Wilmette-Milwaukee

I'm back at home in Wilmette now...I drove up from Arkansas on Tuesday. For some reason, it slipped my mind that I would need to be going home at some point, so I was kind of scrambling to get things together on Sunday and Monday...but it all turned out just fine...well, except that I left my dress pants back in Little Rock, and I need to wear them tonight and tomorrow for the Braun wedding extravaganza. But since Moby ate my extra pair, I was in need of buying some new ones anyway...so I did...yesterday.

Since I've been home, I have practiced a bit, done a bit of CCE scheduling for the time we will be in Little Rock (well, really just typed up what I had already scheduled) and brought my bow in to get rehaired. All very exciting for you to hear, I'm sure.

In just a few short minutes, I will be en route to beautiful Milwaukee, WI where I will meet up with the one and only Heather Braun. Her sister is getting married tomorrow and I will be playing for the ceremony, and doing double duty as Heather's date.

Fun times!

Oh!! And my cello should be arriving on Tuesday!!! Yay!!!

Day 4+5

I'm still going strong in my exercise goals...I have made it up to Day 5 (day four was spent biking the river trail and day five was spent doing my gym workout) I really expected there to be more people in the gym on a Saturday afternoon...I know that at EAC (my gym when I'm at home in Chicago) it is fairly busy on the weekends...but it was just me and one other guy yesterday. At last I didn't have to wait for any machines ;-)

Today I'm driving down to Monitcello with Tatiana and Algis for the first performance of the Pine Bluff Symphony...Monticello is not exactly close, but its an afternoon concert, so I will at least be back by the early evening (or maybe 8? ugh)...I hope. I am really looking forward to being done with this gig!

I'm gonna go and hit up the gym now...I bet I'll be the only person there...since all the good Arkansans should be at church now.

Above is the picture of a plant I seem to have killed. I don't seem to be very good at growing plants. I watered it just like my mom told me to (once a week) and it just shriveled up and died. I was also told this was a super easy plant to take care of. Oh well...at least my other three are still alive...well, kind of.

Holiday

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everybody!!

Things have finally picked up a little bit here in Little Rock...for the past few days I have been playing in a praise band at the Church at Rock Creek...which is a mega-church of sorts in West Little Rock...the music was easy, the time was little, and the money was good. A winning gig!! Tonight I will be playing a Christmas Eve service in North Little Rock and then its off to Chicago in the morning...I will be driving up through Illinois all day on Christmas and arrive in time for dinner. So please call me if you aren't too busy with your family.

I'm a little behind on Christmas shopping...which is bad, because Christmas is tomorrow. Oops. Maybe I can give some late gifts for Hanukkah...there are still 4 nights left, right?

It will be nice to have a break from Arkansas...although I am finally starting to make some good friends here and get used to things. I have a bunch of auditions coming up in Feb/Mar...I hope I can find a better cello to use, otherwise I think they are kind of a waste of money...since my cello just isn't good enough to win an audition on. (remember, I didn't use it for the Arkansas audition...I used Mr. Fischer's Perreson and it was the first audition I ever won!)

In cello news...Chris Dungey will be starting my cello after the new year and it will be ready in a few months (in the spring sometime). I'm soooooo excited to get a better cello into my hands...and it will be after nearly a year of looking. I should have it before the end of the ASO season and I'm starting to work on organizing a recital of works written for me to be performed on my new cello in June!! yay!!

I'm listening to the TMCO Spanish Concert from this summer...not very fitting Christmas Eve music...but I already listend to Charlie Brown Christmas a whole lot...

Hello/Goodbye Snow/Little Rock/Chicago

This is what I missed in Chicago:But this is what I had to drive through for several hours: And this is what my speed looked like in Arkansas because it was raining:Yes...it took a little longer than I would have liked to get back...but I'm here.

Back to Real Life

Thanksgiving break has been a success in my book...plenty of food, and plenty of time not spent in Arkansas, where I will be headed back to tomorrow. I have a pretty light week coming up...just one concert and a handful of gigs...nothing remotely busy. So hopefully I will go to the gym everyday and lose fifty pounds...well, maybe more like four, which is also fine.

Yesterday I saw Quantam of Solace, that new Bond movie...which I was not a fan of at all. I really liked Casino Royale...but the action scenes in QoS where much too fast paced and heavily edited for me (I couldn't really tell what was going on at all) and I felt that the storyline wasn't really focused (and didn't really make any sense)...but that might just be me being stupid...as usual.

Feel free to call me tomorrow. I will be bored and sitting in the car driving through corn fields...really exciting.

Drive Complete

Well...I made it all the way back to Chicago in one piece...thanks in no small part to all of you who called me to keep me from falling asleep...and of course, conservative talk radio...nothing like Rush Limbaugh to get me pissed off and to keep me from falling asleep. The drive ended up taking over 12 hours...I was making great time, until I hit Chicago, which of course had terrible traffic and took over two hours to get through. I was really stiff after that. I trust that the return trip will be a little smoother...but you never really know I guess.

