12.29.2008

2008 In Review

Although 2008 isn't done yet, it seems close enough to look back at what happened. Here are some of the major things that happened to me this year:

Started playing and listening to (almost) exclusively classical music. I think that this started in Wind Ensemble last year when we played things like Shostakovich's Festive Overture, Rhapsody in Blue, and the Pines of Rome. I knew that this year we would be playing Holst's Planets, and so in preparation I bought a whole bunch of CDs to help me learn. And I really, really liked them! I haven't purchased a jazz CD since the summer, but have gotten many classical CDs. Not that I don't listen to jazz anymore, but I have discovered a deep love for classical music. This has filtered into my trumpet playing as well - I sound more like a classical player too. I guess that this is probably because I now know what type of sound I want to emulate - a full, rich, dark, deep sound.

Camps - I worked at Prov Arts Camp again this summer, which was nothing new, but I also spent 2 weeks at Gem Lake Bible Camp - a camp without electricity on an island in northern Manitoba where I worked with inner-city kids. Quite an experience, I have to say. Also, I attended the U of M trumpet camp, where I got to work with Ronald Romm (of the Canadian Brass) and Chase Sanborn (from U of T). It was worth every penny, and I will be back next year.

Other music - I had my first commission - three of my friends asked me to write them a piece, and they premiered it in April. That was really exciting!

Friends - This year I was very privileged to meet Francesco's girlfriend Amalia and all of her friends. Even though Francesco is in Africa, Amalia has made sure that Andrew and I are still a part of her and her friends' lives, which is super cool. I wish I saw my friends from Prov more, but I realize that we're all in different places now. And I'm very thankful for my friends from Bible Study.

Other interesting things I did for the first time this year: Got into wall climbing (thanks Nate and Francesco), recorded my first CD (with the Wind Ensemble), got a laptop, hiked in the snow, learned how to drive standard.

Favourites:
Book: JPod by Douglas Coupland
Movie: WALL-E
New restaurant: Dim Sum Garden
CD: Morten Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, Madrigali, Latin Motets (as recorded by Stephen Layton and Polyphony)
Concert: Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, at the Winnipeg Jazz Festival (for jazz), The Planets, by Gustav Holst, performed by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
Course: Music of the 20th Century, taught by Dr. Paul Guise
Video game: Persona 3, and Persona 4 is probably going to be my game of 2009 because that's when I'll finish it!

What I'm looking forward to in 2009:
Student teaching!
20th Century Music II
Wind Ensemble Trip to Calgary
Francesco returning from Africa (and Tim and Justin later in the year)
Having my arrangement of Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium" played by the Wind Ensemble in January
Meeting new people and becoming closer with people I already know

That's my year in review. To sum up, I have to quote my friend Dann: "2008? More like 2000-GREAT!"

Happy New Year!