Journal

March 5, 2007

Well, well, well - looks like I finally found the time to update this website. At this rate, it won't be until April of next year until my next one. Hopefully, that won't be the case.

At any rate, there are some very exciting events coming up! If you haven't noticed by now, I am absolutely PUMPED about the upcoming Fresno State New Music Festival. Duo46, the Quintet of the Americas, lots of premieres, a giant panda...well, needless to say there is much to get excited about (I may have exaggerated about the giant panda...).

Additionally, there have been many performances and premieres within the past several weeks, as well as upcoming. Check out the "News" site for past performances, as well as "Events" for upcoming performances. Notice the impending international performances... :)

Finally, I must mention the approaching birth of Katerina Marie Froelich, which will be ANY DAY NOW. Her due date is...tomorrow. I intend to post pictures when she arrives, so keep an eye out for inevitable cuteness.

Another update will actually be coming later this week, with the introduction of a links site, some new photos (again, baby photos), as well as a few more personal touches.

February 10, 2006

If it seems like I haven't updated in a while, it is because...well...I hadn't! This is for two reasons:

1. I have been incredibly busy with my new job, and it has taken me an entire first semester to get my footing.

2. My home computer exploded. Seriously.

Ok, so exploded might be a bit melodramatic, but not by much. It did smoke at one point. This made transfering the website over to the new computer a bit of a challenge. Thankfully, all is fixed now, and the website is finally up-to-date! Horray!

New events and news have been added, including several upcoming premieres. Also keep an eye out for many new works being composed this year. A few surprises may be coming up as well, featuring commissions from several well known performers! Stay tuned...

September 18, 2005

As you might imagine, this past month has been a busy one! Starting a new job, settling in to a new home, making our umpteenth trip to Target...well, you get the idea. All in all, though, it has been simply incredible seeing everything fall into place here - my job, Jen's job (working at the Madera Arts Council!), the cat's job (hissing at other neighborhood cats through the safety of the screen door). Admitadly, there have been moments of complete and utter panic, but these are often followed by moments of complete satisfaction as I discover a new way to deal with whatever caused the panic in the first place (often technology related - but I'll leave that for another journal entry).

So what's next? Well - at the moment, that would be surving the semester with my head on straight. However, since that seems quite likely, I will also focus my attention on seeing as many concerts in the area as possible. Additionally, I will continue to work as always at getting my own music on as many concerts in the area as possible. Nice how that works out, eh?

Speaking of concerts - I invite anyone in the area to attend the premiere of my clarinet and piano work Júbilo, October 16th, 3:00 pm on the CSUF campus (see events for more info). Come! Bring a friend! Heck, bring an enemy if you desire!

August 14, 2005

We made it!

For those of you wondering if Jen and I actually arrived at our destination halfway across the nation, I am here to let you know that we did indeed arrive safely in Fresno. Jen's fine. I'm fine. The cat is fine for the most part, though she did leave us a nice present in her carrying case the first day out. The truck on the other hand did get a few scratches and dents here and there (I learned very quickly that gas stations are the worst nightmare for truckers everywhere!), but thankfully we escaped all charges due to sheer laziness on the part of the truck's inspector. Here's to job dissatisfaction!

So now that I have arrived here, what next? Well, aside from being a productive and integral part of the CSUF faculty, it is my hope that I can work towards building a viable and exciting new music scene here in Fresno. From what I can tell, this city has a tremendous amount of potential to become a premiere local for new music. You are probably now thinking "Are you nuts?" or "Fresno??? Really???". Yes - to both.

Fresno is one of the fastest growing cities in California, with more and more young professionals moving here every year (bringing with them the need to do new and exciting...err...stuff!). Art appears to be growing in downtown, as evidenced by the upcoming remodeling and expansion of the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art. Geographically speaking, Fresno is located far enough from LA and San Francisco to allow for local demand to grow, yet close enough to allow musicians to draw from the resources that are already present in those two new music powerhouses. There is DEMAND for art and music here - and what better way to fill that void then with art and music created by living artists and composers?

Of course, I am not so naive as to believe that the above factors alone are evidence that Fresno could become the hot-bed of new music that I would like it to be without lots of hard work. If you live in Fresno or the Central Valley, I would love to hear your thoughts on how to develop art, music, and the new music scene here. It is my hope that with time, good ideas, and yes - hard work, Fresno could become a cultural mecha of new art and music rivaling its two larger cousins to the north and the south.

July 22, 2005

I am currently sitting in my apartment in Bloomington surrounded by boxes. Lots of boxes. In fact, apartment might now be the wrong word. Storage closet is more appropriate. The place even now smells like a storage closet - you know, that musty, smokey smell that reminds you of smog.

But I digress. Jen and I move on Monday, and I am proud to say that I am finally ready to leave this place. I have seen my last concert here, had my last lunch with one of my former professors, and eaten my last meal at Bear's Place (remember when I said Bloomington had great restaurants? Bear's Place isn't one of them - although if you ever want a really, really, REALLY large Long Island Ice Tea...). Come Monday, we begin our adventure.

Leading up to our move, many people have told us leading up to our move that we should "take our time" and "enjoy the scenery". This is very good advice, and under normal circumstance would relish the opportunity to see places in the U.S. that you normally only see from 5 miles above through a small, reinforced piece of clear plastic. However, there are a few facts that should be taken into consideration. I will be driving a large, yellow Penske truck towing a red - make that cranberry - Saturn SL-1 (the trendy choice of ex-college students across the nation). Jennifer will be driving her own ex-college student vehicle, along with a small, rather annoyed four-legged ball of meowing fluff. There are times I honestly feel that we'll be lucky to get there with all of our things still in their smog-scented boxes, a car firmly attached to the truck (as opposed to having fallen off the trailer somewhere west of Oklahoma City), and without a cat in need of some serious psycho-analysis (which I understand is available for pets in California!). Yes - I am looking forward to this trip greatly, but not for sight-seeing. I will consider arriving in Fresno with everything in tact adventure enough.

Well, enough complaining. I hear that the cat just bit Jen, so I need to go break them up again.

July 13, 2005

There - finished (and two days early)! The website is officially complete, up, and running. Now to lean back and watch the money come pouring in.

What? This site isn't about making money? Hmmm...

Yeah, I guess this site isn't exactly devoted to capitalist endeavors. What this site IS about is providing information about both myself and my music in whatever irreverant manner conceivable. However, if someone should happen to be interested in purchasing a score (hint, hint), please send me an e-mail right away.

Now that this site is up in Al Gore's virtual creation, it is now time for me to turn my attention towards all of the many exciting (read: frightening) changes that are rapidly coming up. What changes, you ask? Well - the big move, of course!

As mentioned several times ad nauseum, my wife Jen and I will be moving to Fresno at the end of this month. It is hard to believe, but it is finally going to happen. And, although I am incredibly eager to return to California, I can't help but think that I will find myself missing Bloomington. After all, where else in the US can you find a minimum of two free music concerts A DAY, featuring world-class and near-world-class performers? Not to mention the beautiful scenery (yes - Indiana CAN be beautiful), incredible restaurants from all regions of the world, and good friends and mentors whom will all be missed. Plus, the delivery pizza here is pretty good.

Still, California is home to me, and once home it will be hard to ever turn back. So, a toast to the big move! May the U-Haul survive in one piece.