Greetings from Houston!

Hello! I'm in Houston for the week preparing for a concert this Saturday at St. Phillip's church. Its a "concert for peace" and I'll be playing the Schubert Cello Quintet as well as the Brahms Piano Quintet with some friends here in Houston (from Rice and elsewhere). We haven't started rehearsing yet...so I'm getting a bit nervous about throwing it all together...its going to be a crazy few days...and we just found out that we will be playing on the radio on Friday morning...yikes!!

I haven't updated in a while...so here's a recap of what has been going on:

1. I played two concerts this past weekend featuring cricus performers...it sounds totally cheesy, but it was actually pretty fun, and very entertaining.
2. I auditioned for the Milwaukee Symphony...I really hadn't prepared like I should have and I was playing on a cello that just really isn't good enough to be playing auditions on...so obviously, I didn't advance past the first round. But it was nice to see some friends there!
3. I spent some time at home in Wilmette with my parents (following the MSO audition)
4. I had a personal training session...it was really good, and he showed me a bunch of things I had never done before...now I just have to keep it up.
5. I rehearsed the Franck String Quartet in D major with my quartet (the Sturgis Quartet)...out first concert is coming up at the end of October, and we want to be ready!
6. I receieved and put together a MALM bed from IKEA...this was not very easy for me...but I managed to get it together...and it looks pretty good! And after a few days the matress has puffed out and become pretty comfortable. pictured above.
7. I drove to Houston...see the above paragraph.
8. Now you're caught up.

Driving Etc...

I left to drive to Houston yesterday at 8:45am...and less than 24 hours later I drove back to Little Rock. Needless to say, I am very tired right now. The drive is getting easier and easier every time...I never would have imagined after driving that stretch of road the first (when I drove down with my parents + uncle when I first started at Rice) that I would be driving it so many times. It was interesting driving into hurricane territory...getting further south there were more and more uprooted trees and random roofs blown off of buildings...but right along the interstate, there was little damage to be seen.

Starting about two hours from Houston, the gas stations stopped having gas (save the random one every once in a while...where there was a huge 2+ hour line of cars waiting...no joke). All of the fast food chains had power, so I was good to get some greasy fried food to sustain me.

It was really shocking seeing Houston in this state...I lived there for two years, in which time a hurricane never hit us. Ike was not good to Houston...I hadn't heard much about it on the news, so it was a lot worse than I expected. There is barely any power in the entire city...and tons of trees and branches down everywhere you look. I saw one traffic light that was on the entire time I was there. Its really just kind of scary to be there in general. There is city-wide curfew at 9pm...which is kind of self enforced, because there is just nothing to do...its sooo dark at night, and there is just nowhere to go.

I had planned well enough to have sufficient gas to get me into and out of Houston (far enough North to buy gas) but I though it would a good idea to get some if I saw a station with not too ridiculous of a line. I picked a Shell station near 59...waiting about a half hour or so...not too bad compared to the stations I had seen elsewhere...finally got to the front...the pump said to see the cashier...I went in, waited in the line...and then was told it was cash only...and that the ATM wasn't working...so I just went to my car and drove away...I felt soooo dumb! (turns out I had enough gas anyways)

My trip was a quick one...packed up my apartment, cleaned out my storage unit...went to sleep...and left very early in the morning. When I left there were already super long lines at all of the gas stations (which had probably just opened). I'm so glad right now that I'm no longer living in Houston (selfish I know). They are saying it may be a minimum of three weeks before power comes back, which would mean that I wouldn't have any sort of work for at least three weeks (the public schools are canceled for at least a week...could be more). I'm guessing that if I was stilling living in Houston now, I probably would have just moved back home by this time.

Pictured above is the yard right outside of my garage apartment in Houston...just a tiny idea of what everything looks like (everything is like that...everywhere)...

Goodbye Ike

I couldn't escape the effects of Ike this past weekend, despite not being down in Houston. I was supposed to drive down on Friday to Houston so I could return Mr. Fischer's cello to him...(a bit of history...after graduation my parents took my cello back to Chicago with them to sell so we could have the funds to buy a new cello, Mr. Fischer generously let me use his spare for the summer while I was looking for a new one...unfortunately I didn't find one that I was looking for...ended up playing my Arkansas Audition on it, and now that I'm moving here, I can't use it anymore...which leaves me without a cello...Mr Fischer needs his spare back because he already dropped his principal cello off at the shop to get repaired...it was already in the middle of major repairs when the hurricane blew in, I couldn't drive down to return it as scheduled...) well, I guess that's the whole story...

