From 35 to 45

This week [2007] I hit 45. When I turned 35 it was an interesting year. I was playing Third Horn in The Nashville Symphony at the time, and four of the five members of the horn section turned 35 that same year. All of us had some deep thoughts that year I believe. For me, with two small children (one with special needs), it was a year that even though I had tenure in a good orchestral position in Nashville I felt it was time to explore new directions.

One thing I have tried to always keep in my mind is that there are unique things we are all given the ability to do, that there is in fact a plan for our lives. With my Doctorate, teaching experiences, playing experiences, and publications I felt that I had some unique qualifications that could open doors in college teaching.

These ten years have seen a lot happen. My kids are a lot bigger, I am now the tenured Associate Professor of horn at Arizona State, a school with a great brass program, I have continued to perform and publish, I was recently elected to the Advisory Council of the IHS, and I am on the verge of launching a new publishing venture, things I could have hardly imagined ten years ago.

What will the next ten years bring? I am sure many changes, as all of my brass colleagues at ASU will certainly retire, many students will graduate from the ASU horn studio and go on to their careers, my children will all be college age, etc. The note to all out there though is to keep on doing your best and to keep focused, always looking toward areas that you feel you have unique insights and contributions to make.