CHAOS!

Hello, again! It's been entirely too long since I've written a blog post, but life happens and sometimes you have to let the dust settle for a bit. On Monday, I moved back to Iowa from Oklahoma so I literally don't know where anything is (one reason for the title of "CHAOS!"). This move is incredibly bittersweet for me. I've left dear friends/colleagues/people that have become like family and a place where I experienced so much growth as both a musician and a person. At the same time, I'm looking forward to my new opportunities and adventures.
I'm thrilled to be back home and have the opportunity to go back to school and pursue a D.M.A. at the University of Iowa beginning in August. As I share my plans with people and tell them a bit about the program, I practically start seal-clapping every time I mention that I get to write a dissertation. I'm sure I won't be quite so excited when I'm in the middle of the process, but IT'LL BE WORTH IT. ​
[Edit: I managed to delight my last two paragraphs TWICE in one day. Maybe it's a sign I should give up for today? It also seems appropriate given the title of "CHAOS!" for my post...]
​Meanwhile, I'm going to be hosting my first Musochat on Sunday, 7/3. From their website, Musochat is "an open conversation about new music with performers, composers, listeners, reviewers and the curious. Sundays, 9pm ET, on Twitter." The beauty of chatting through this medium is that you can join at the starting time, or jump in and add your thoughts later in the week if you're busy during the chat (asynchronous participation). I've been participating regularly since the end of April and have found a wonderfully supportive community that values forging connections and inspires me. This week, my chat topic involves the intersection of two things I really like: pedagogy and new music. Discussions about how to perform new music and assist our audiences in connecting with it seem to be quite commonplace. One piece of the discussion that seems to be missing is how to teach new music. What if we discussed teaching new music as thoroughly as we discuss performing/promoting it? I'm looking forward to picking this community's brain for ideas and hearing about their experiences along these lines. 
If you'd like to participate (or are curious or just want to lurk), follow the musochat hashtag on twitter and check out the participation guide here. Be there or be asynchronous!