Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
strange things are happening to me
I guess I must be getting older. I've been doing weird things lately: dieting, going to bed early, reading the news, listening to talk radio, skipping parties to hang out with my family, collecting recipes, using coupons, wearing heels, etc. etc. etc. I'm even making my future a priority. I save money, I spend Friday nights in the practice room, I make timelines for grad school applications. Strangely, I think it's paying off. For the first time in a long, long time, maybe ever, I feel open. As in: open to the future and what it will bring, open to the people around me and what they have to offer, open to acceptance of life's contradictions, open to comfortably viewing myself as I really am. By no means do I claim to have it all figured out... I just like where this is going, that's all.
Other tid-bits you might be interested in:
- I played in the Undergraduate Honors Recital last Wednesday. I was really proud of myself for even making it into the auditions. The picture is of me all gussied up about half an hour before I went on stage. Can you tell I'm horribly nervous? Because I was. Thankfully, the performance went really well. Slowly, I conquer my demons.
- My birthday is on Sunday (hence this post about growing older). I'll be the possessor of twenty-two years. What an awful number -- I've always been a fan of odd numbers, and double digit evens is never a good sign.
- October is a fantastic month.
- I am going to Denver with one of my best friends, Dave, on the 24th. We're driving his moving van to his new apartment, and I plan to visit the campus of UC Boulder, a potential grad school, while I'm out there. This also may include visiting friends from Brevard -- hooray! I'll probably fly back on Sunday night. Speaking of which, did you know flights from Denver to Kansas City are scandalously cheap? We're talking less than the cost of gas. United Airlines, as much as I hate it, has come in good for something.
- I want to share my latest online addiction: Tastespotting.com. I literally check it as often as I check my e-mail, and bookmark at least three recipes every time. Oh, to be a foodie.
- This election and the current world-wide financial crisis, while sucky, are really exciting to me. I love feeling like I'm living in the midst of history (which may seem stupid and self-evident, but you know what I mean). I got my absentee ballot in the mail yesterday and I was pretty thrilled.
- I've been spending more time at home than usual as of late, and have gotten the chance to hang out with my roommates more, which has been very, very nice. I'm lucky to live with such pleasant people.
- One last thing. This photo.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
101 reasons to love the midwest
(stolen from Midwest Living Magazine)
1. The absolute, unspoiled solitude of the Nebraska Sandhills.
2. The stranger who helps dig you out of a snowdrift.
3. Chicago.
4. Norton wine. Cheers to the overall growth of Midwest vineyards, and to this product of a Missouri grape, in particular, for the worldwide praise it's won.
5. Low cost of living.
6. Motown. The funky, soulful music style was born in and named for our very own Motor City (a.k.a. Detroit).
7. The Indy 500 -- the world's greatest rev fest.
8. The ethereal swoops and swirls of the Northern Lights.
9. Iowa pork chops.
10. Art festivals. The Art Fair SourceBook annual ranking consistently puts half of the nation's top 10 right here.
11. Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills, South Dakota.
12. Valleys erupted in full fall color set against a clear, blue autumn sky.
13. Big yards for kids to play in.
14. Real people. Real friends.
15. Storytellers, such as Mark Twain, James Thurber, Jean Shepherd, Garrison Keillor and more, skillfully weaving logic and humor into their Midwest-rooted tales.
16. Kansas' Flint Hills -- North America's largest remaining tract of original tallgrass prairie.
17. Potlucks loaded with delicious hotdishes.
18. Not quite the center of the universe, but still impressive: Rugby, North Dakota, is the geographic center of North America.
19. Corn on the cob drenched in golden butter.
20. A notable (and comfortable) lack of pretension.
21. Green Bay Packers fans.
22. Buggies clip-clopping along blacktop highways in Ohio, home of the largest Amish population in the world.
23. The electric green of spring.
24. Garden-fresh tomatoes, so red and ripe, theyre near bursting.
25. Still, silent, frozen lakes.
26. The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota -- the U.S.'s biggest indoor shopping area.
27. Wisconsin Dells and its successful integration of new water parks and golf courses with old standbys like the Ducks and the Wonder Spot.
