Summer Shade in the Rain

duoATL performed at the Summer Shade Festival yesterday. Turned out to be a very rainy one. Luckily we did have a tent, but by the end of the concert I was standing in a good sized puddle. Right before we started the Pujol, Brian says "Don't touch the microphone." Great. Nothing like a bit of fear of death to put some life into the music. I was glad to be done with that gig. It went well, and I appreciate all the folks that stopped in the rain and listened. Next time I just hope its sunny. At least there was no wind turning my pages.

Concerts and Auditions

Its been a busy week for me and I am sure it has been for anyone else who is in the teaching field or has kids. The students have really poured in the past couple weeks, and I am adjusting to the new schedule.

I also had an audition for a substitute flute job in Augusta in Tuesday (no results yet but I'll keep you posted as soon as I do). It went ok, well pretty well for me. I regret the tempo I took for "Daphnis and Chloe" and I know my sound is a little "course" or "raw" in comparison to alot of flutist. We'll see, but I did have a good time.

I did stop in Madison, GA before the audition to walk the small town's historic district and have the best fried green tomato sandwich on the planet at Madison Chophouse Grille. I hope I get the sub job just so I have an excuse to get the sandwich on my way down. I always try to squeeze in a mini vacation on these auditions, because usually I am in places I have never been before.

Now that audition mania is over with for the time being, I need to focus on concerts, duoATL will be performing this Sunday(8/30) at 2pm at the Summer Shade Festival here in Atlanta at Grant Park. We will be at the Milledge Fountain stage. We'll be performing some Piazzolla, Pujol, Krusbrink, and a new piece by Brian Luckett, finally. :) So come down (pray the weather will be nice) and have a beer while we play. Admission is free, unfortunately not the beer.

I'll also post some new dates soon for Mercury Season (arranging more Piazzolla!), Agnes Scott College, some other venues, and I will start playing with the jazz group After Hours Quintet starting on September 18 at Trilogy in Marietta.

With each day I feel more like a musician and making a decent living doing it. I just regret not taking the leap earlier. But we all know I wasn't really ready to take that leap until I did this May. I'm glad I did.

Busy, Busy, Busy...Finally!

Things are really starting to pick up around here. This month I have two concerts, an audition and students are starting to sign up for lessons, not to mention I've got some engraving work and submitting works for competition. I hope to have a new choral work done by next week and start something new for a composers concert later this fall. I am so glad things are starting to break loose. I am definately adjusting to this new life style and am a lot happier than I was at a 9-6 job.

Last week I went to my old office to have lunch with my old office mate and got to say hi to my old co-workers. I kept getting the same response, "You look so happy and relaxed." Boy am I ever!

Next step, is to get Brian over to this side of music. I know he wants the stability of his 8-5 job while he's finishing grad school. Once grad school is over I'm sure he'll feel more flexible in taking students and working on music. I can't wait, it'll be nice to get our schedules in synch since now I work in the evenings and he works during the day.

Lessons and Competitions

Well this week has been a week of "getting out there". I've submitted some scores to some competitions, and taken out some ads to get more flute students. I really do enjoy being able to write, teach, practice, and not feel rushed about anything. I can really take my time and enjoy being in the moment.

There's only two things that do stink about it all. You know me, I always have to complain about something. I am alone a good part of the day and that has taken alot to get use to. I use to share an office with someone everyday for the past 5 years, and people were always coming and going. I do miss seeing my friends everyday and now that our work schedules are flipped flopped since I work alot in the evenings its been hard scheduling to get together with them.

There's also that monetary guilt. Right now I am not making what I was while I was a web designer. Hourly I make more, weekly...well let's say I don't have the hours yet. Sometimes I feel bad that Brian is having to carry me some until I get the students I hope to get once school starts up and peopel get back from vacation. He's totally for it, especially since we hope he'll get to do what I am doing once he's done with his masters and feels confident he is ready to take the plunge. It'll be an adventure and I can't wait until both of us are living it together!

New Solo Piano Work, Nautica

Since I've had some free time I've never had before, I've been busily writing in the hopes to make up for my lack of music writing in the past. So I managed to squeeze out this four movement piano work over the past two weeks. Now I just have to get someone to perform or record it so I can get rid of this mediocre MIDI rendering:

http://www.nikkinotes.com/music/Nautica/Index.html

I am going to try and run this by some very talented pianists friends and see if they have time to work it up and put it on a concert, as well as try to submit it to some competitions. Wish me luck!

