My Musical Journey
August 2012. A sunrise photo from Idyllwild, CA. I spent four weeks at the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program and the scenery in the San Jacinto Mountains is absolutely sublime.
August 2012. A photo in Idyllwild with conductors Sey Ahn and Larry Livingston after our final performance of Beethoven's 6th Symphony.
A photo from the Des Moines Symphony's annual Yankee Doodle Pops concert. This is always a highlight of the summer, and I have played chimes on the 1812 Overture every summer since 2014!
April 2014. The percussion and timpani sections of my first professional orchestra concert - Quad City Symphony Orchestra playing Mahler's 3rd Symphony. L to R: Tony Oliver, Jerrod Cook, Blaise Rothwell, Aaron Williams, Jim Weir, Michael Geary, Gino Ciccotelli
October 2014. A photo of the perc/timp sections from my first Masterworks concert with the Des Moines Symphony. L to R: Blaise Rothwell, Michael Geary, Tim Hillyer, Aaron Williams, Adam Groh, Tom Mackey
April 2015. The timpani and percussion sections of the Des Moines Symphony for John Adams' "The Chairman Dances". L to R: Michael Geary, Blaise Rothwell, Aaron Williams, Adam Groh, Robert Meunier.
April 2016. A backstage selfie with Sean Galligan, during Drake University's production of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro".
April 2016. A photo of our setup for the Des Moines Symphony's pops concert with Sutton Foster. We were very busy!
April 2016. A backstage selfie with saxophonist Aaron Ehrlich at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. We were both performing with Des Moines Symphony for the pops concert featuring Sutton Foster!
March 2017. It's not every day you get to work with a renowned composer! Members of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Percussion Studio got to work with Jennifer Higdon on her quartet "ZONES" during her residency at the UMKC Conservatory. L to R: Chris Larson, James Harris, Blaise Rothwell, Jennifer Higdon, Zac Keyser.
The James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, home of the UMKC Conservatory. Also the home of this flock of Canada geese.
April 2017. The percussionists of the UMKC Conservatory Orchestra at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. We had just performed Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" and Strauss's Alpine Symphony. L to R: Matt Anderson, Blaise Rothwell, James Harris, Zac Keyser, Christopher Larson
July 2017. Another backstage selfie with Sean Galligan - this was at Simpson College for Des Moines Metro Opera's production of Billy Budd. This production was recorded for Iowa PBS and is available to stream now on YouTube, for a limited time!
July 2017. The percussion and timpani sections of the Des Moines Metro Opera's production of Turandot. Admittedly, not the best lighting; there was a lot of sunlight coming through the window to our left. But we had a good time performing Puccini's work! L to R: Matthew Ernster, Mark Dorr, Chad Crummel, Blaise Rothwell, Andrew Foerschler, Jim Benoit.
September 2017. My first performance with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra - Tchaikovsky's epic and fateful Fourth Symphony. I had to upload the fun picture! One of the week's highlights was sound-testing all of the triangles and cymbals in the Century II Concert Hall. L to R: Joe Mikelait, Jerry Scholl, Andy Slater, Blaise Rothwell
December 2017. The timpanist and percussionists of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra after a concert with Cirque de la Symphonie. There's nothing like watching aerialists perform above an orchestra playing Vivaldi or Tchaikovsky! L to R: Jerry Scholl, Matt Ernster, Andy Slater, Joe Mikelait, Blaise Rothwell
November 2017. I performed this movie with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, and then again with the Des Moines Symphony a few months later. As orchestras perform more film soundtracks, our jobs as percussionists get a lot more challenging and interesting. A lot of hard work leads to a rewarding performance!
June 2018. The percussion section of the Texas Music Festival Orchestra after our first concert of the summer. That bell in the background is the Houston Symphony's Low "E", and was used in Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra." That piece and Holst's "The Planets" opened our season at the University of Houston. L to R: Blaise Rothwell, Greg LaRosa, Justin Ochoa, Wesley Strasser, William Kan, Lucas Sanchez.
A close-up of that bell, and its hammer
June 2018. In addition to drumming, I am an aviation enthusiast. This is Southwest Airlines' jet "Lone Star One" - seen in St. Louis, MO. Pro tip - You can check two bags for free on Southwest Airlines! This comes in handy when I am travelling to auditions with two heavy suitcases.
November 2018. I returned to Davenport a year after Harry Potter 1 for Harry Potter 2!
March 2019. When in St. Louis, one must try Saint Louis Bread Co! To the rest of the country, this is Panera - always enjoyable when traveling. I went here after watching the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra perform Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Shostakovich Symphony No. 9.
Also seen in St. Louis - the famous Arch. It is an architectural marvel and truly amazing to experience in person.
April 2019. The CSO - no, not the Chicago Symphony Orchestra - they were on strike at that time. This is from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's performance of the percussion concerto "Sieidi" by Kalevi Aho. Colin Currie was the soloist, and he performed formidably.
June 2019. Outside of music, I am a soccer referee. This picture was taken at a match in the Region II (Midwest) President's Cup in Overland Park, KS. Did you know...? Dmitri Shostakovich was also an amateur soccer referee!
Lynn University also has birds on campus - this is a white ibis with the Snyder Sanctuary in the background.
August 2021. San Pedro, California - A view of the Ensenada from the deck of the USS Iowa, BB-61. Musicians at the Ted Atkatz Percussion Seminar performed on the battleship.
August 2021. San Pedro, CA. Nighttime view from the USS Iowa. Tugboats are guiding the Ever Lissome barge into place.
August 2021. The Maraca section - Blaise Rothwell, L, and Brandon Berlanga, R. TAPS musicians performed "Music for 18 Musicians" at Colburn in downtown Los Angeles.
March 2022. Pictured onstage of the Meyerson Symphony Center with Seth Burkhart after performing Brahms' 4th Symphony with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra, Paul Phillips, conductor.
April 2022. I was joined by Drake Henry, sax, and Jake Dixon, bass, for a jazz combo set on my recital.
November 2022. The Meadows Symphony Orchestra timp/percussion sections after performing Holst's "The Planets" in Caruth Auditorium at SMU. (Notice anything about our ties?) L to R: Torrance Buntyn Jr., Daniel Cline, Patrick Griffin, Blaise Rothwell, Max Whittaker, and Chris Mehrafshan.
December 2023. I performed Disney's Encanto with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Will Rogers Auditorium. I played a lot of shaker!
December 2023. The FWSO timp/perc/drum set sections for "Encanto". L to R: Logan Seith, Paul Keesling, Keith Williams, Waichi Champion, Seth McConnell, Joshua Dick, Blaise Rothwell, Will Champion, and Nick Sakakeeny.
June 2024. I played on "Bugs Bunny at the Symphony" with the Houston Symphony. This was an amazing outdoor show at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, TX.