28. Our green thumbs. We fully appreciate the plants that thrive in our midrange growing zone. Research shows that Midwesterners garden more than people living in other regions.
29. Real, distinct seasons.
30. The Big Ten and the Big 12. Great universities; great teams.
31. Biking the Midwest's scenic trails, such as Missouri's Katy Trail State Park, a stretch of small towns and river views that's the longest rails-to-trails project in the country.
32. Broadway shows sans Broadway prices. Tickets to major productions are often 50 percent cheaper here.
33. Hoosier basketball.
34. A solitary oak tree towering over shimmering prairie grasses.
35. Iowa native Grant Wood and his famous, oft-parodied, painting American Gothic.
36. The International Peace Garden, on the border between North Dakota and Manitoba, Canada.
37. Rhubarb's sweet/tart combination in any form, from pie to crisp to muffin.
38. Extensive homeownership, thanks to some of the lowest average home prices in the country.
39. Small-town July Fourth parades.
40. Nights lit by a full moon reflecting off a blanket of untouched snow.
41. Omaha Black Angus steaks.
42. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
43. Island magic, from the rugged bluffs of car-less Mackinac, to the sweeping dunes of the Manitous, to the wooded beauty of Madeline.
44. Long, flat, straight roads under a wide-open blue sky.
45. Kansas City barbecue.
46. The Great Lakes.
47. State and county fairs: blue-ribbon winners, midway rides and superbly bad-for-you food on a stick.
48. Laura Ingalls Wilder.
49. Wacky winter festivities, like frozen turkey bowling and polar bear dips.
50. Topographic diversity, from rolling hills to open plains, the Ozark Mountains to the north woods.
51. Outdoor concerts. Lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and a symphony echoing through balmy summer nights.
52. Tasty regional specialty foods, including Nebraska's Runzas and Michigan's pasties.
53. Sitting, safe, before a crackling fire, as winter winds whip outside.
54. Lake-caught delicacies, such as Michigan whitefish and Minnesota walleye, plus events they inspire, like fish boils in Door County, Wisconsin.
55. Short commutes.
56. Drugstore soda fountains. Small- town, Norman Rockwell-esque destinations where coffee is sometimes still just a nickel.
57. White-steepled churches poking above oceans of fields.
58. Two awesome beer hubs: St. Louis, which gave the world Budweiser et. al., and the entire state of Wisconsin, where legacies include brews from Miller to Leinenkugel to Sprecher.
59. Spam. Minnesota's own bit of kitsch in a can, (in)famous worldwide.
60. Canoeing the Current River in Missouri, with its clear-running waters and spectacular bluffs.
61. Celebrations of Native American heritage, from present-day powwows to awesome tributes, such as the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota.
62. Fresh Air
63. Our storied work ethic.
64. Bald eagles. The Midwest is arguably the best place in all the lower 48 to see our national bird.
65. Plenty of Claes Oldenburg's way-larger-than-life sculptures, including Shuttlecocks (Kansas City), Free Stamp (Cleveland), Spoonbridge and Cherry (Minneapolis), Plantoir and Crusoe Umbrella (Des Moines).
66. Fresh water -- one of the largest concentrations in the world.
67. Farm markets. They always offer the freshest bounty, whether right in the city (like on the state capitol grounds in Madison, Wisconsin) or along a remote two-lane road.
68. White Christmases.
69. Rich, starry nights and places where you can appreciate them.
70. Great golf. Despite our condensed season, we cater to our links-loving population with the most courses per capita.
71. Cheers rising from Little League games in neighborhood parks.
72. Dried cherries from Michigan's orchard country.
73. Lilacs. Their soft color and sweet spring scent unexpectedly wafting through the window.
74. The Mississippi River, which begins as a trickle tucked into Minnesota's Itasca State Park, then spends the bulk of its mileage carving through the Heartland's wooded valleys, big cities and historic small towns.
