I'll start with professional stuff. Let's see...
The Caixa Trio played at GPS, Montgomery Bell Academy, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Belmont University, and just recently at UT Martin for the Governor's School for the Humanities kids. one recent development is that we were voted Drum Magazine's, "Ensemble of the Year". We don't know exactly what it means, but from the congratulatory emails I have received, it must be pretty cool. David and I are going to try and get a copy of the magazine. In addition, we finally played one of our new pieces. 7th parameter by Lynn Glassock. I think we are really going to like that one. Next week we perform Neophilia and other works at the Indiana University Percussion camp.
For me personally, I think I have had the most professionally rich semester of my life. I prepared a new clinic for the West TN Band directors and gave that during All West Conference in Memphis. David went with me for a Brazilian percussion residency at Abilene Christian University. We had a great time on that trip. I also was a clinician at the Mississippi Day of Percussion and somewhere in there managed to prepare a new presentation (based on some old research of course) that was for "non music people". The Chancellor asked if I would be the Muriel Thomlinson lecturer so I put the presentation together for that. It worked well and was on the top of "Music and Social Transformation: The Black Music of Brazil". I will be recycling that down the road I am sure. I won the Cunningham Outstanding Teacher/Scholar Award this spring too which qualifies me to be one of our academic speakers at UTM next year. I'll be recycling that lecture quickly it seems. The Cunningham is the biggest prize on our campus (so the Chancellor and David say) so it feels pretty good. I also just received tenure. I spent the Cunningham award on paying off our home credit card. Not very sexy, but it felt very good. All of this was on top of the regular UTM activities which was a busy and productive spring for the studio. We stopped having percussion separate at our Honor Band and made it a separate festival at the end of April This went great and we had 10 students from across the state (lots of East TN kids especially). We made the Roots of Rhythm presentation a part of the Civil Rights Conference and we'll continue that partnership down the road. Lots of other great things going on too. I Chaired the Horn/Music History search in the department and we hired a rock star. Love Jessie! I am super super excited about where we are headed as a department and with some new folks and energy, the future at UTM seems bright and I am happy to be tenured there and it feels like a good fit and a place where I can contribute positively to the world around me.
The last big update with school stuff was that I took the studio to Salvador da Bahia, Brasil in May. It was the best student trip ever. The kids were great (Nola went with us too and she was awesome - we had a blast). One thing Nola brought to the students was the brand new lexicon of the Honey Badger. I only watched the legendary Honey Badger on You Tube with David once we had returned home. It was hilarious I must admit and now David has started speaking Honey Badger as well...."Ooh, he's a nasty little bastard". At any rate, back to Brazil.....We learned capoeira, percussion, dance, went to shows, and performed. The long term connection we made with the federal university there was tremendous. Jorge, the professor there, and his son Aquim are actually going to come to UTM next spring for a week in thinking Aquim might come study percussion with me. One other international connection is that Pato from Tampico, Mexico is finally coming to campus. He will stay for a month. He is going to stay with Colby and Blake and David and I will cover his spending money. He has tried to come for so long. I am so happy he finally got his Visa approved and can come visit us. What a brave and determined kid.
The studio size and quality is wonderful. Great kids and I am so very happy going to work each day. The last professional thing is that the PAS gig is really kicking into high gear. I am the Secretary of PAS right now and it takes a lot of time, but I absolutely love it. I am enjoying serving the society. Oh, we are still out of our music building. We are in the Boling University Center's old Fitness area. It's quite cavernous and serves us quite well except for everyone making sound at the same time in the big room. My office (the aerobics room) isn't sound proofed nor can I lock it. We have been in here more that a year and will be in there one more so all in all it's going to work out well. We are excited to move into our new space and I think we will be set up to click on all cylinders. If not, it will be my fault since I designed the percussion spaces!!!!