I'm a little bit on edge, because this was the weekend for me to get all of my affairs in order in Houston, which obviously didn't happen. Now I'm driving down tomorrow morning and hoping that I'll be able to get into the city...need to rush around and remember everything I have to do (pick up bamboo...clean out apartment...pick up things that I have in storage) and I need to drive right back to Little Rock on Tuesday morning to be back in time for our first rehearsal Tuesday night...sigh...

Does that even make any sense?

I'm very slowly starting to furnish my apartment...emphasis on slowly. Since the only real piece of furniture I have right now is a stool I bought from Target, so I can sit at my kitchen counter (where I am right now)...I've been sleeping on an air mattress...which will change soon, since my parents ordered me a bed from IKEA!! yay!!

Speaking of my parents...they are totally drenched. Chicago has received a ton of rain recently...raining super heavy for over 24 hours. And now they have Ike merging with the storm they've had for over a day! Crazy...

Arkansas Audition

Hello from Little Rock, AR! I drove up here yesterday from Houston...up that terrible stretch on 59...the speed limit changes at every little town you enter...and there are stop lights along the whole thing...ugh...at least I had conservative talk shows to keep me angry and paying attention.

The audition was this morning, and I realized I was reading the schedule wrong and there were a total of six cellists there...a lot less than I was expecting. First round was behind a screen...Beethoven 5, Mozart 41, and Don Juan...we each had our own rooms, and there was no 'community room' so I just sat in my room by myself waiting to hear back...and then to my surprise I was advanced to the next round!! That was the first time that had ever happened.

Then I only had about 15 minutes before I went in again...this time the screen was down...there were supposed to be two more rounds, but due to the low turnout, the final two got compressed into one...I played Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture (random, right?) and Verdi Offertorio...then went back and read with the quartet, Beethoven 59 No.1 and Prokofiev 2nd String Quartet...and then I had to give a mini outreach presentation, as if the panel was a bunch of third graders.

I never really thought I would get that far, so I didn't really plan anything out...I just jotted a few notes down and figured that if I had to, I would just wing that part when it came to it...and then it came to it, and I winged it. I guess it was all that great training with Music for All at Eastman...

And then I found out that I won the audition. Totally crazy...so now I have to decide if I'm gonna take it or not...decided to stick around for another night so I could check out the town...and juts have a chance to look over all the stuff they gave me in the quiet of the hotel...what do you guys think??

Goodbye Tanglewood :-(

Hello from the New York State Thru-way...I left the Berkshires this morning (after frantically running around all morning getting my car packed up and trying to say bye to everybody). Can't believe that I'm done with my third summer at Tanglewood...that means I can't come back again as a regular fellow, only if they invite me to be a Fromm Player, which is a very small chance...could be the last time I was in Western Mass for a long time...sad day...

I'm on my way back home to Chicago now, I'll be stopping somewhere around Cleveland and arrive in Chicago in the afternoon tomorrow...two days of looking at cellos in Chicago, and then its three days driving back to Houston...I'll be there a few days with my dad finding and apartment and getting resettled...and then I'm heading out to Little Rock, AR for the ASO/Arts Partner Quartet audition...been working on the excerpts for a while now, so I hope that it goes well!

I need to get some red bull.

Hello Carter

The Miss Hall's wireless network has decided that my anti-virus software, which I had to jump through hoops to get (since I have a mac and we don't get viruses anyway) is no longer good enough and won't let me on the internet. So I will most likely do all of my internet related things from Lenox Coffee from now on...not that there is anything wrong with that! Its kind of fun to sit and and people watch and drink iced coffee.

I just got my hair cut...it was getting a little bit scary...I'm actually really happy with it. Maybe I'll get one right before I leave as well. (its pictured above)

Tomorrow morning is the beginning of Carter-fest. Starting tomorrow at 8am you will here exclusively music by Elliott Carter at Tanglewood through Thursday. (well, there is one BSO concert where Carter will not be played...but whatever). I'm pretty much brain-dead from it all...five orchestral pieces plus two chamber pieces (with no conductor) all being performed right now. Kind of crazy. But kind of amazing at the same time. I'm doing the Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello, and Harpsichord...we figured that we have spent seven hours on only the 3rd movement of the piece, which is about five and a half minutes long. I usually take a nap when we are done to recharge.

My parents are trying to make their way out here as we speak...they decided to brave the craziness and take in the entire Carter Festival...but they ran into car problems in Gary, IN that apparently can't be fixed fast enough...so the car is being towed back to Chicago and a car is being rented...and then they will drive late tonight and make it to Rochester...and then the rest of the way tomorrow. I'll have to play extra well now!

