I learned this summer that summer itself is a somewhat squishy and pliable idea that means different things to different people. As I write this recap on August 9, the eve of my first day teaching at a new school after more than three months at home, I have friends and colleagues who have been announcing on Facebook that their summer is just beginning!

This summer was the quietist I have had in many years, with no conducting obligations at all due to the arrival of our first child. Days after that, I finished my work at Arizona State University, where I had a wonderful experience and came out with a DMA degree! Among my greatest accomplishments is my thesis, “An Annotated Bibliography of Symphonies for Wind Band” (pdf). A searchable web version of that is currently in the works, coming soon!

I remain on the board of the world’s best outdoor summer band, Columbia Summer Winds. The conductors (William Tonissen, Sarah Quiroz, and Greg Whitmore) had a wonderful program lined up for their concerts in New York City this summer. Remarkably, they had no weather cancellations at all! See their full schedule here.

Ecstatic Fanfare – Steven Bryant

Molly on the Shore – Percy Grainger

If You Could Only See The Frog – Paul Richards

Second Suite in F – Gustav Holst

Selections from Into the Woods – Stephen Sondheim/arr. Bulla

The Hounds of Spring – Alfred Reed

The Stars and Stripes – John Philip Sousa

I also spent some time at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Conference in San Jose, California in July. This resulted in a digest of each day of the conference (even after I left, thank you conference program and the Internet).

Day 1 – San Francisco Wind Ensemble and University of Maryland Wind Orchestra

Day 2 – James Logan High School Band (reading session), University of Houston Symphonic Band, Brooklyn Wind Symphony

Day 3 – Ohlone Wind Orchestra (reading session), Israel National Youth Wind Orchestra, Landesblasorchester Baden-Württemberg

Day 4 – Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble (reading session), Temple University Chamber Winds, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wind Ensemble, University of Louisville Wind Ensemble

Day 5 – University of Saskatchewan Wind Orchestra (reading session), Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble, New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia, Lone Star Wind Orchestra

Day 6 – New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia (reading session), University of Saskatchewan Wind Orchestra, San Jose Wind Symphony, Dallas Winds

Day 7 – Amador Valley High School Band (reading session), Showa Wind Symphony, WASBE Youth Wind Orchestra

This was a wonderful conference that I highly recommend everyone attend in the future. Next one: Utrecht 2017.

Finally, I got into the music review business with a review of Twisted Skyscape, a new album of music for woodwind orchestra.