Hey everyone! First of all, you have my sincerest apologies for being so absent the past month or so. But good news! I have scheduled two comics a week for the rest of August, and will get back to the regular three-comic format in September! The Quest story is completely queued, so even if I die y’all’ll** find out what happens to Mr. Tabuteau.

In other news, I went to the Hillside Festival (and wrote about it for NxEW), I spent a bunch of time working on my brass piece (which is going to be pretty neat), I have successfully learnt how to make pizzas (and a few other things), and the first stage of my grad project is nearing completion! Oh, these are exciting times, these are.

My love to you all.

**y’all’ll is acceptable! I SWEAR.

(Painting by Howard Watson)

SO school begins in not so long! I count it officially begun on the 8th of September with Reed Jail, even though I don’t start classes until the 14th. Is that crazy, you Americans who start class in August? Is it? It is a little crazy for me; I am used to starting at the beginning of September rather than the middle. Still not August, though.

This term, I’m taking Counterpoint and Post-Tonal Theory, a few Englishes (Canadian Poetry, The Novel After 1900, maybe Creative Writing: Poetry), as well as the usual, lessons and Composition. It’s going to be a crazy sort of term, I think, but fun! My goal for my grad project is to have it completely written by December. COMPLETELY. That way, I can get it rehearsed and recorded and produced in the new year. Here’s hoping!
I also need to come up with some new, more interesting titles. The ones I have now are so bland.
“Tohubohu and Brouhaha” is nearly finished, although I’m having some minor existential crises now that I have been immersed in it for weeks without air. “Is it BORING?” “Is it CLICHÉ?” “Am I doomed to be a POPS composer?” I think it is well orchestrated though, so maybe my destiny is to be an orchestrator for Hans Zimmer or John Williams or something. The composer’s version of a sellout?
I think I spend too much time thinking about what will be exciting to play for the musicians. IT IS ALL FOR YOU, MY BRASSY FRIENDS.

Anyway, I’m writing a contrabassoon piece this year, too, for my friend Megan! As usual, I’ve come up with a fantastic title before anything else is begun: “Monster, Fried in a Pan.” Yes.

But to the title! “Desertion” is Peter Hatch and Glenn Buhr who are BOTH taking sabbatical this year. Glenn will be around a bit since he is co-ordinating Glenn Buhr Fest NUMUS this year, but Peter is going to B.C. and Australia and China and god knows where else. Weirdly, Laurier seems to think that Peter is only going to be away for the fall term, and I know for a fact he is going to be away globetrotting all year. I was at this little farewell gathering at his house (which was weird and a little awkward at first, but thank goodness for Jason White and Pam Patel), and got a bunch of T.S. Eliot and Hermann Hesse books, and a giant stack of WIRE magazines, which I’m pretty excited about! I also got an Open Ears t-shirt all my own, which I have now modded from its former boxiness into a sleeveless and excitingly ribboned top.
I’m doing some work for Open Ears–on their website, for example, and scanning pictures for the archives of the past few festivals.  I’m also going to be doing some volunteer-ish work with the KWS–publicity for their Frederica von Stade concert on September 18th mostly. Hear that? FREDERICA VON STADE CONCERT ON SEPTEMBER EIGHTEENTH GUYS IT WILL BE AMAZING YOU SHOULD GO.

My work here is done.

So basically what I’m trying to say here is that I am becoming the Kitchener-Waterloo Arts Bitch (in the sense of “doing a bunch of work for nothing” not “something negative”). If it doesn’t pay off in the future, I shall be sad, but not that sad, probably. And I’m supposed to get some free tickets out of it.

In conclusion, here is an article which you should read! It is one of those things where someone says something that I have been struggling to put into words, but much better than I ever could.