2020 has had its share of ups and downs for us. A few major ups were moving to Story City, IA to a beautiful house in a great town. I also got a promotion at work which is very exciting. It's a real joy to watch my daughter as she grows and learns about the world - she'll be two before long which is pretty neat.

I was fortunate to play for a few gigs this year after the pandemic started. It's been tough to play so little and miss out on that connection and joy of playing. I've been practicing a lot more accordion and singing to my daughter and am hoping to push for more accordion gigs. I've purchased some sound equipment and can amplify myself and have a nice setup. 

2020 was going to be a banner year for me - I had a number of paying gigs lined up and was really excited for some of the playing opportunities. Unfortunately, the pandemic stripped those away so it was a very thin year musically. I'm hoping things improve once there is a vaccine and people can gather again since I don't think we can stay away from each other for long. 

On top of everything else that's happened this year, I'm excited to leave 2020 in the past and look forward to next year

Plenty going on this holdiay season! I'm thrilled to be playing at Westminster Presbyterian for their Christmas Cantata for the first time and to be playing again at the Christkindlemarket Des Moines with the Metro Brass Quintet. I'm excited to see the new set up for the Christkindlemarket at the Principal Park parking lot to see how it works logistically. I've got a feeling there will be plenty of Gemuhlichkeit and cheer. I've also had the chance to play and practice more accordion in the last few months and am hoping to be able to play as a strolling accordion player in 2020. It's fun to play for events and provide a fun atmosphere that still allows socializing.

​That's all for now - take care!

Hey there! It's been awhile since I've posted. Since my last post, I switched jobs and am now at REG, the nation's largest biodiesel producer. I'm really excited about the new job and company and look forward to helping them out. My daughter is growing rapidly and is a daily joy even when she is cranky.
Musically, the fall is here and with it comes all the usual ensembles. I am excited to be playing in the CJC big band and play for a number of events with the Metro Brass Quintet. With the Halltoberfest, Christkindlemarket, and the Valley Junction  Farmer's Market there is plenty going on. 
Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you soon.
John

We had our baby girl and as predicted my life has changed dramatically. While I'm tired, I'm also full of joy. I'm going to start playing again shortly - see ya'll around!

​John

I'm proud and excited to say that we are expecting a girl come January 2019. There is a whole lot going on at our house getting things ready for the new addition to our family. Along with this, I'm staying busy musically with the CJC Big Band, Metro Brass Quintet, and private lesson teaching. I also have some freelancing coming up that is exciting too! 

Guessing that it will be a while until I update this, I hope that you have a great holiday season in 2018 and a great 2019!

John

2018!! Can you believe it?! 2018!
I still remember when one of my high school teachers said that "2010 will be here before you know it" and I thought that it was a million years away. Now, I've been out of high school for 13 years, undergrad for 8 years, and grad school for about 4 and a half years! Ah! I guess this is what everyone with more years under their belt complains about. It goes by fast.

2017 was a great year for performing, and I have a feeling that 2018 will be too. The Metro Brass Quintet played at the Christkindlemarket again, which was a lot of fun and well attended. Plus, it was indoors so we didn't freeze or get rained on. I had a blast playing the New Years Eve party at Noce with the Des Moines Big Band. There's gigs popping up this spring, so with travelling for work and my existing commitments, it should be a a great rest of the winter.

Take care! 

​John Sens

It's been a good summer if a busy one. The Metro Brass Quintet played for a wedding, the farmer's market, and also recorded a new demo. We've also changed our membership. Our trombone player Brian Martin has moved to the East Coast for grad school, so we are now joined by Bradely Harris, a teacher in the metro area and a fine trombonist.

I played accordion by the Ingersoll Tap as part of the First Friday series in the East Village. Though it was pretty thin, I still had a great time and had some fun interactions with passersby.

Hope all is well on your side!

​John Sens

2017 has been a landmark year for me so far, including a whole lot of life changes, including:

• Getting a puppy
  
• Buying a House
  
• Going on a trip to Europe (Munich, Salzburg, Czesky Krumlov for the curious)
  
• Getting an NES Classic
  
• Having a branch fall on the house and causing major damage
  
• Starting up Private Lessons
  
• Singing in the church choir
  
• And keeping up with everything else!
  

I count myself very lucky to have things going as well as they are, ups and downs included. I never seem to stop learning new things daily, and am excited to keep on playing trombone and accordion. Thanks for checking in!

I am now officially married to Theresa and we are now the Sens family! It was a crazy summer leading up to the wedding itself and I am so grateful to all of our friends and family that made it awesome. A big shout out to the Metro Brass Quintet and CJC big band for making the ceremony and reception musically awesome, and badass. I did play some accordion as a shtick for the tosses, but mostly just enjoyed the wedding. 
Looking towards the fall and playing year, plenty is going on with the CJC Big Band, Des Moines Community Orchestra, and the Metro Brass Quintet along with my j-o-b and everything else happening. Also, a new Accordion may be in the mix soon, which is really exciting. It turns out I really like playing the accordion, which I knew, but I also see myself doing it more and more in the future. A polka band, or something else, is probably in my future. 
It's pretty wild to look back 3 years when I only knew 2 people in Des Moines to where I am now, and I'm really glad that everything has turned out so well. 
I'm getting too mushy, so it's time to sad goodbye for now. Thanks for visiting, and stay classy as always.
​John Sens

I'm happy to announce that I am getting married! The lovely lady mentioned awhile ago accepted my proposal in early January and we are to wed in August. We'll be featuring many of my friends in the musical entertainment for the wedding, and I have to say that I am really blessed with a lot of wonderful people in my life.

Musically, things keep rolling right along! I played button accordion at Wallace Elementary school for a walk-a-thon fundraiser, which was a lot of fun. The expression on some of those kids faces were priceless. Some were as surprised as if they had just discovered that the world was made of candy!

The Metro Brass Quintet has a busy month coming up in May, including performances at Prairie Hills Assisted Living, Grace United Methodist Church, and at the Des Moines Farmer's Market! We had our 2 year anniversary on 4/26/2016, which is a great milestone for my time here in Des Moines.

Finally, I am looking forward to the Final Des Moines Community Orchestra concert done in collaboration with the Central Iowa Wind Ensemble (CIWE). I'm playing Euphonium, which is a definite challenge based on the part, and also a delight. It's such a pretty sound!

Anyway, that's all that's up right now - Take it easy faithful reader!

John Sens