"back home again.... in the UK"

I'm not sure that's how the song goes, but anyway... It has been a great week. For those who are just joining us, I went back to the US for two service band auditions. I left bright and early on the 11th, and thanks to a 6-hour time change, I arrived that same afternoon in Providence, RI.

I have never driven along the east coast before, and it is quite beautiful. The trees were just beginning to turn, and it was getting a bit cold over there. Anyway, I arrived in Providence and had to drive to New London, CT where the United States Coast Guard Academy is. I'd never been there before, and the Academy is really a nice place to go. The surrounding area is nice and peaceful, but being on the water - it might get a bit chilly in the winter.

There were about 40 people show up for the Coast Guard audition. Players from everywhere showed up - I did my best not to fall asleep during my warm-up, considering it was 12 hours after I got to the US! When the smoke cleared at the end, Bonnie Denton won the job. Kudos to her - she was previously in the West Point Academy Band, but had been living in New London with her husband for a while.

After the first audition, I got a phonecall from Jason Ham in the West Point Band asking if I wanted to come over for a bit before I headed down to DC. I have been to West Point before, and it is beautiful - so for a free place to stay, I jumped on it! It was great to visit with Jason and his new wife, Bonnie, for a bit before heading down to Washington, D.C.

Once again, never driving on the east coast I think I have been missing out! It was a really beautful drive (except for that New York City traffic) down to Maryland where I was staying with fellow euphonium-player, Danny Helseth. It was great to see him for the weekend and talk about his new CD which I am releasing on Potenza Music. Shameless plug, I know... ;)

The weather did cooperate enough for an enjoyable weekend. Got to hang out with some cool people and catch up with old friends. The Navy audition took place on Monday. The same crowd was there, but people were a bit more laid back about this audition I think. The repertoire for the audition was more standard, and I knew that I personally could play it better than the first list. So, I went in and played my butt off. They only advanced a few people out of the first round, with a whole bunch of powerhouses getting ousted in the first round, but I wouldn't change anything about the way I played. The Navy band ended up not accepting anyone for the position, so we will have to do this all again in 4 months.

We so often start to second-guess ourselves when we don't win jobs. But, the truth is that there are only a few of these jobs and a lot of good players. To let it get to you is to totally miss the point in making music for a living. Sometimes I can't believe that I am actually going to have a career that I enjoy doing. The only thing that we can do is try to bring the euphonium to a new level through hard work and determination. How you play on one day out of your whole life shouldn't dictate your life, but should push you for wanting to be a better player. My advice to anyone struggling with this - keep playing, but remember to HAVE FUN!

I had a great time on my trip back to the US. I want to thank my parents for bringing me back, and for the CG and NAVY bands for providing something to work towards over the summer. Now, I am just glad to be back in England and getting to play something longer than 36 bars! Have a great day everyone, and I'll update with more new exciting stories as soon as I make them! But for now, a check out this HUGE ring I found at the Coast Guard Academy!