This week, one of my students asked me: "what is it like to do music as a job?"
I suddenly had a flood of memories of the good, the bad, and the ugly!
In a split second I remembered shows I had forgotten about, travel that was brutal yet exhillerating, rejections that stung, and successes that made me fly. All in all, there's been so much more good than bad and I feel truly blessed to have wonderful collaborators and to have the opportunity to feel "home" in the way that I contribute to the music ecosystem here in Indiana.
Speaking of wonderful collaborators, @forwardmotionnewmusic is offering a plethora of engaging interdisciplinary and educational activities this June and July:
-We are showcasing our Art Becomes Music program at several libraries for folks who enjoy making art, and want to hear it brought to life with on-the-fly music making. (@indylibrary )
-We are collaborating with @harrisoncenterarts and Polklore Micro Museum to enhance their storytelling drawing sessions event by providing musical responses to stories from the community.
-We are a featured ensemble at @benefic_chamber where we'll provide lessons, coachings, workshops, and present a recital!
So, here's what I told my student: "It's a lot of work, and I don't make as much money as a lawyer... but I have way more fun than most people do!"
It's been a FULL week. Treating myself with some electroacoustic bass clarinet improv. Getting loud, weird, and rippin' it with my new @pereira3d bass clarinet for stress relief! 😍 #music #bassclarinet #theclarinetguy #indiana #electroacoustic
I'm taking a moment to remind myself that if I don't tell anyone what I'm doing, then no one knows what I'm doing! 🤣
I've got two performances this weekend as part of a chamber orchestra + choir + soloists presentation of Rossini's Stabat Mater. Friday at 7:30pm at Roberts Park UMC and Saturday at 7:30pm at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church. I don't always love playing in large groups because it can be hard for me to be vulnerable and express music deeply when I'm surrounded by a bunch of people I don't know particularly well. The other side of that coin, which I often forget, is that when a group of people (strangers or not) plays music with a sense of unity, it creates a powerful effect unlike anything else! This piece is incredibly vibrant, and awe inspiring. Come check us out!
Then, later on in April on the 18th at 7pm at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, I'm collaborating with a really bright young student, Maaike Mora. When I asked Maaike what her goals were for this concert, she said something along the lines of: I just want to do a good thing for the world. It's been so refreshing to work with such a motivated and generous young musician, and I'm excited to be part of the ensemble that premieres her new piece!
#music #indiana #theclarinetguy #clarinet #indianapolis
This award, "Most Improved" is from my time at Brownsburg.
Immediately after receiving this award one of my peers said something spiteful to me: "that isn't even a real award. That just means you sucked at first, but now you're ok at band." At which point, several people in the room laughed at me.
I was devastated by this, because it felt like all of the hard work I put in was something to be ashamed of. I wanted to throw it in the trash.
Thankfully, my parents did not. They kept this safely in a box because, as my dad put it, "it might mean something to you someday."
Well. It means something to me now, and I'm so glad I have been reunited with this award. Why? Because "Most improved" has turned out to be my life's story.
At Ball State, I failed multiple auditions before finally being accepted into the music program. I was worked hard, and ended up receiving a music scholarship that I was not initially awarded. Because I improved.
At Bowling Green State, I was accepted into the graduate program but had to take out student loans to attend. I was worked hard, and in my second year ended up receiving an assistantship that waived my tuition. Because I improved.
After graduating I did small scale gigs where I barely got paid to play. Now, I perform with an amazing group (Forward Motion) that is being asked to present guest artist recitals at universities, and I even premiered a new clarinet concerto last year (Luke Garrigus' Concertino Espresso with Sound Ecologies). Because I improved.
This year, I am leaving this award on my music stand so that every time I go to practice I have to pick it up, look at it, and set it aside. Then at the end of my practice sessions, I will put it right back on my music stand so the ritual can continue. I want to be reminded of where I've come from, how hard I've worked, and to trust my love of music more than the opinion of jealous haters.
I'm so ready to thrive, and so excited by the work I'm doing. I have finally figured out how to aggressively pursue growth, while simultaneously being satisfied with the present. Here's to a great year of happy practicing in 2026, where I plan to retain my title of "Most Improved."
Why on earth would I want to walk around on a cold December night in Indiana with a bunch of boomboxes?
Well... because it's cool, that's why!
On December first friday at @thestutzbuilding@forwardmotionnewmusic is going to be presenting Unsilent Night, a truly unique experience that I've found builds community in an entirely special way. This is our weirdly wonderful annual holiday tradition, and I'd love to see you join us at 7pm!
