http://www.midwestclinic.org/blogMidwestClinic Bloghttp://www.midwestclinic.org/blog/display.asp?BlogUserID=79&Year=2009&Month=12We have arrived at the Midwest. Not just the region of the country silly…the clinic. I was able to request professional leave for Wednesday through Friday from my school. Friday, our top band is playing a rehearsal lab so I will be acting as a chaperone that day more so than a clinic attendee but I have two days at the Midwest, which is plenty. I’ve felt that by Friday night it is just like two days in Vegas. You love it and have been looking forward to it for months but it is time to go home. The instrumental music teachers at my school have previously attended the clinic for only one day, typically Thursday or Friday. But, I petitioned hard to have 2-3 days this year. It’s important to “recharge” our batteries at the mid-point of the year. I enjoy most everything about the Midwest Clinic, but I love seeing friends from college and colleagues from across the United States and abroad most. Tuesday, I stayed with a friend who lives in the city so I wouldn’t have to drive to the clinic and pay for parking ($19 per day at McCormick Place). I stayed at his place for a bit of the day and forgot how much daytime TV really stinks. The two guys I am staying with picked me up on Wednesday afternoon and we checked into The Blackstone Hotel (right across the street from the Hilton & Towers). It was recently refurbished and is a very nice hotel. With much anticipation, we arrived via shuttle bus to the Clinic. I really had no idea what to expect. As a high school student, I loved the exhibits and memorized over the years where each booth was located. I enjoyed running through the maze of exhibit halls. But, where was that going to be this year? We registered and looked at the GIGANTIC space in which ALL the exhibits were located. It was truly an amazing sight. But, no more catacombs of exhibit halls. I walked around in a daze for a few minutes taking it all in. Most people I spoke with enjoyed the convenience of one room but said it lacked in personality. For me, the jury is still out until I hear and see the performance spaces. As we had a Chicago Rookie in our party, we had to eat something for dinner that was quintessential Chicago. Lou Malnati’s pizza! I’ve had it a hundred times and it was still delicious as always. I enjoyed the look on my new friend’s face as he had Chicago pizza for the first time. Tomorrow’s dinner is an event I always put together. Our friends from college, as well as colleagues in our current jobs go to Fogo de Chåo, a Brazilian steakhouse. If you love unlimited meat cooked to perfection, this is the place to go. I look forward to it all year long. It’s known in our circle as The Fogo Dinner. At the end of the night, we finished our day with Kitty O’Shea’s. It was shocking and sad to see the Hilton so empty during the Midwest Clinic. We always resist change to a certain extent. Though the Hilton has a special place in my heart during this time of year, I think the 2009 clinic will be a great success at its new home. Enjoy the day! christopher_owen@glenbard.org (Chris Owen)Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:41:22 GMT{E81184FB-D3E0-41B9-9E92-B8F2AC626739}http://www.midwestclinic.org/blog/display.asp?BlogUserID=67&Year=2009&Month=12You are formally invited to hear the 40-member Heartland Community Flute Choir's concert at the Midwest Clinic on Wed 12/16 at 2:30pm. Included on the program are works by Ian Clarke, Christopher Caliendo, Eric Whitacre, David Holsinger, Howard Hanson, and the world premiere of a new arrangement of Ozark folk songs by UNO faculty composer Kenton Bales. For video clips, visit our YouTube page at www.YouTube.com/heartlandflutes or Facebook at www.facebook.com/heartlandflutes.cbeard@unomaha.edu (Christine Erlander Beard and Michael Beard)Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:10:29 GMT{A4F4E4D5-1B6E-4717-984C-B2B4EF5F1AA9}http://www.midwestclinic.org/blog/display.asp?BlogUserID=79&Year=2009&Month=12Greetings! My name is Chris Owen, a band director in the Western Suburbs of Chicago, and annual attendee of the Midwest Clinic. I decided to blog about some of my experiences preparing for the Midwest, responding at the Midwest, and post-Midwest fallout. Thanks for taking some time to read my blog! I just turned 27 years old (today, in fact!) and have been attending the Midwest since my junior year in high school. I begged my mother to call me off school so I could attend a Thursday session that included College Night and a "Midnight Special" with Michael Daugherty. Double whammy! I think the Midwest is a time where all Instrumental Music Teachers get together to learn, network, and socialize (although not necessarily in that order). I have to admit that my heart aches because of the move across town to McCormick Place West. Come December, I always grew anxious at my favorite "hot spots” of the Chicago Hilton and Towers. Fond memories encircle The Christmas Tree in the lobby, the Grand Ballroom, burgers at the South Side Club, Michigan Avenue walks and of course, Kitty O'Sheas. I'm excited to have new places to meet people and hear concerts but nothing will fill those voids. All correspondence from the Midwest Clinic personnel looks like McCormick Place will have everything centrally located in one building and will be very accessible to convention attendees. This has been a big downfall of the Midwest Clinic in recent years as it has expanded to 3+ hotels. I'm excited to not get my coat every time I want to go to a clinic that was formerly located at the Palmer House or Congress Hotel. All in all, I'm growing more and more excited as each day arrives. More to come in future posts as we discuss narrowing down clinics and concerts to see, preparation to perform at Midwest (my colleague's band is performing at a rehearsal lab), dining choices, and the like. Till next time, CO christopher_owen@glenbard.org (Chris Owen)Tue, 1 Dec 2009 15:38:11 GMT{B8651112-206A-42D4-8A99-E49DAEF6296A}