Happy August to Everyone! I have lots of news, including:

• Caramoor recordings to download
• Invitation to a special guided tour on October 5: Kensico Cemetery
• Chicago trip update
• First rehearsal – September 8
• Point-of-view Curt Craziness at Six Flags New England (come on – you gotta be curious!)

If you have not yet emailed Claudia to confirm your return for the season, please do so immediately. We are eager to recruit trombone players to fill two open positions, and we’d really like to have a permanent string bass player. If you know of qualified players, encourage them to contact me or Claudia, or send either of us their contact info. Please note that the Chicago trip is a separate commitment from our regular season.

I’m still flying high from our Caramoor performance. Although I have not heard from Paul Rosenblum, the Managing Director, since July 5, I’m hoping that I may get a call from him soon. Warren made a CD of our performance, and I’ve uploaded the contents to my Dropbox. Click here and you can listen/download any or all of the exciting moments from our debut performance.

In July, I accepted an invitation from Judy Mitchell, the PR Director for Kensico Cemetery, to meet her for a tour of the grounds. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was an incredibly impactful visit. The property is huge and truly beautiful, with rolling hills and many distinctly unique areas within the cemetery. It was a truly moving experience, and will really affect my preparation and performance on November 9. Now Judy has extended the offer to all of you: On Sunday, October 5, you are invited to join Judy and me for a tour of the cemetery, from 2:30-4:30 pm. The tour will be via trolley (Peekskill Trolley Co.) and refreshments will be served. We will visit many of the graves of the people honored by the programming of our November concert. This will be a great opportunity, and I promise you will be impressed and moved. We need at least 10 people to make the tour via trolley viable, so please plan to attend. I’ll have a sign up at rehearsals in September.

Our Chicago trip  is coming together. This is really happening! Click here to see WSW featured on the Northshore Concert Band website! We expect to have details of the itinerary, along with prices and options at the beginning of September. The plan is to verify commitments and collect a $100 deposit per person in the latter half of September, then collect one-half of the balance in November and the remaining balance in February. The basic plan is:

• Friday, June 12 (evening, after work) – fly from Westchester County Airport to O’Hare.
• Saturday, June 13 – morning/afternoon Chicago sight-seeing with host members (including a Wendella Boat tour), combined WSW/NCB meal, options for individualized sight-seeing.
• Sunday, June 14 – sound check, combined rehearsal with NCB, and 3:00 pm performance at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, on the campus of Northwestern University, followed by a reception for all.
• Monday, June 15 – fly home (It just won’t be feasible to try to fly home on Sunday evening after the concert and reception; plan on taking this day off from work. (I am working on a staff development proposal to help teachers claim viability for the day off.)

Accommodation options will include home-stays with NCB members and mid-range hotels in Evanston. You will also have options to travel out earlier than Friday and/or return later than Monday. So there will be several price options, from the most basic (flight only/home stay) to more extended (flight, hotel, additional sight-seeing, early departure/late return). We will make a presentation at a rehearsal early in September with complete information. In the meantime, please book the weekend and contact friends/family in the Chicago area and invite them to the concert! Tickets can be purchased on the website referenced above.

I’m extremely excited about our 2014-2015 season. We’ve come a long way together since I first met you in March 2008, and I am so proud — beyond words — of your accomplishments. If you haven’t played much this summer, start to practice daily in preparation for our full concert read-through on September 8. Saddle up and get ready for a great ride this season!

And the point-of-view Curt Craziness? Check out my ride on Bizarro at Six Flags New England in June. I shot this with a pair of HD video glasses, so my ride was truly “hands free” and safe. I really do love my roller coasters!