6/22/08

Loud Frogs

I'd like to take the opportunity to tell you that the frogs outside of my window are so loud its ridiculous. I was talking to Kimberly on the phone the other day and she could hear them as if they were there with her in Seattle. Keep in mind that I'm on the third floor and the frog noise makes it all the way up here to my room from the courtyard below.

I'd also like to say that I kind of love Mark Sokol. For those of you who don't know, he was the first violinist of the Concord Quartet (they recorded all the Rochbergs that you all love...Mr. Fischer was in that group too). Anyways...I've had him as a coach every year I've been here at Tanglewood...the past two summers he has coached my group on Haydn. He always pushes us in such a crazy and unique direction...but it always ends up sounding so amazing. He has such an amazing ear for making sound different in a good way. He's also an amazingly nice person. He always hugs us after every coaching...and then has a cigarette. He's pictured above with said cigarette. If any of you every get a chance to do anything with him, please do!

I just decided to read the Orchid Thief again...now that I have it back from Heather. I kind of love that book too. I think I'll read some now.

1 comment:

Guanaco said...

Wow! A frog chorus!

I miss those. I used to lie awake at night enjoying their performances. Beneath that apparent cacophony is an amazingly complex musical presentation.

Each frog has its own theme that it repeats over and over. When they start-up in the evening, each frog takes its turn expressing its theme for a while, then another one chimes in. Eventually they start combining their songs one by one, until the whole gang are singing their hearts out.

I wish I could remember some of those themes and explore them on the cello.