New Chapter. New Blog.

Hello All,

It has been a while since I have blogged about my life. Now that school is over for me there is more time to write thoughts about music and my journey. In case any of you were curious about my previous blog, that address is jeremyesmith41.blogspot.com. I am mainly starting a new blog (with the same title) because I can’t figure out how to access my old one. Hopefully, there won’t be much confusion.

This summer is going to be big for me and my wife. We are moving from Pittsburgh in the next few days, leaving our things at Kylee’s parent’s house, and then off to the Masterworks Festival, an intense four weeks of musical and spiritual training. I will be a participant at the festival while Kylee will be working as an intern in the Music Library. We are excited partly because the festival is on the grounds of our alma mater, Grace College, in Winona Lake, Indiana. We both get to reacquaint with friends and hopefully make many new ones. Some of the repertoire for the orchestra will be

Strauss–Death and Transfiguration
Elgar–Enigma Variations
Dvorak–Symphony No. 7
Stravinsky–Firebird Suite
Wagner–Introduction to Parsifal
And Other Selections

I’ve been to this festival two other times and it has always been better than expected. In addition to the musical training and coaching, the spiritual atmosphere is fantastic! Some of the low brass coaches on faculty include:

Jim Kraft (my former teacher), Second Trombone, National Symphony (retired)
Amanda Stewart Davidson, Principal Trombone, San Antonio Symphony
Greg Luscombe, Principal Trombone, Memphis Symphony
Dave Porter (former King’s Brass colleague), Tuba, United States Air Force Band (retired)

It should be a grand time, and I will keep you updated more as times goes along!

JES