Hello Tanglewood

Driving Day 5: Not as much driving today, but I was the most tired...I guess it kind of builds up over 5 days...I picked up a cello from Martin Cornelissen in Northampton MA, and then drove down to Clinton, CT (somehow making it there even though my Google Maps directions didn't exist...hmm) and picked up another one...by this time I was practically passing out and had to stop playing because I couldn't pay attention to it anymore!! Got back in the car...drank a red bull...and drove an hour to Windham Center (after finding out I was driving in the wrong direction, but only for 5 minutes).

Days in CT: kind of relaxing, but there was a fair share of family drama...as there always is.

Tanglewood: I finally have a single room (pictured!)...quartet seminar is now in full swing (or will be tonight) everyone is playing Haydn, my group's other piece is Dvorak A-Flat Major Quartet...not my favorite piece in the world, and no matter what we always sound bad, because its in A-Flat major...hmmm...but the group is fun and pretty good! I've been playing on the Wilke cello which I really like so far...but I think he will need it back soon...hopefully I can finagle it for a few extra days to use for the quartet seminar concert!

Driving: Day 4

Today me and Steph listened critically to Popular (from Wicked). Steph decided to keep a list of all of the characteristics that in Glinda's mind, make you popular. Items such as "good at sports" and "proper poise" made the list. I thought we should also make a list of the things that keep you from being popular. The only two were "brains" and "aptitude." Hmmmm.

Day 4 of driving was just as exciting as the previous three, except today we were only in New York and Mass...we saw the scenic Berkshires (where I will be living for the next two months) but took a brief detour to the home of Karou S (to drop off Steph!) and to Boston (where I am staying with Heather!). We had a lovely dinner at Tasca. Too bad my visit is so short (seems to be a theme these days!).

Tomorrow I fly solo and drive to Northampton, MA and Clinton, CT and Willimantic, CT where I will be meeting up with the parents.

Ro-cha-cha

Day three of driving was uneventful...somehow two songs from Wicked have become our theme material with listenings happening at least hourly. Only two songs because I only have two songs (Popular and Defying Gravity) on my iPod and Steph's iPod doesn't work with my radio thing for some reason (maybe its too old?). Steph gets very emotional when we listen to these songs and choreographs dance routines in her seat (which are more restrained when she is driving of course)...I'm sitting on the floor of Sara's apartment right now...and I must admit its quite lovely. Rochester is nice and cool compared to where we have been (the South was burning hot!)...today marked 12 states in 5 days...tomorrow will bring 13 in 6...and Thursday will make 14 in 7. I'm very excited to finally settle down in Pittsfield/Lenox for a few months. I'm researching being able to take some yoga classes at Kripalu (two summers ago I got the royal treatment there as part of a music+yoga study) so hopefully I will be spending some time there again this summer!

{above: Me on the floor||Sara in a chair}

Half Full??

As you can see...I didn't do very well. Kimberly took the rest home with her and had them for her next meal. (the whip cream had Kahlua and Irish cream in it...yum). Steph and I drove the rest of the way to Chicago today...things went without a hitch until we got to Kankakee, where tornadoes rolled through yesterday and they highway was closed for cleanup of overturned trucks and general mayhem. The result: driving through lots and lots of cornfields and small towns in southern Illinois on the detour...we never made it back to I-57, but we did somehow emerge in Chicago eventually...will be nice to have a day off of driving tomorrow!

Yum?

I don't why I posted this pic at this time...but it seemed strangely appropriate. In case you are wondering, those are pancakes from the one and only Griddle Cafe in Hollywood...they are very very very large...perhaps tomorrow I will post how much of them I actually finished. Its always hard to say goodbye to people...I had to again yesterday! (Bye Peng!) I'm not really sure if its easier to be the one that stays behind, or the one that leaves. These days it seems I'm the one staying behind...not exactly sure how I feel about that.

Steph and I made it from Houston, TX to Blytheville, AR. I never really thought that I would be coming to Blytheville so regularly...but this is now the 3rd time I've been in this city...city being used very loosely...it seems to be the perfect stop on the trip between Chicago and Houston, no matter which way you are going...and no tomorrow won't be such a big drive...only 7 or 8 hours! Too bad Illinois is really boring until you get to Chicago.

Runway-Beaumont

Today is the first day of season 4 of Project Runway. I have arbitrarily picked Jack to win the first challenge (I had to make a choice since I'm playing Fantasy Runway with Allison, Plylar, and Kimberly). We'll see what actually happens. Its nice to know where I'll be spending my Wednesday evenings for a while (aka in front of the TV watching Bravo).

I'm doing Beaumont Symphony all week which means I'll be in Beaumont, TX from 7-10 and won't get back to Houston until 12 or so...so I'll be watching the midnight replay. Beaumont is...interesting. It would be a lot better if it wasn't so far away...we left at 5 yesterday and arrived in Beaumont just in time to walk right in and start rehearsing at 7...and then its a little under an hour and a half on the way back. Yikes. But, there is a check at the end...so its all worth it, right?