Journal

Journal · The Pink Fling · Saturday, October 3, 2026

There's a special kind of joy in playing music for people you know. Not a room full of strangers, but neighbors — the folks you wave to on a morning walk, catch up with at the mailbox, and run into all over Robson Ranch. On Saturday, October 3, I got to spend the whole evening making music for exactly those people, at the fourth annual Pink Fling with my friends in the Robson Ranch Big Swing'n Band.

We kicked things off at 7:30, an hour later than our usual dances, and swung right on through to 9:30. Two hours of music, a dance floor, and a room full of neighbors. I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night.

Why all the pink

If you saw us that night, you noticed we were dressed for the occasion: the guys in black with pink bow ties and pink suspenders, and the ladies in outfits of their own choosing. That wasn't just for fun (although it was fun). The pink was our small way of standing up for breast cancer awareness, because that's what the Pink Fling is all about.

The dance raises money for Women Rock, Inc. and their fight against breast cancer. Breast cancer touches so many families, and it means a lot to me that a night of music and dancing among neighbors can turn into real support in that fight. Everyone who came out and danced was part of it — and I'm grateful to every one of you.

Playing with the band

I'm a regular member of the Robson Ranch Big Swing'n Band, and I count myself lucky. The band regularly features me as both a vocalist and a vibraphonist, which means on a good night I get to do the two things I love most, back to back.

The Pink Fling was one of those nights. I took my turn at the vibes for a solo — there's nothing quite like letting that warm shimmer ring out with a whole band swinging around you — and I stepped up to the microphone to sing, too.

And because the Pink Fling is a special night, I brought along something a little different: the steel drum. It isn't my usual instrument, but it came out for a few tunes, and that bright, sunny sound fit right in with all that pink.

My favorite moment

If you ask me for the highlight of the night, the answer comes easily: singing "Night Train to Kansas City."

Here's why. I love playing the vibes, and I'll never stop loving it. But when I step up to the mic to sing, something changes. I'm not just part of the sound anymore — I'm singing straight to the people in the room. I get to look out at faces I know, share a song, and feel that back-and-forth that happens when everyone is in it together. Connecting with an audience like that is, honestly, my favorite part of this whole life in music. And doing it for my own neighbors, on a night dedicated to such a good cause? That's about as good as it gets.

Thank you

To everyone who came out to dance, and to everyone who supported Women Rock, Inc. — whether you were out on the dance floor or cheering it on from home — thank you. You turned a Saturday night dance into real support for a cause that matters, and getting to play for you made the night for me.

And to my fellow members of the Robson Ranch Big Swing'n Band: thank you. I'm grateful to share the bandstand with you.

Nights like this remind me what a wonderful community we have here in Denton County. I hope to see you on the dance floor at the next one.

— Tim

People sometimes ask what makes a vibraphone night feel different from jazz they've heard a hundred times with guitar or piano. The short answer is color. Same Great American Songbook - the standards everyone knows - but the texture under those melodies is so much richer!

Guitar and piano are great instruments. They're also the common chordal leads: instruments that can play more than one note at a time and carry harmony under a melody. Sax, trombone, and trumpet are beautiful, but they're single-note voices. Vibraphone sits in that rarer company with piano and guitar - chords and single-note melody - with a sound that isn't either of them. Notes blossom and hang; the motor can add a gentle wave in the tone; the attack stays clear without getting loud. It doesn't shout. It sits in the air differently.

I sing with that sound, not against it. Vocals with vibes keep the human center of the Songbook - stories, romance, swing - while the mallets paint around the voice. Fully live, no tracks. Conversation volume when the night calls for it; a little more presence when the room leans in.

Warmth first, the instrument serving the song rather than the other way around.

Hosts who book vibes often say afterward that guests noticed without being interrupted. That's the lane I fit: elegance that photographs well, music that supports the night instead of competing with it, and a lead voice that isn't the one everyone else hired last month.

From the bandstand, I'm not thinking of scales and practice sessions. It's so much fun to sing and play the vibes, I forget all the things I've had to learn — and I know there will always be more.

When I'm really in the moment, only the music and the other players exist in my world. I'll bet you have that in some part of your world too. That's the feeling I want in the room — a wedding, a dinner, a private party — not a show of how hard we worked. If you want that at yours, reach out to me.

Event hosts often ask for “background jazz.” What they usually mean is: make the room feel expensive without forcing anyone to stop talking. Vibraphone is unusually good at that. Notes bloom and decay; the motor can add a gentle shimmer; and when vocals enter, guests still hear a human — not a speaker stack.

That’s the Tim McCormick lane: sophisticated, low-key, fully live. If you want a dance-floor party machine, hire that. If you want elegance that photographs well and feels intentional, start with vibes.

Cocktail hour loves a trio - mobility of attention is high, footprint should stay modest. Dinner often wants the classic trio’s harmonic cushion so conversation rides on top. Larger galas can carry quartet energy without turning the night into a concert.

Not sure? Tell me guest count, room size, and whether speeches matter — we’ll match the ensemble to the feel. Request a date · Events & Ensembles