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Starting over.....

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Free For All Newbie

Free For All

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As many of you know, I originally moved to KC in support of my wife's job and have been freelancing and teaching part-time at the university. When the marriage suddenly came to an end, I found myself stranded in a place where I can't find enough work to make a living (and pay for the health insurance that I had through her benefits).

So I've been working very hard in the last few months applying for jobs. I applied for eight jazz studies positions and have had some interviews. Long story short, I was offered and accepted a job at Florida State. It's a full-time/tenure-track/full-benefits job teaching JAZZ TROMBONE! I never thought I'd see a job like that in my lifetime.....it's very rare. FSU has a great music school and a great jazz studies program already in place. I got a very positive vibe from the faculty and administration there and I feel good about my decision. It's a brand new position so I have a lot of autonomy in creating my own scene- the fact that they were willing to create this position in the first place indicates their support for the jazz program.

I am SO relieved to have something in place for next fall. This really has helped me to feel like I'm moving on with my life. It's funny how the timing of this worked out- you NEVER see full-time jazz trombone gigs. I'm glad it came about at a time when I was able to go after it. This is MY job, I will never again allow myself to be dependent on someone else.

I never thought I'd be moving to Tallahassee, Florida! I'd be happy to hear from anyone with experience there about where to live, etc. I'm looking forward to the big geographical change- it will be part of the whole "starting over" phase I'm going through.

It's party time! I'm back, baby! :party::g

Paul

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RDK Newbie

RDK

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Good news, Paul - and good luck on your "journey." It's tough to start over, but it can be a great opportunity as well - and it sounds like you're heading in a great direction.

Free For All Newbie

Free For All

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Thanks for the kind words everyone! Believe me, I appreciate the support. :)

I'm sure you're psyched to have the job search behind you

I sure am, Guy! Preparing all the materials for presentations to the various search committees has been a major task. Some of the interviews were for arranging/composition gigs, so I had to present scores, analyses etc. Glad to be done with all that.

And all the flying has been a major pain- I swear, nearly every flight I was on was delayed in some way; either weather or mechanical problems. Flying has become very unpleasant.

But it was all worth it! :tup

Dan Gould Mentor

Dan Gould

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First of all, congratulations, Paul. I'm glad to hear you got your 'dream gig' in the wake of all of those marital/personal difficulties.

August will make ten years since I left Tallahassee. I spent about 4 years there at the start of my voice-over/radio career, and '83 to '87 earning my degree at FSU. So things have changed, no doubt, since then, but I can give a number of general comments about Tallahassee:

Traffic was a nightmare and can only be worse. So you may want to consider finding an apartment or house to rent that is at least somewhat close to campus. The alternative would be the Killearn neighborhood in NE Tallahassee. This is the more affluent side of town.

Don't look for a lot of cultural events, particularly anything not associated with FSU or Florida A&M. Tallahassee is a stop on national Broadway tours, but then again the Civic Center also used to be a major stop for WCW Wrestling.

Tallahassee is basically a two industry town: The two major universities and the state legislature, which is not in session year round. Its your fairly typical college town with all of your expected national chains present and accounted for. There are a few independently owned restaurants for a break from the Applebee's and Roadhouses. Marie Livingston's is an excellent place for steaks. I have no idea if it is still in business, but in my radio days I wrote and produced a spot for Smokin' Joe's barbecue, which is actually in the town directly west of Tallahassee (I had the brilliant idea that Smokin' Joe's taste will "knock you out" and I used (without permission of course) the overture from Rocky II. Everybody loved it. :)

Weather can be described as a minimum of 9 months of brutal summer, with regular showers between 4 & 7 pm. The other three months are gorgeous, with fairly regular cold fronts that keep things nicely chilly but nothing like what you've been dealing with. I'm talking at worst, lows in the 20s and highs in the 40s for a handful of days, and then the temperature will warm in to the sixties and seventies. Also much drier during that time of year. You'll come to cherish it.

There is only one music store of note: Vinyl Fever. There was an annual blues fest in the summer at a state park about two hours east of town.

Tallahassee is definitely part of the Deep South/Bible Belt more than it is a part of Florida. Be prepared for casual racism outside of campus. On the other hand the friendliness of the locals and the southern hospitality has its charms. Also be prepared for a very strong emphasis on football of the high school and Seminole variety. FSU sports provide a great deal of extra-curricular entertainment.

If I can think of anything more, I'll let you know.

DukeCity Newbie

DukeCity

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Congrats, Pauly!!!!

No one is more deserving of a gig like that than you! Here's to making a very positive move!

I hope you do make it to the great Southwest later this spring like we talked about. It would be fun to celebrate with you in person. :party::tup:party::tup:party:

Rooster_Ties Proficient

Rooster_Ties

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Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Way to go, Paul!!! :party:

First order of business (once you get settled in, of course)... Go hear Sam Rivers!!! He appears to live in Florida, and seems to have gigs in and around Orlando with some frequency.

Edit: And I see that Sam turns 84(!) this year, so git to it!!

Edited by Rooster_Ties

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