Whats Going On

I haven't posted in a while...guess this is overdue...here is the current happenings:

1. Met to discuss possibly quartet concert with ASO friends...program to be Ives #1, Carter #2, and Rochberg #3...its kind of a crazy undertaking...but would be super fun! Estimated concert date sometime in August. Rehearsal all summer.
2. I volunteered a whole bunch at the AIDS Foundation...as usual.
3. I got my materials together for my Suzuki Teacher Training applications and recorded all needed materials (and converted my first masters recital from VHS to DVD).
4. When I assembled said materials and tried to compile some DVDs of recordings...it didn't really go as planned and I scrambled something together to send.
5. I still need to figure out how to get my two book four favorites onto a DVD (Breval Sonata and Chanson Triste).
6. Spent some time and my friend Michael's new condo...he has been doing some work getting ready to move in. I mostly just watch though.
7. Played at the Children's hospital on Friday...it was a quick visit.
8. Played at the Symphony Designer House twice...its kind of cool...still not sure how it has anything to do with the symphony...but its kind of cool.

Part of Your World?

Since I have Disney on the brain here are two videos for you. And yes, we are playing this on our concert...but without a singer. (I feel like I've posted this before? Oops)

Haydn vs. Disney

I just got back from our first of two performances of "The Magical Music of Disney"...I've found myself having a ton of fun playing this concert (probably more than any other orchestra concert this season...including the classical ones...oops) I haven't thought about any of these movies in years and years and its fun to go back and play things like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast...all these movies that everyone saw and loved when I was growing up.

When The Cape Cod Experiment played Haydn's Sunrise Quartet a few summers ago, we used the opening scene of Beauty and the Beast as an image at the beginning of the first movement of the quartet (when the running 16ths notes start...) When got to the "Bonjour" part in rehearsal last night, I was totally expecting it to be the Sunrise Quartet...oops.

Here's the clip from Beauty and the Beast...in case you are confused...

Carney Concert Complete

For the past few days I have been quite consumed with rehearsing for and performing a concert at the Clinton Library with Jon Carney (the concertmaster of the Baltimore Philharmonic). He came in on Monday morning and we had rehearsal from 9am to about 6pm...and then back the next morning at 9am...and the concert Tuesday night at 7. It was really fun to play with him...we did the Michael Nyman String Quartet No. 2 (just three movement) amplified and everything. That was a workout...I'm not exactly sure how people play the whole quartet...maybe the other movements aren't quite as loud and fast and repetitive? We also played the Piazzola "Fuga y Misterio" that was fun.

I was actually kind of nervous about a big solo I had the the Piazzola "Otono Porteno" but all went very well...and I even hit the extra shift I added high up on the D-String...maybe I'm actually getting better at hitting high notes??

This weekend we are playing a complete concert of Disney Music complete with clips from the movies projected above the orchestra. I think it will be really fun!! I have never played any Disney stuff before...the first rehearsal is tonight...

Cello Update

I just received an update from Chris Dungey (who is currently in the process of making my cello).

Your cello is coming along. I have the back and top arching complete. The ribs are done and the scroll is rough cut out. Next will come the thicknessing of the T/B, inlaying of the purfling, cutting the sound holes. Assembling all the parts to then start the varnishing process!! I'll try and send along a few pics. When I get a chance. Cheers for now...

Its so exciting to know that things are finally moving along!! I can't wait to get my new cello!

NWS=Oh Well...

As you were all aware, I was hoping to move down to Miami next and join the New World Symphony...I had subbed there about 2 months ago and loved it, and found myself in Chicago a month later borrowing a cello from Carl Becker and auditioning...and much to my surprise, the audition went really well! It was probably one of the better auditions I've played in my life. So I had a good attitude about the results...

I went into a constant state of panic/stress Monday morning when I hear that people were beginning to hear back...being a typical musician, I tried to analyze what everyone was hearing back and attempted to apply it to what my results could be. After a day of staring at my email and phone I had still not heard anything and was becoming a bit worried.

Much to my disappointment, I did received word late Tuesday morning that I had been placed on the Semifinalist list...I was bummed, not only because I hadn't been selected as a fellow (which was super tough this year as there may only be one opening...maybe none) but because I had been downgraded from finalist!

So it is def gonna be another season with the Arkansas Symphony for me...which really isn't all that bad...I mean, this is technically the type of job that New World is training for...and I already have one...so yeah. I can look forward to playing Bartok 3, Mendelssohn something or other and Schoenberg 1 with my quartet as well as Mahler 2 with the orchestra...and I'll keep getting a paycheck ;-)