Full Circle: Reaction to Odyssey premiere

I experienced an emotional crash the day after each of my works premiered. This gives me time to recharge and reflect on the entire experience,

This picture is worth a thousand words for each of the 19 years and 11 months that it took to get here. The only one not in the camera shot is Chelsea Thompson Bushong, the harpist that served as the icing on the cake. I'm grateful for every last person on that stage for bringing Odyssey to life.

I woke up that morning at a nine on the stress scale and things did not calm down. I usually feel like an expectant father the day of a performance... when the time comes and the lights get bright, there's a whole lot of sounds going on and there's nothing I can do about it. To quote my first composition professor Dr. Gregory Hoepfner when I showed him movement one as a high school senior, "This is a test to see if you know what you're doing." All of my emotions from the initial grilling that happened shortly afterwards to the present before washed over me: This is it, full circle. My only hope was to rise to the occasion.

There's usually a hiccup or two the week before my premieres and this time was par for the course... an autocorrect fail in the score and parts, concertmaster gets sick (I joke about putting Elaine in a bubble during the month of September but I'm low-key serious) the principal percussionist needing a sub so I filled in for my piece (ok, THAT was fun!) and other instances that required me to just trust the process. Despite it all, the concert run was very enjoyable.

I also loved sharing the moment with my colleagues, classmates and especially my students (I love saying that.) Telling my students that "This work is older than you" and "Gaming is studying when you know what to listen for" is surreal and I love that I get to watch them find their inspiration anywhere they deem fit.

How good can this get?!? Stay tuned my friends.