Later in the evening, at 8:30pm, we'll perform an original score to the silent film version of "A Christmas Carol" along with some wintry improvisations. Thanks to @stutzartists for having us!
#indiana #indianapolis #indy #music #stutz #stutzartists #flute #clarinet #piano #percussion #theclarinetguy #forwardmotion
We're back! Phil Kline's Unsilent Night returns to Indianapolis on December 5th at 7pm at The Stutz.
Come join us for everyone's favorite oddball holiday tradition as we take an outdoor boombox caroling parade through Indy!
We'll start and end at The Stutz, and present a short performance afterwords inside. Send us a message if you have any questions!
Phil Kline's Unsilent Night. Copyright 1992 by Phil Kline. Recording available on Cantaloupe Music at
@stutzartists
#music #musician #indy #indiana #indianapolis #unsilentnight #unsilentnightindy
Sometimes life kicks us right in the pants. It's been a tough few weeks, particularly because I got rear-ended in a car accident (I am ok... but my car is not). I know I'm not the only one who is feeling the blues these days, but when the going gets tough I always try to stop and take a minute to think about gratitude.
I am really grateful for my family, who always give me someone to lean on. I am grateful to my friends at @forwardmotionnewmusic who give me so many opportunities to express myself through music. And, I am also grateful that my job looks like this picture.
I get to play music for work, it's incredible.
It's amazing that a dream I had when I was 17 years old has turned into this reality. I'm living what I imagined all those years ago. @hamiltoneastpl@freshpotscoffeebar@chatterboxjazz@indylibrary
#music #musician #clarinet #composer #theclarinetugy #forwardmotion #coffee #library
I love performing for people, because I love helping people feel something that takes them away from their current anxieties. Maybe you got in a car wreck too, or maybe the weight of the world is on your shoulders, maybe you got embarrassed at work, or maybe you just had to take a punch recently.
No matter what's going on, live music can help us feel something - something other than the bad that happens when our emotions get buried and fester. Come on out to one of these shows, and let's keep barreling forward through life together. ❤
Listen to the amazing @theclarinetguy , describes what answering the call means to him. You can catch him performing with , The Call , November, 7th @the.cabaret . You can #answerthecall by clicking the link in bio. Get your tickets.🤎#connectivity #gifts #originalmusic #indy #explorepage✨ #tredingreels
🎭✨ Cabaret Latino: Songs of the Americas cerró su temporada con una noche llena de ritmo, talento y orgullo latino. Desde Conga y La Bamba hasta Volver, Volver y Cielito Lindo, el repertorio celebró nuestra música y raíces con una mezcla de pasión, nostalgia y alegría. 💃🏽🕺🏽
👏 Felicidades a los cantantes, bailadores y todo el equipo de producción de Magic Thread Cabaret — Heva Luna Espay 🇻🇪, Alexis Faviel 🇲🇽, Pablo Gonzalez, Jocy Zarco🇲🇽, Ana Lucia Calvacante 🇧🇷, Mariel Greenlee 🇨🇺 & Garrison Huddleston 🇺🇸 , y todo el ensamble de músicos que dieron vida a cada canción.
Gracias por poner en alto la Latinidad de Indianápolis con un espectáculo que nos recordó que nuestra música une, inspira y trasciende fronteras. 🇲🇽🇨🇴🇦🇷🇧🇷🇨🇺🇺🇸
Y un saludo y agradecimiento especial a Heva por la invitación y backstage pass! ♥️
📍Basile Theatre, Indiana Historical Society @indianahistory
🎶 Dirigido por Tom Alvarez @tomalvarez.studio | Producido por Tom Alvarez & Dustin Klein @dustinbklein
One week from today,@forwardmotionnewmusic has the pleasure of performing at the @uindy / @uindymusicdept Faculty Artist Series with @soundecologies ! We're playing on Monday, the 22nd at 7pm.
We'll be presenting our program, The Ocean Inside, which features newly composed music by @funkoftherob and @luke.garrigus . In this show, we create space for introspection while guiding you through washes of sound.
It's a pleasure to get to play in such a nice hall, and we are going to rock the house with our unique blend of spontaneous expression. Plus, the program features a couple of graphic scores that we'll project on stage - so you'll be able to see how we interpret them in real time! @coreyddenham@ashton_vickery@celestialsounds_andviolins@jenniferpageflute
#music #flute #clarinet #violin #cello #piano #percussion #composer #improvisation #indy #indymusic #indianapolis #indiana
