A Fresh Start

So I have returned from my adventures in Oklahoma. And over the weekend I learned two valuable lessons

1. Even the smallest band can project one of the loudest sounds.

2. In Oklahoma, if you see a Road closed sign within 10 feet of what appears to be a ramp to the interstate...DO NOT TAKE THE RAMP.

Long story. But anyway.....it served to be a very exciting trip. I thought the band sounded really good, considering the challenging music I wrote and the waaaaay advanced drill. HELL, some of their drill moves were harder than any of the ones we ever did at Lafayette! Martin, or Mr. A as the students call him, was a very cool person to meet. Great sense of humor and a very similar appreciation for music to my own. Anyone who thinks doing a Pink Floyd or Van Halen marching band show is a good idea is an awesome person in my eyes!

I was thinking a lot about this, and haven't really told anyone - but I was way too happy in oklahoma to ignore it. And it wasn't just with the band. It seems that everywhere I went people were nice, smiling, very friendly atmosphere overall. I mean...i was only there a few days, but it didn't take me long to hate people in louisville when i first moved there. I mean, I love all of my friends and would miss them...but what if i seriously was to move to oklahoma?

My brother Paul said something that I will never forget. "You are a free man, and have the freedom to make a fresh start whereever you want." He thinks i should get out of Kentucky and find a new life for myself - something I've only dreamed about for years. What if he's right?

Take this - I have this great opportunity to be a sort of a Staff Composer with a growing program in Harrah, Ok. Probably the biggest opportunity of my life. Moving down there, I know no one....its a clean slate, I can create a completely new reputation and be careful not to repeat the mistakes of my past. No one would have a chance to judge me, and I can spent a majority of my time doing what I love best in peace - writing music! I can go to a local school down there and get a degree in composition....and things...well it just seems like things would go so well for me.

I need to think a lot about this. The last thing I want to do is move to a foreign state around people i don't know and realize its a mistake. Jeffersonville, Indiana was easy.....even when i realized that was a mistake it was easy (t0 an extent) to pack up and move away. Louisville was across the river and Lexington was only 100 miles away. This would be completely different.

I don't know where I'm going to end up in life. I guess that's for God to decide. But I do know that every decision i make for myself brings me one step closer to my dreams!