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Sunday, January 3, 2010

Decade to Remember

WOW! What a decade it has been! As I look back over the past decade, I will remember some outstanding events of my life and some very tragic times.



- January 2000 - The beginning of a new decade, a new century....HELL a new friggin millenium!!! Widespread worry about the Y2K bug had ended as their were few if any problems resulting in the year change.



- May of 2000 - I GRADUATED FROM LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL!!! Unlike my struggles in middle school, there is no question to weather or not I would be able to advance to the next level. I managed to finish with a GPA of 3.3 (Thank you Senior Year of nothing but music classes!). I also managed to have a successful audition with the University of Louisville and aquired a full tuition scholarship. A very proud moment in my life indeed!



- June of 2000 - The Kentuckian Music Institute is underway! Unfortunately, it also brought an ex-girlfriend of mine back in the picture, Jennifer Rasdon, and after a heated amount of pressure, I caved in and we started dating again. Two weeks before I started college, she dumped me by e-mail claiming she was heavily involved in the church and didnt have time for a relationship. You heard it here first, guys. A girl left me for GOD. How can anyone compete with that?



- November of 2000 - George W. Bush is elected as our 43rd president of the United States after a fiasco in Florida is resolved and a recount is done.



- December of 2000 - The best Christmas present I have ever received.....my mother and step-dad purchased Sibelius Music Notation Software for me. This sparked my compositional career and would turn to bring me ample amounts of success.



- January of 2001 - My first composition is published to Sibeliusmusic.com. "Everlasting Hope", a sweet little flute solo written for a friend who was in an accident that involved a drunk driver. She was in the hospital for a little over a week and has since recovered nicely.



- May of 2001 - My baby sister graduates from high school! :)



- August of 2001 - I begin working on my First Symphony. Unfortunately, while the first and second movements are published on the site my symphony is not quite finished as I have been working diligently in perfecting my compositional personality.



- September of 2001 - The absolutely most horrific moment of our nations history. Four planes collide into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon. The fourth was brought down by a heroic effort of the passengers and never reached its target, our nations capital. Over 3000 people died as a result of that tragedy and we have been at war with terrorism since. That was a day when all America stood together and you could not go anywhere without people being crowded around TVs staring in disbelief. A very sad day for our Country that will never be forgotten.



October of 2001 - I start a relationship with EKU undergrad Jennifer Wallace of Northern Kentucky.



- January 2002 - After a rough year in school, I was placed on probation and my scholarship was in jeopardy. I began seeking psychiatric help and began seeing a therapist who really started to help me. Unfortunately, by the end of the semester he moved to Florida after taking a job offer.



- February 2002 - I was diagnosed with the combined type Attention Deficit - Hyperactive Disorder, after four hours of extensive on-site testing and 300 pages of paperwork. Off of the help from Everist, my therapist, I began taking tests and studying in the Learning Disabilities center and my grades did begin to improve. I stopped going when Everist moved away - this was an obvious mistake.



- March 2002 - "Little Star Overture" wins the first ever Sibelius Users Composition Contest.



- August 2002 - After quitting a three year run at McDonald's, which was my first job, I decided to spend my summers trying to finish my degree. Shortly after my leave, I was hired by Chuck Smith as a low brass instructor for the Band Camp of the Lafayette High School Marching Band. The band would end up winning its 12th State Championship in a row that year.



- December 2002 - I proposed marriage to my girlfriend, Jen, after being together for fifteen months.

- January 2003 - Battle of the Misfits is written, and receives an ample amount of attention. To date it has received 3,768 views, 5 prints, and 9 reviews.

- April 2003 - Many of my friends watched as I performed a full-lengthed recital on euphonium ever. As someone who has struggled for many years with severe performance anxiety, this became a huge victory for me as it was quoted that I gave a "wonderful display of musical ability" by Professor John R. Jone, Jr. Among the performances was my own personal arrangement of "Nessun Dorma" for euphonium solo and euph/tuba ensemble.

- April 2003 - I was hired as a ride operator at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. Intended to only be a summer job to earn some extra cash, I would remain in the theme park business and spend most of the decade working at Six Flags.

- September 2003 - I begin taking private composition lessons with Dr. Steve Rouse, Composition Head at the University of Louisville and winner of the 1987 Prix Di Rome.

- February 2004 - "Cataclysm" is premiered on stage, marking the first public performance of any of my compositions. Special thanks to Mark Kersting for asking me to write a piece for his conducting recital. Among the performers of the Brass Choir was Delfeyo Marsalis, brother of famed Wyton and Branford and son of Ellis.

- March 2004 - Mvt 1 of "Schlosskirche" was performed for the first time. Unfortunately, the intended 5-movement work has yet to be completed.

- April 2004 - I begin my second year at SFKK with a promotion to Senior Team Leader at the Giant Wheel. Three months and 336 annoying phone calls to command base later I moved to a different section of the park and one month after that relocated to the front side of the park, shortly before moving down to kiddyland. Four crews in one season? That has to be a record....

- November 2004 - George W. Bush is re-elected for a second term, beating out John "Flip-flop" Kerry.

- December 2004 - "Fantasy" for trombone and piano receives its first performance by Audrey Davis. In a practice with her pianist I attended, she asked me how she should play the piece and I responded "Play it.....Audreliciously" To this day, she has used that quote many times in her interpretations of music (at least I hope she does).

- February 2005 - Beating all odds, I was promoted to Rides Supervisor becoming the only person to achieve the title of Rides Supervisor at SFKK in less than two years with the company since Six Flags took over the park.