I know I just spoke about myself and work way too much, but honestly, I worked my ass off this past spring, harder than ever. One of the purposes of blogging is to document time. I don't want to ever forget how hard this past semester was. Since David is probably the only other person that will ever read this blog other than me, I don't feel too badly.
Now for David...
The House Band is gigging like crazy. They sound great and are performing regularly at Kim's coffee and gift shop, The Looking Glass, in downtown martin. They have played a few parties too and are making a little money. 27 is playing with them in September so I'll post some photos after that gig for sure. David has been asked to work on another encyclopedia project, The Civil War. He just finished the Encyclopedia of the Indian Wars which should be coming out soon. We both just finished teaching Governor's School and I added two morning classes for YSA during the last week (probably won't do that again).
We haven't had near the yard time we wanted this summer, but things look pretty good. We LOVE our two kitties so much and fret over them a lot.
Car obsessions - David has a new Ford Fusion. We traded my Miata in for his new car. We sold David's old Fusion to the Davila family for Danielle and I bought Ginny's old Ford Mustang GT convertible. David and I both fit in that much better than the Miata and I am paying it off with Gov School money!!! Yippee. Oh, Jeffe lives on and still is rockin the roads. He is the only white kid in our drive way though. He doesn't seem to mind.
Travels - I mentioned Abilene, Texas already this year. David also came and met me in Brazil on the same morning that the students left. We enjoyed the rest of our stay in Salvador (Mar Brasil Hotel is awesome - out in Itapoa). We visited the Pelourinho and David saw a few of the things that were influential for me in my research in Salvador. He didn't get to see any of the percussion groups. The timing didn't work out based on our window of opportunity for the Odyssey to Boipepa. That ended up being a mistake, but who knew. Boipepa is lovely and was in the state of Salvador so we read about it in the NY Times Travel section we said, why not. Well, it gives over the river and through the woods a new meaning. Cab from Itapoa to "ferry boat" by the Mercado Modelo (100 reais). Ferry boat to Itaparica(cheap, but not speedy). Bus to Valença (cheap and took several hours), Water taxi to Boipepa (expensive and took about an hour for the faster "launch"). We spent all day getting there and another day getting back. Being there was ok, but it's no car policy didn't mean it was quiet. The dogs barked loudly every night and the barracas had loud music playing in competition with one another. Long story longer, we were in a nicer place before we ever left in Salvador than the place that took us a day each way to travel to and from. Thanks a lot NY Times. We still love you, but.....
We came back and stayed one night at Hotel Catussaba. This had been such a "hoping" place on my first trip in 2000 with Jo and Carlos. It had seen better days though. I thought this would be a "treat" and it is close to the airport. Wasn't worth the money. No ocean view even. The breakfast was killer though I must admit.
The trip to Sao Paulo ended up being the best part of the trip even though I think it originally was the part David dreaded the most. I mean, who wants to sit and hear their wife speak Portuguese to a room of old ladies - ladies that would undoubtedly try and speak in Portuguese to him and when he didn't understand would try and speak louder, confusing deafness for merely speaking a foreign tongue.
We stayed at L'Opera hotel which was great. The room a little cramped, but the breakfast, location, and other amenities was fantastic.
Mari was just awesome as always. She loved David and he loved her. It was wonderful to see D. Noemia. She looked great. We had good conversation. She, as always, watched lots of tv with Carolina, but we still had some great quality time.
It was a good trip. I got a does of Brazil. It makes me want to go back though. For some reason a little part of my soul is there. David was very encouraging about it though. Even if he doesn't want to go for a while, he knows what it means to me and wants me to return even if he doesn't always go. He even suggested my putting together a community trip so maybe I'll do that year after next. That way I could share the place I love so much with some of my friends and others that might not have the opportunity otherwise. There are some women in my zumba class that would jump at the opportunity. I'll think on that.
Well, currectly we are in Temple, Texas. We'll be in Dripping Springs before we know it.
Signing off for now.
Julie
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