s a flashback to September at Farm Island Lake.
“In the vast abyss before time, self
is not, and soul commingles
with mist, and rock, and light. In time,
soul brings the misty self to be.
Then slow time hardens self to stone
while ever lightening the soul,
till soul can loose its hold of self
and both are free and can return
to vastness and dissolve in light,
the long light after time.”
- Ursula K. Le Guin
(F 4.0, 1/4 100 ISO) #52weeksofphotos
My Novembers are often a grind of writing and engraving, so pulling out the camera on Wednesday for a few moments was a welcome distraction. This image was taken at dusk, just minutes down the road from where we live. To me, it’s quite representative of this, “too-cold-for-fall-but-no-snow-so-it’s-not-quite-winter,” season we often experience about this time of year in this part of Minnesota.
I’m reminded of one of the reasons I love it here, but Mary Oliver said it better than I ever could in her essay Of Power and Time.
“Creative work needs solitude. It needs concentration, without interruptions. It needs the whole sky to fly in, and no eye watching until it comes to that certainty which it aspires to, but does not necessarily have at once. Privacy, then. A place apart—to pace, to chew pencils, to scribble and erase and scribble again.” (F 1.8 1/800, 100 ISO) #52weeksofphotos