Well I'm off to Dallas for a few days to attend a training camp at SMU. It should be a fun trip that is filled with hours of training and hours of practicing. While I am up at Dallas I will stop in for a trombone lesson with Jan Kagarice at the University of North Texas. She is supposedly good with the certain issues I am facing in my playing. Throwing wise and trombone wise, I am excited about this trip. I am especially excited to be training under Coach Wollman who is the track coach at SMU. He is probably one of the highest regarded throws coaches in the nation with a well-known international reputation. If SMU had a men's track team, there is no question that I would have never left. But hey, UH is treatin me good...I just earned a full scholarship...and by EARNED i mean...EARNED. I came in as a no one (kinda still am a non one) and was offered nothing more than a spot on the team (rightfully so, no ones ever seen me throw). With my training and compeititon results, I was rewarded a full
scholarship...really feels liek i earned it...and liek it wasnt jsut handed to me. I got many offers out of highschool to places liek texas, texas a&m, and SFA but ellected SMU because I had a scholarship for music and coudl walk ont he track team...well,t hey cu tthe program...and here I am now...the unknown thrower climbing my way to bit by bit back into the sport...I feel like this scholarship is a very good step. This whole year I really had no intetnion of getting a scholarship..I was jsut happy they let me walk on...and I knew I could eventuially score money from the Music school...but my coach just said "hey, I got you on a scholarship" and it just capped everything off...it makes me feel good to have busted my ass with only the goal of wanting to throw far on my mind and then being rewarded for my passion with money! Wow, i am thankful. Now I just need to make sure I remain healthy...knock on wood.
Im kind of lining up my preparations for the music ensembles auditions in August. It is my total intent to blow the panel away with my best playing-which I know is potentially spectacular...i just know it. I'll have to whip my chops back into shape and shed down the music hardcore. My only intention is to play in orchestra as my schedule only will allow me into one ensemble...and I dont want to do band. I know my potential best will knock the panel dead...just a question if i can bring it to the audition! We will see. i am also anticipating the opening of some mid0major orcehstra positions and am likely to audition for these even if I do not intend to take the job. I feel mentally and in terms of maturity I am capable of preparing well for an audition ...and witht he combination of that and my talent...i feel that confident that I can be competitive...but again, its a matter of whther I will put the time in properly or not...that is yet to be seen! i do inmtend fully to finish out at UH with track and music but if somehow I win ajob withint he next two years that pays over 35 grand a yr or so...i may have ahard time deciding.
Anywho, I am off to Dallas. Until next time,
JL