- April 2005 - The Louisville Cardinals basketball team would advance to the final four for the first time since the 80's after a convincing comeback win over the West Virginia mountaineers. Rick Pitino becomes to first coach in NCAA history to take three different teams to the final four.

- August 2005 - The infamous Chicago trip. The adventure Inn is the best hotel I've ever stayed in. I liked it only slight more than I did operating the Whizzer at Six Flags Great America.

- September 2005 - After failing to complete my lease on time, I was forced to move out of my dorm and into an apartment at good ol' Cumberland Apts in Okalona, Ky.

- December 2005 - I would finish my last semester at the University of Louisville, after a lack of communications with the student loans office. I would not complete my degree.....a huge tragedy in my life that has still been very tough to overcome.

- January 2006 - New Ownership takes over Six Flags. Shapiro and company move in and promise a more family friendly atmosphere and "No more Goliaths".

- June 2006 - Another setback in my life, Jennifer breaks off the prolonged engagement claiming that we have grown distant over the years. I guess she meant literally considering she moved four hours away from me. Though, can't say I blame her....I was a college dropout with no goals in life at that time.

- August 2006 - The infamous Cedar Point trip. Half the trip was spent in our hotel room drinking ample amounts of "beverages" while the love-birds (now married) went back to the park for some more cedar point fun!

- December 2006 - The Louisville Cardinals football team win the Big East in their second year with the conference after a West Virginia victory over Rutgers in Overtime.

- January 2007 - The football team would then go on and win their first BCS game ever with a 24-11 Orange Bowl victory over the deamon deacons of Wake Forest. And I was THERE FOR ALL OF IT!!!

- February 2007 - SFKK announces "Deluge", a brand-new hydro-magnetic coaster with cutting-edge technology that would shatter three world records. The previous multi-record smashing ride at SFKK was Chang, built in 1997. Unfortunately, Holiday world would win the golden-ticket for best new water ride for their crap-guzzling bowl, Bakuli. As if that wasnt enough, they managed to jump right on the end of pro-slides contract with deluge and promise the construction of an even taller, faster, and longer hydro-magnetic coaster in 2010...Wildabeast. Gotta love amusement park rivalries.

- March 2007 - I would switch departments to Park Services with the expectations to work with two experienced park services supervisors and change the face of Park Services. Unfortunately, those two ended up becoming very committed to their outside jobs and I ended up biting off more than I could chew. Thankfully, because of some really good Supervisors and Team Leads we all were able to overcome to difficulties and receive a prestigious award for being the cleanest Six Flags park.

- June 2007 - Tragedy strikes again as young Kaitlyn Lasiter loses her feet on the Superman: Tower of Power at SFKK. The worst thing I have ever witnessed in my entire life, and due to the sensativity of the incident I will not discuss it in detail.

- November 2007 - I receive an e-mail from a band director in Oklahoma asking me to write for his small marching band. That was a milestone as I currently write on an annual basis for his band, and have two published marching band arrangements.

- January 2008 - 'Elements of Time', my first marching band composition ever, is completed and submitted to Martin Andraszek of the Harra High School Marching Band in Harrah, Ok.

- May 2008 - I would begin dating Jenny Kannapel (formerly Rasdon) again, and would take on the responsibility of helping her with her kids. Eventually I would move in and propose to her.....

-May 2008, I would be asked to move back to the rides department to fill some holes.

- August 2008 - After going through a lot of brutal emotional strain, things would end between me and Jenny. I had also fallen quite a bit in my responsibilities as a Supervisor at SFKK and a lot of my friendships were in Jeopardy. Despite how I felt at the time, it was certainly the right decision for both of us. Sometimes things just don't work out.

- September 2008 - I would move back to Lexington and begin working at Amazon and soon, the Marriott.

- October 2008 - My brother and I would take a trip to Oklahoma City and attend a performance of "Elements of Time" by the Harrah Marching Band. I had a very good time in Harrah hanging out with Martin and learning about his band. It was a fantastic experience not just from the musical aspect, but to also learn that a guy who is a director for a band that has very little to work with uses his passion for his job to make the best he can out of it. And for what that band has been given, they are a damn good group with a lot of talented musicians!

- November 2008 - Obama would be elected as the 44th president of the USA, and first ever black president in a controversial election (I don't say controversial because he shouldn't have won....I say controversial because of the topic of the Acorn voting fraud)

- December 2008 - Martin would ask me to write for his band again, this time using 'Traffic' as the theme with the intention of using construction cones and vests as colorguard props.

- January 2009 - I would move back to Louisville and begin living with Amanda Martin and Brittany Casper. I would also return for a seventh year at SFKK.

- January 2009 - Barak Hussein Obama is inaugurated as the first ever african american president of the United States.

- March 2009 - I would be promoted to Front Gate Coordinator at SFKK, but shortly after I accepted a job as the Operations Manager at Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana. I would leave SFKK after six and half seasons with the company.

- April 2009 - If you are in a drowning situation or need CPR, fear not! For I am Red Cross and Ellis certified!....despite not being the 'best' swimmer.

- September 2009 - I manage to complete my first year as the Operations Manager at Indiana Beach.....we'll leave it at that.

- October 2009 - Oh yeah...i was the DJ at my sister's wedding.....take that for what its worth. :)

- November 2009 - Vegas Baby!!! I make a visit to Las Vegas for a skycoaster seminar, and it would mark the furthest west I have been. I plan to return to Vegas but also California in the fall of 2010.

2010 is here!!!!

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