Euphonium???

So Liana and I gave a recital tonight at UCA. We had a good crowd and it went really well. That's all beside the point because what I really wanted to get on the blog was this little gem...

Before the recital started, two guys walked past the open recital hall door. My 5-octave Malletech marimba was on stage. The first one looked in and said "Look, dude, it's a euphonium!" The other guy said "No, dude, it's a xylophone."

A euphonium???

Funny, but the second guy was technically correct. Remember...a marimba is a xylophone, but a xylophone is not a marimba.

Goodnight

Blake

James Brown...James Brown...James Brown...James Brown

I saw and heard James Brown in concert last night here at UCA. He's still got it. The moves, the voice, the super-tight band, it's all there. It was so exciting just to see him walk out on stage, but even more exciting to hear that he still sounded great. And while I was hoping for one "cape moment", there were actually three. The photo above shows the Godfather in a green cape.
Blake

South Africa Pics

Finally some pictures from the South Africa trip. For those of you hoping to see Lions, Elephants and the like, sorry. I never left Johannesburg. The pictures below are without comment right now. I'll organize and annotate VERY soon. Click the pics for a larger view.

Almost

It's been a while. I've been swamped with composing, rehearsing and teaching (and being a little sick). It looks like my new piece, Cloud Forest, is finally in good enough shape for a few test runs. The Percussion Ensemble concert on the 6th is coming tohether and the duo recital for next Tuesday is shaping up nicely as well. So, the next post will be a few pics from the South Africa trip.

Back

I'm back from South Africa. It was a great trip. I had to hit the ground running when I returned, but I'll put up a detailed post with plenty of pics this weekend.

Blake

Live from South Africa

I am here in Johannesburg at the University of Witwatersrand. It is a beautiful place and the Unyazi Festival is spectacular. I did a clinic/performance for the percussion and composition students here and had a blast. They have a traditional marimba ensemble that played for me. It was amazing. I was able to get a little video with my digicam so that I can share it with my friends back home. I gave a presentation on both derabucca and marimba. I am happy to report that they have a Malletech here so I felt right at home.

This morning we did a soundcheck for our concert tonight. It looks as if everything is set. The sound engineers are great and the equipment is top notch.

There is quite a lot to be amazed by at the festival, but I will have to save the details for my return. I am at an internet cafe right now and there are others waiting to use the computers.

Have a great day,
Blake