Joel McNeely

Dearest Readers,

As I prepare for Houston, I am focusing on my conducting technique as well as learning to conduct a piece that I've composed. Strange thing to realize, I've conducted quite a bit more music by other people than myself. This is the third performance of my 'Portraits' piece but the first time I've conducted it. Okay, it's not terribly difficult to conduct, but the real job is following the soloist, my wife. Her entire career has been spent soloing with the world's finest conductors, and I am an ultra-lightweight by comparison. I guess if it goes awry I can claim she wasn't following the 'composer's intent', right? But the big worry is that I've changed my baton technique recently. I'm holding it a completely different way which makes EVERYTHING different, new and strange. Last year in London with the BBC Symphony, I nicked the bottom of my stand and the baton went flying into the first row. I could've killed someone. I could've skewered one of the priceless string instruments in front of me. And on and on. I finished with just my hands, (which is actually a fine way to go) but I'm not letting THAT happen again. And so ---a new technique. We'll see.

Now, on to the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles. Get your tickets now if you want to come. It's all but sold out. (May 12th) Due to illness, pianist Bryan Pezzone, is replacing Jeffrey Kahane in my piano quartet Pacific Dances. Bryan plays on all of my scores and we went to school together. He's brilliant. Famed composer Uri Caine will premiere a new chamber work, which I am conducting in Jeffrey's absence. Just got the score yesterday. Looks very interesting, as all of Uri's pieces are. Very virtuosic. And a piece by friend Gernot Wolfgang is also on the bill, which promises to be great. Gernot mixes his experience as a jazz musician with an ultra-honed concert music style that is unique, skillful and engaging.

Okay, off to Texas. Yee hah!

http://www.laco.org/performances/40/