Wedding Music

Brian and I agreed as a wedding present to each other we would write our wedding music for each other. I wrote the processional (so I knew when to come in and to keep the wedding coordinator from jumping the gun and sending people out during the prelude music *sigh*).

So here it is (Along with other music in the ceremony)!

http://www.briannikki.com/Ceremony.html

Welcome to Happy Land!

This summer has seen a lot of changes in my life. I got married, and its wonderful! I am sure I wouldn't have had the strength to make all of the other changes without his support and encouragement.

We bought a newer and bigger house. Both of us have our own studios and the dogs have a nice fenced in yard. A yard that they have pretty much destroyed, but as long as it keeps them from destroying the house I'm happy.

And if that wasn't enough change I quit my day job. I did it, I'm a full time musician. I spend my time doing some music engraving, teaching flute students, writing music for concert and multimedia. I've pretty much let web design go to the wayside. I just couldn't take the endless meetings, numerous bosses, and being trapped in an office where you were monitored all the time. Music is my deal, and I had to go for it.

Its been a little tough, but things are finally start to roll. By August things should be more comfortable with an influx of students at the music school. I've had quite a bit of free time to work out, cook, write music, practice, and it looks like I might actually get to have a hobby. No more working 9-6 and then coming home to do music. I do music full time and now have time to hang out with my husband.

However, his schedule winds up in August too. He'll start working 10 hour days then going to school on days he's not working. We're working for the day where both of us can be full-time musicians no matter how that may pan out and be parents. But, we'll enjoy this while we can. We're having the times of our lives!

Work and Radio

This past week had some pretty good news that may turn things around.

Because I didn't have enough on my plate, I'm starting work as a music engraver for Clear Note Publications. Fingers crossed that things will go well with this first score and I can do more of it and shake the day job!

On the composer front, my pieces "Mangosteen" and "Discombobulation" will be broadcast on WRSU in New Brunswick, NJ which can be heard locally at 88.7 FM and anywhere with an internet connection at www.wrsu.org. They have a new program that broadcasts new music by living composers. They will air on May 6 at 7pm. You can catch the full season schedule:http://epmusic.wordpress.com/explorations-schedule/

Now back to working, practicing, writing, finish setting up the new house, and healing from the beatings from my weekly personal training sessions.

Moving Right Along

I'm getting married. I'm moving. I'm teaching. I'm still working full time. I'm glad I have no concerts coming up.Its some hectic, happy, and exciting times, and I am ready to get on with it!
First big life change, getting married! June 13 is the big day, we're looking forward to it. We'll finally get both of our families together (outside of the parents) and our friends and have a big happy weddin. It will be good times, if I can get the invitations,veil, website, and music written, which will hopefully be done by April. Those 4 monsters are still looming...and they should be the most fun.

In the meantime, we've been keeping ourselves busy with the new to us house. Thanks, to Brian's dad who completely remodeled the upstairs bathrooms, and helped out with the electrical issues. Brian and I have been spending ALL of our free time painting, which should come to an end tonight. Then moving day on Saturday! Real pro movers this time. Its just too much to ask from friends. I rather have the pros do it and be done with it. No heavy lifting for me!

As in the job front, I'm teaching some students and its been great. I love it. My students seem to enjoy their lessons, even if they have to do scales :) I hope I get to do more of it. But it won't probably pick back up until August. And that's probably for the best.

I'm glad to be taking a break from concerts for a while, and focus on getting my life together. However, I am still practicing and taking lessons every once in a while just nothing public.
The next three months are going to be a little nutty, but will be some good times and I am sure some good stories.

Bring it on 2009!

Here's the 2008 Resolution Results:

1. Finish a composition! This did happen, and it was recorded. Whew! Finally I got something written, performed, and recorded in the same year.

2. Finish my website! Well, this bled into 2009, but its done. So I can stop being embarrassed about my cheesy website. This one is gonna be alot easier to update, and is certainly more representative of who I am. Maybe I should update this blog too?

