There's a 6-month Old In the House!

Today is Dylan's 6-month birthday. Her first Half-Birthday! 

Her mom put a silly thing on her head and took this picture...oh Nicole, good thing you are  getting these shots now before Dylan learns to say no :)

She gets to have fruit today for the first time. We think we will start her with bananas, as she has loved the word "bananas" for quite some time now. Maybe she will love the food too. She still loves her vegetables too, even making "mm, mm" sounds when we give her peas. That's my girl.

So, I am exhausted and relieved at how well these past few months have gone for us. To think that 6 months ago we were in NYU hospital just getting to meet Dylan for the first time. She was so little, but I can look back now and see that she was already herself, a little person, even though we didn't know who she was yet. It has been largely due to the support from our families and the fact that Nicole is an awesome mom that we have been able to make this transition and feel that we gave Dylan a safe and healthy first six months of life. Looking forward to all the new craziness with the next six months!

So...
I am 99% finished with the semester, I have only one more paper to complete which i am almost done with. It was a very successful semester for me. I completed a lot of music, wrote some papers that I am proud of, and learned a lot about teaching and being a student again. I am looking forward to finishing two pieces over the break, and also begin writing a string quartet that will be performed at the Phoenix Art Museum in the Spring.

The paper I wrote for "Intro to Ethnomusicology" was about improvisation and the ways it is misunderstood in the Western classical music world. My professor liked it, and asked if he could share it with the Director of the School of Music who is interested in expanding the way improvisation is taught and discussed in the department. Here is a link to the paper if anyone is interested in reading it:

Challenging Misconceptions: Redefining Improvisation

I still have not gotten the recording from the November concert - I guess the recording department is bogged down. Hopefully we will get it during the break.

We are excited to get back east and see family, relax, eat, and celebrate the holidays, and eat, and relax...and eat. I assume that Dylan will get to see some snow, but I hear that there really hasn't been any in Niagara Falls or Syracuse yet. I would be surprised if that doesn't change by January 5th.
And here are a couple of new things I have just been listening to:







 And Happy 103rd birthday Elliott Carter!!!