Here we go now!

Well, the time has come – after 6 months of the slow season, its time for the summer tour to begin in earnest (ok, I've played a couple gigs already, but they were one-offs with a lot of downtime in between. This is when I start going tower-to-tower).

After a stop off at my aunt/uncle/cousins (Towson), and chez parents (Long Island), I am on the road for a 2000+ mile trek through northeast carillon territory.

First stop was Hartford, CT, where I played a great concert at Trinity College. A few hours before the concert the sky completely opened up with howling winds and pouring rain. But it passed as quickly as it started and those that dared to come out got a cool, comfortable concert atmosphere.

The concert it was very well received, and I came down from the tower, sweat drenched, and was quickly given wine by the picnicking audience below. I also got two out-of-the-blue offers for housing, one in Hartford, another in Boston. I was covered for that night, but Boston I will be taking up on the offer.

I stayed with my friend Luz Shosie from the Yale New Haven Tai Chi Study Group. I am always amazed by her place – its simultaneously peaceful, light, airy, artistic, calming, natural, wild, etc. We shared a good walk around the property and a bite to eat (with fresh mint tea) did some meditative yoga with one of her neighbors, and then I was off to Western Mass for the day.

I don't have any concerts in Western Mass, but there are three carillons there and I've been doing some digging on some of them. Two don't seem to get used all that much, though there has been decent investment in both of them. So I visited Northampton and was given the grand tour by the university organist. The bells are nice; the playing mechanism is a beast to handle, but I'm good with those and was able to tame it. When I got downstairs there was a student there who had been listening and enjoying the bells for “about an hour” and wanted to know what the occasion was. I told her I was travelling around trying to get underplayed instruments back in use, and would love to have some student involvement in the campaign. The organist also was interested in getting some student playing happening. So, perhaps a constructive visit... we'll what might come.

Northhampton Tower and the View from The Top

Next, I swung by Trinity Church in Springfield, MA. This one does get played pretty regularly. Marcel Siebers, a touring Dutch artist was playing a concert that night, with dinner and dessert being served for donations below (apparently the donations cover costs and it makes for a great attendance – something to keep in mind if I'm ever organizing a series). After the concert Marcel suggested I go up and play a half hour so he could hear how the bells sound from below. You don't have to ask twice! So I played, chatted with the music director, and ended up fixing one of the baton-wire connections that had come loose during the concert as well.

Now I'm in my hotel in Hartford, (comes with the concert!) Tomorrow I'm visiting the Umass Amherst carillon, followed by the Boston-area carillons of Norwood (reputed to be a heavy beast) and Cohasset (reputed to be lovely). Still haven't confirmed with Cohasset, but I'm hoping something develops between now and then. Then its off to Boston for the wedding of the great Stephanie Neely and Max Gladstone, during which I'll be crashing with the family of Bruce, who attended my concert in Hartford. And then... well you'll just have to wait and find out in the next update.