3. Do new things! I didn't do too much out of the ordinary, but I did climb that rock wall and got addicted to Indian food.(Rose of India is the best!)

4. Take a risk! This is an ongoing process. I started teaching flute, and that's gonna help get me to the end result. I am auditioning, I am taking private lessons, and I am putting myself out there. Although I wouldn't call agreeing to marry Brian a risk, it certainly is exciting. He will be the unconditional, unstoppable, loving support that will help me pull through the tough times and celebrate during the good times. And I hope to be the same for him.

5. Don't forget others! This hasn't happened as much as I would like, I guess it never will, but I see it as I do my physical health. You can always be better. I made some tiny goals, but I'll keep at it.

Here's the 2009 Resolutions:

1. Be an awesome wife! This has to take priority. I got something good, I'm not gonna spoil it. We can really be there for each other, and he makes me happy. I hope his optimism rubs off on me.

2. Just do it already! I'm gonna cut the cord, launch my music career. I'm on the cusp, I've got a growing studio, all of my friends are confident I could do it, I have all the emotional support in the world, I just have to jump already. No one is going to push me.

3. Work on my faith! I've neglected this for a long time. Its important for many reasons. Maybe I feel more worthy enough to take this on than I have before. Its a tough challenge (hey I'm Catholic of course it is), and maybe that's why I've been avoiding it. Baby steps.

4. Get uber fit! I've been on a great health kick. I know the wedding puts a definate deadline on things. I've been working with an awesome trainer. My goal:decrease my body fat to well in the healthy range.

5. Help others! This is on my list again. It will never come off. I just need to find exactly how I should define this.

Coalescence and Accessible Contemporary Music

My string quartet, Coalescence, was recorded by an group in Chicago called Accessible Contemporary Music. ACM plays a piece of music every week by a living composer. I highly recommend subscribing to the weekly newsletter. You'll hear all sorts of fascinating music.

They put together a stellar performance for me here: http://www.acmusic.org/weeklystreaming.html

Coach and Be Coached

The more I teach the more I realize I need to be taught. So I've hired the help of ASO's very own principal flutist, Christina Smith, and boy what a change! She's corrected some things that I have feared were going quite south. And thanks to her help my tone has already improved over the last two lessons. I can only hope she can do the same for my articulation and technique. I'm pretty sure she can. Anywho, I am certain that she will get me in shape for the journey ahead.

As for getting in shape, I've also hired a personal trainer. And he is kicking my butt. Really? I am paying for this abuse? Well I'm sure I'll see a big pay off soon. I am sleeping a whole lot better at night.

As for coaching, Friday I got to live a little bit of the life I wish was everyday. I got to go to North Georgia College and State University for the North Georgia Guitar Summit and teach a composition masterclass as well as give a duoATL concert. What a blast! The students were good sports and it was just alot more fun than I ever anticipated. If only this is what it was like everyday. It certainly wet my appetite to keep on truckin!

Tiny Signs

I've started teaching flute. It's something I said I wouldn't do again, but I guess you should never say never. I've had many tiny signs thrown up at me saying its time to make some kind of leap into music land for a long time, but over the past couple of months the tiny signs have turned into big Las Vegas style neon lights that I can't ignore any longer. So I started teaching, and I have actually enjoyed all of it so far. I hope I can get more students and do this more often.

I've had a pretty cush job in web design, but after a long day of designing, coding, tackling problems that I rather not tackle, unfamiliar corporate rules, I just feel better after hanging out with a student teaching them all the cool things they can do on a flute and all the different music we get to play. Its really helped me find an enthusiasm for music again. I hope it continues. So my goals have changed...at least the time frame. Things are going to be sped up, they have to. I'm obviously more happy as a musician, that's my calling.

This weekend

This weekend was a great weekend...and I hope one day that will be my every day life. Teaching lessons, dress rehearsal, and performing makes for a great "work" day.

The only thing I had to complain about (I know there's always something), was that there wasn't a large turnout. But the people that did come to the concert were people who really love the type of music we play and were warm enough to drop by afterwards to say they enjoyed the concert.

It was great to also play Brian C's music. A little nerve wracking to play with the composer present, even though he is my fiance and the most encouraging upbeat person I've ever met. It's still a little intimidating to know there is someone in the audience who knows every note.

