In The Past Five Days I Have:

1. Recorded Jairo's Piece (in about 2.5 hours!!!). I played OK (wish I could have done some things over again, but we didn't have much time) and there was a lot of traffic noise...hope it turns out ok!!
2. Went to Java's several times...and ate at Dim-Sum (see Heather???)
3. Had an uneventful flight back to TX (although it did leave very early) and I got to see the NYC skyline when we flew out of Newark (haven't been to NYC in a while now...)
4. Played the final performances of the six service gig (Tim Powell's Wedding Mass) out in Baytown. I have officially spent waaaay to much of my life in Baytown now.
5. Got lost driving to said gig and we were 20 minutes late and the choir applauded us when we entered. How embarrassing.
6. Taught at TH Rogers...always a joy.
7. Played my final orchestral repertoire final...and it wasn't too bad (well some excerpts were but surprisingly Brahms-Haydn Variation #5 was good!!)
8. Dropped by some favorite Houston spots: Mai's, Hans', RA.
9. Saw Mira play in the Houston Symphony Mahler 2 Concert!! Its an amazing piece...and thats all I'll say about that.
10. Waited for my Tanglewood assignments and still haven't gotten them.

The Week in O(h)M(y)T(rill)

1. There are hella-lotta recitals this week...luckily none of them are mine...Jake (cello) and Catie (Trombone) on Tuesday, Fischer Studio Recital on Wednesday, Eugene (piano) on Friday, Matt (flute) Matt (clarinet) and Lauren (oboe) on Sunday...I'm playing on Matt (clarinet) on Sunday: Mozart and Copland Clarinet Concertos...fun.
2. School started up again...um, today. (last week was spring break)
3. Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra plays a concert on Saturday night at 8pm (music of De Falla, Janacek, Vieuxtemps, and Bartok) You should come...
4. I have my orchestral repertoire midterm on Tuesday afternoon (since I was so out of it and literally couldn't play when I got back from the Rochester experience) I have to play Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony, Beethoven 5th, and Also Sprach Zarathustra...should be fun...except not at all...
5. I guess I'll practice a bunch.

Post Recital

My recital last Saturday (a week ago?!?!?) went really well...thanks to all of you who attended (and who wanted to but couldn't). Life has been a little strange since then, mainly because I don't really know what to do with myself...I am taking the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Audition in a few weeks and I've been working on that stuff but I find some of the excerpts just never get better, no matter what I do. (Mendelssohn 4 opening...and Brahms 2 last movement)...I feel confident that I could do really well at this audition, but I know I would have to play these at some point and they will kill me...but I guess I still have a few weeks to figure it out. Would be really nice to advance at least one round...I've been working on all of this orchestra rep stuff on and off now for almost 8 years (not to mention playing in orchestras much longer than that!) Would be nice to be able to do something with that training...

I've been very confused lately...all the things that I've always wanted to do, like chamber music and contemporary music and "alternative music careers" suddenly seem so unattractive to me. I find myself checking musicalchairs all the time to see the job postings. I guess everything is just very real since I will be graduating in a few months and I don't feel confident that I will be able to make enough money doing that other stuff to pay all the bills (I'm pretty sure I can't)...especially moving to a brand new city where I've never lived or gone to school or even been in for more than 5 days consecutively. I see friends who I play just as well as winning jobs in orchestras, so what used to seem totally impossible, now doesn't seem so far fetched. I'm just very confused right now, and don't really know what do to with myself! agh! What do you guys think?

List Of Things

When I haven't written in a while its always easier to update with a list! So here you go.

1. Just finished my orchestral repertoire final...it was torture as usual including excerpts from Mahler 5, Brahms 4, Tchaikovsky Serenede for Strings, and Mozart 39...yikes...its over...and I only have one more semester of orch rep to go!!! yay!!!!
2. I need to make a recording now for summer festival audition...that should be exciting...
3. It has been very cold here...and by very cold I mean like 40's and 50's...I do realize that I used to endure much colder temperature than that all the time...but now, to me, this is very cold.
4. I'm going back to Chicago on Friday, then a few days after that, I'll be off to Puerto Vallarta...should be exciting.
5. I played in the Woodlands Symphony last weekend...it was fine, thank you, and the Woodlands (along with all of the Houston suburbs) scare me.
6. Big Love Season 2 is on DVD...so watch it.
7. I guess I don't really have that much to say after all.

On My Way Out

You've probably noticed I'm experimenting with some new things here at the blog...I switched from Template to Layout yesterday...I hope I end up liking it, since I can't switch back! Yikes! It makes things like adding an image to the header super super easy...the trick is to find a good image...this one is very very temporary.

Orch Rep midterm went about as well as it could have gone yesterday...of course, Mendelssohn was the worst of the four pieces...as expected...I got a very mixed review with a really good compliment and some much expected criticism. Orchestra was a bit rocky yesterday...the first reading of the Stranivksy Danses Concertantes could have used a little more rhythm and counting...but there was only one conductor storm out...so things will probably be better after the Thanksgiving Break!

Speaking of which...I leave in a few hours...couldn't really find someone to drive me so I'm driving myself to the airport (for the first time!) Yikes...the parking won't cost too much...about the same if I took the shuttle...and its much more convenient!

The Week in O(h)M(y)T(rill)

1. There is nothing quite like a Monday morning Orchestral Repertoire midterm, is there? I missed to real one a few weeks ago and my make-up is tomorrow morning. I'm sure it will be amazing, especially since the teacher is pissed at me right now...and I can't play Mendelssohn Scherzo anyway (for those of you keeping track its some random Suppe Overture Solo + Don Juan + Brahms 2...nothing new...just stuff I suck at).
2. Project Carter Movement 4: Patti and I will attempt to begin to put together the 4th movement of the Carter Sonata...that will be interesting...its pretty freakish on paper, but maybe it will be a lot easier to put together than it seems? Maybe not...Some of Carter may be played in Studio Class on Tuesday (we had a GREAT lesson on the 3rd movement the other day)
3. Chamber Orchestra continues...aka more Christmas music. We start the Stravinsky "Dances Concertantes" with Larry on Monday.
4. Tuesday is lobowell's birthday...its a special day indeed.
5. Strangely enough Wednesday is plyply's birthday.
6. This week is Thanksgiving...I'm flying home on Tuesday evening (and missing orch rep...one of the reasons said prof is pissed at me...hmmm)
7. I expect the highlight of the week to be Project Runway on Wednesday...I'll be watching it with my mom for the first time! I picked Chris (big Chris) to win this one...I thought his dress was amazing last week...but they just advanced him to the next round with no commentary...I'm sure he'll be up there with the best in the next few episodes.
8. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite, if not my favorite holiday. There is just a certain feeling that I have when I think about the whole day leading up to the meal...everybody is around the house...cooking doing whatever...hard to explain, but it just doesn't really happen on other days. I was just at home a few weeks ago, but I'm looking forward to the break (since I'm kind of wiped out from Beaumont this past week).
9. I'm gonna learn Plylar's "Duel Intentions" and Duarte-Lopez's "Ekphrasis" while I'm at home...my preview is really soon!
10. Back in Houston early early early Sunday morning...yikes!