End of the 2017 Spring Semester Reflection

The final semester of my doctoral studies at the University of Miami has been incredibly busy - in addition to teaching, composing, and other creative work, I have recently completed significant research activities in partial fulfillment of my D.M.A. in Jazz Composition. My research is a comparative study of small group jazz arranging techniques for brass and woodwinds, with focus on compositions by Tadd Dameron, Benny Golson, Oliver Nelson, and Duke Pearson. In the near future, I would love to publish the findings of this study, along with further extensive research, as a historically informed method for individual and classroom use.

Here's a fun picture from UM Graduation with my wife, parents, and one of the most talented writers and teachers I have ever had the pleasure of studying under, Gary Lindsay!

(Dr. Longo, Gary Lindsay, the new Dr. Longo, Georgie, & Bill)

After graduation, I spent a few days in Tampa at the International Association of Jazz Composers and Arrangers (ISJAC) Symposium. In addition to lectures and performances by artists, such as Rufus Reid, Billy Childs, Maria Schneider, John Hollenbeck, and Chuck Owen with the Jazz Surge, it was  fantastic to reunite and hang with many of my Frost School colleagues.

The Frost School Crew: Longo, Steve Guerra, Russ Spiegel, Rafael Piccolotto de Lima, & Scott Routenberg.

As for the rest of this summer, I will be exploring teaching and artistic opportunities for the upcoming months - but most importantly, I plan to catch up on an incredible amount of quality time with these two lovelies! Happy Summer!