The near future has some exciting things going on personally and professionally, and I am looking forward to embracing the changes.

Up and Coming

It's been a while since I've posted an update, but since concert season is about to rev back up I thought I would catch you up and let you know what lies ahead.

First off, I just signed a contract with New Atlanta Conservatory as flute/composition/theory teacher. They've also asked I start a Digital Media/Animation class for their art department and a student flute ensemble.

I have a few concerts lined up over the next couple of months at Agnes Scott College, Georgia Perimeter College, and even a concert/masterclass with duoATL at the Guitar Summit held at North Georgia College. But stay tuned because a past concert of duoATL is also airing on WABE's (an NPR station) Atlanta Music Scene in the coming months.

Lastly there is some negotiating in the works to have a couple of my pieces played in the coming year by New Atlanta Philharmonic. And that should be some outstanding performances!

And that's it, well besides planning a wedding by June. Plenty of time, right Brian? (Don't even get me started on his impossible schedule).

Catching Up

Long time no blog, but I have a million great excuses and lots of fantastic news.

Let's start with the biggest and best first. I am getting married in June 2009. I am marrying another composer, classical guitar being his instrument of choice. When you get a chance check out his website with his fabulous music: www.nobridantes.com.

Next up, I was awarded composer of the year by the Atlanta Pen Women. It was a nice surprise and got me anxious to write some more.

Then I had a flute/guitar piece premiered and professionally recorded at Allgood Productions. duoATL performed/recorded and we had a fantastic experience with an equally satisfying recording. Check it out: Mangosteen

I also got to sub for the second flute in the New Atlanta Philharmonic. Good times, excellent orchestra, I hope I get to do it again.

I've also been doin a bit of running. I ran my first 10K this past weekend. Not my best time, but the Peachtree Road Race is pretty fun.

So no bad news (fingers crossed). Works fine, life's great, looks like smooth sailing.

Mangosteen premieres tommorrow!

Tomorrow (Sunday 4/6) at 3pm at Agnes Scott College's MacLean Auditorium,my work for flute and guitar "Mangosteen" will be premiered on the Bella Musica concert by duoATL: http://www.nikkinotes.com/BellaMusicaProgram.pdf
This event is co-sponsored by the Georgia Committee of The National Museum of Women in the Arts of Washington DC.

Call 404-471-6430 for free tickets, or show up early to snag one!

http://www.agnesscott.edu/admission/undergraduate/visit/maps_directions.aspx

duoATL concert this Saturday (3/8)

duoATL is in concert this Saturday (3/8) at 7pm at the Douglasville Cultural Arts Center in Douglasville, GA.

Cost of tickets are $12 and there's even a reception afterward! Seating is limited, so reservations are recommended (770.949.2787).

Address: The Cultural Arts Center

8652 Campbellton Street in historic Douglasville, Georgia

Exit #36 north off of I-20

http://www.artsdouglas.org/

We will be performing works by Rodrigo, Yague, Pipo, Hoover, Piazzolla, and much more!

More concerts in April at Agnes Scott College and Callanwolde Fine Arts Center.

Composer of the Year 2008?

As odd and out of the blue as it seems, in May I will be awarded the Atlanta Pen Women award as Composer of the Year for 2008. They are an organization whose aim is to promote literacy, educational, and charitable activities in all three disciplines of music, art, literature. Their local website is www.atlantapenwomen.org I'm looking foward to meeting the organization in May, and hope to meet some outstanding artist, writers, and musicians from Atlanta.

Society of Composers National Conference

Well I'm in for a pretty busy week, and I have to say my day job is really starting to cramp my style. Wednesday night at 7:30pm I will be performing a piece with neoPhonia at Georgia State University at the National Conference for the Society of Composers. I will also be performing a piece Friday night at 8pm with Bent Frequency at Georgia State for the same conference. I am uncertain whether or not you have to be a memeber of the Society of Composers to get into the conference concerts, details to come.

On Tuesday early morning I will be performing with Mercury Season at the Walker School for a private concert for the student body.

duoATL is not on any break either. We have a few more concerts coming up shortly. Its really packed in between now and April! Hopefully I'll start well and sane.