I had a great time playing with the Grant Park Orchestra last month for their program “Broadway Rocks” which featured songs from Wicked, Hairspray, Momma Mia, Tommy, Phantom of the Opera, and many more. Steve Roberts, Jim Widlowski, Michael Keefe, Maria Honingschnabel and myself were the theater musician ‘ringers’ who accompanied the orchestra and four singers from New Year. It was estimated that there were 12 to 15,000 folks in attendance. Cool gig!
I just returned from the Theatre Musicians Association’s 16th Annual Conference which was held in Dearborn, MI. I was fortunate enough to be elected TMA’s national president on Tuesday, August 16th. I am deeply honored and am trying to hit the ground running. I was asked to give a speech at the ICSOM (International Congress of Symphony and Opera Musicians) Conference which was also in Dearborn on Thursday, August 18th. It was an additional honor to be speaking along with all the other AFM Player Conference leaders to all the ICSOM leadership, delegates and AFM leadership.
The 20th (yesterday) was my birthday. I played a short gig and then was taken out to eat by my girlfriend, Tippi, to ARUN’s restaurant which is on the 1000 things to do before you die list. My son, Ashley, who accompanied us, flew in for my b’day and my brother, Fred, is coming in on the 24th. Being with family and friends is indeed one of the biggest blessings in life.
Coming up … I’m going to be playing a show called Snapshots in October and going to Denver to play on The Lion King tour 10/31-12/5.