Coming Autumn

Happy July 1st, everyone! Sure sure, it's not a holiday, but it's another day, and sometimes making through done day and into the next is worth celebrating. I try to treat every day that way, but that's just how I do things. I've been promising an update on coming affairs in life, though, so here's the news for Autumn:

I have been offered admission to the graduate school at the University of South Carolina, and I've accepted; I'll be moving to Columbia, South Carolina in a few short weeks. I'll be doing my master's degree with a thesis followed immediately by my PhD. I'm thrilled to be involved with it, I've already got some great ideas for my thesis and dissertation research laid out!

I've got a great place to live lined up, and Columbia itself ought to be pretty exciting I know a few people around town, and I'll be roughly an hour from my hometown, Charlotte and Charleston. I'll still be doing some consulting work in addition to my new studies, so I'll stay plenty busy. Now I just have to learn the layout of the town and where I like to go. I'll still be working on my writing, though, which is actually ramping up faster than I can keep up with things!

I've just ordered a new custom trumpet from Zigmant Kanstul, which is not quite my dream horn, but is pretty close, and I plan to put it to good use this fall with the Might Sound of the Southeast. Yes, that's right... after a decade of only playing for professional gigs (which are almost universally sit-down affairs) I'm going to be performing on a marching field again, and from the bleachers for the Gamecocks games. Should be fun!

I will be keeping things as up-to-date as I can amidst the schedule, but the next several weeks at least should be clipping along at a frantic pace. Never fear, I'm doing much better than most right now, and I intend to keep rolling right along that line!

Try not to get into too much trouble, loyal readers and creepers!