2008 Wrap-Up, Happy New Year

2008 Highlights.

2008 was a pretty good year, all things considered (economic and otherwise). I happily told people that because artists never have any money to begin with, the shock of losing all the stocks we never had seemed less shocking. Here are some of my random moments, in no particular order, all to have happened in 2008.

-Premier of my orchestra piece, and reading by the Pittsburgh Symphony

-Getting my first paid commission for writing music

-Getting strep throat twice (maybe thrice by the end of the year, oh, to be so lucky)

-gay mansion

-Midnight Shoveler's performance with guests
-making music with Wungsten

-meeting composers John Corigliano and John Adams, and percussionist Evelyn Glennie

-Getting hired at Mattress Factory and getting health insurance (and dental!)

-Using my dental insurance to fill cavities

-Boston, Washington DC, Bloomington IN, and Niagara Falls visits

-MIDI interface finally working on my keyboard

-Visiting Fallingwater for the first time

-selling jewelry

-Seeing the Pittsburgh 250th Anniversary fireworks from a rooftop
-um, Barack was elected president, and he uses great typography
-joined Mendelssohn choir and started teaching piano lessons
-concerts: Iron & Wine, Railroad Earth, Now Ensemble, my first professional opera (The Grapes of Wrath)

I'm sure I've forgotten to list plenty of other things, too. I hope those moments won't feel left out.

In 2009 I'd like to travel somewhere far away again. I have a friend in Germany and a friend in Montana, both places I've never been and would love to go (and I once made a vow that I would take shameless advantage of the exotic locations where I knew people). I would also like to get a date. I promise I won't slurp my spaghetti.






(Photos: Top: not me. source unknown. Second from top: me. indiana university museum of art. Second from bottom: a mustache that lasted for five seconds. Bottom: keep it real in, 2009, okay?)