New Year's Planning

Sometimes I get so many different ideas in my head of what I want to compose and arrange that I don't do any of them.  I'm not sure where to start and what to leave on the back burner.  So I am making a list of things to do and am going to try to tackle them one at a time.

Here are some ideas swirling around in my head.

Revise my Yosemite string quartet and get a group to work on it with/for me.
Write a piece for elementary orchestra with a Hawai'ian feel (inspired by my recent week on the Big Island).
Arrange more Beatles music for string trio to play at weddings.
Arrange/Compose a jazz inspired Celtic piece for Cello/Violin Duo
Arrange/Compose pieces for Children's Recorders and Bell Choir
Compose a piece for Viola and Cello

Today I worked on an Elementary String Orchestra arrangement of Sakura.  I have the more challenging parts for my 2nd and 3rd year students with some easy accompaniment for my beginning strings.

Less tv-watching, more composing!

Robert Elhai

Yesterday I ran into a college friend while walking in downtown Claremont.  Robert Elhai grew up in Claremont, so he and his family return here to visit during Thanksgiving breaks from their home in Minneapolis.

Bob orchestrates music for Hollywood among other musical pursuits.  I remember the first time I saw his name in the credits of a movie - 101 Dalmatians.  That was pretty exciting.  He also orchestrated the music for the Broadway production of The Lion King.

When Bob was a composition student in college, I volunteered to play in a string quartet that he had written, and I remember that it was pretty tough to play, being in some obscure key.

His current project is an opera - Untold Lies! - part of which has been performed at the Minnesota Fringe festival in 2010.  I think he is working on one of the three acts - the other have been written.