75. Sun-warmed skin that smells of sunscreen, mosquito spray and barbecue smoke.
76. The Cubs. Just because.
77. Branson, Missouri, "Live Music Show Capital of the World."
78. Open, quiet space.
79. RAGBRAI (the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). This weeklong event is among the longest, largest and oldest bicycle tours in the world.
80. The Wild West feel of North Dakota and South Dakota, with their buffalo, Badlands, cattle ranches and frontier towns.
81. The sweet, spicy aroma of freshly mown grass.
82. Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. With more than a million acres of pristine woods and lakes, most motor-free, it's one of the best places to experience nature's raw beauty.
83. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
84. The Buckeye Trail. Ohio's nearly 1,300-mile hiking trail offers views ranging from a Lake Erie beach to suburban Cincinnati.
85. Front porch chats with neighbors.
86. History taught via re-enactment at places such as Indiana's Conner Prairie, where learning about the past seems like time travel.
87. Great ethnic neighborhoods and towns, from the Mexican enclave of Pilsen in Chicago to the Czech town of Wilber, Nebraska.
88. Cheese. Of course, Wisconsin overflows with delicious curds, but don't overlook other standouts, such as the Swiss from Ohio's Amish country and the renowned Maytag Blue from Newton, Iowa.
89. Snow days.
90. Tailgating. Nothing like sparking up the grill and breaking out the cooler with other diehard fans in the stadium parking lot.
91. Henry Ford, who brought the automobile to the masses and rooted the car-making industry firmly in Michigan.
92. Fireflies at dusk in the backyard, and hopeful kids with Mason jars chasing the unpredictable glow.
93. Sipping coffee at a sidewalk cafe on the Plaza in Kansas City.
94. Midwest common sense.
95. Door County, Wisconsin, straddling Lake Michigan and Green Bay, for its draws, such as sunset beach walks, cherry picking and antiques stores.
96. Not one or two, but three of the country's biggest balls of twine (in Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri).
97. The Impressionist gallery and the centuries-old coats of armor at the Art Institute of Chicago.
98. Historic lighthouses.
99. The way the sky darkens, the crickets chirp louder and the air turns warm and tense right before a summer afternoon thunderstorm.
100. Michigan's Upper Peninsula -- in summer, whispering pines and lapping Great Lakes; in winter, snowmobiling and ski slopes.
101. The secure feeling of knowing you live in a place where you feel completely at home.
1. The absolute, unspoiled solitude of the Nebraska Sandhills.
2. The stranger who helps dig you out of a snowdrift.
3. Chicago.
4. Norton wine. Cheers to the overall growth of Midwest vineyards, and to this product of a Missouri grape, in particular, for the worldwide praise it's won.
5. Low cost of living.
6. Motown. The funky, soulful music style was born in and named for our very own Motor City (a.k.a. Detroit).
7. The Indy 500 -- the world's greatest rev fest.
8. The ethereal swoops and swirls of the Northern Lights.
9. Iowa pork chops.
10. Art festivals. The Art Fair SourceBook annual ranking consistently puts half of the nation's top 10 right here.
11. Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills, South Dakota.
12. Valleys erupted in full fall color set against a clear, blue autumn sky.
13. Big yards for kids to play in.
14. Real people. Real friends.
15. Storytellers, such as Mark Twain, James Thurber, Jean Shepherd, Garrison Keillor and more, skillfully weaving logic and humor into their Midwest-rooted tales.
16. Kansas' Flint Hills -- North America's largest remaining tract of original tallgrass prairie.
17. Potlucks loaded with delicious hotdishes.
18. Not quite the center of the universe, but still impressive: Rugby, North Dakota, is the geographic center of North America.
19. Corn on the cob drenched in golden butter.
20. A notable (and comfortable) lack of pretension.
21. Green Bay Packers fans.
22. Buggies clip-clopping along blacktop highways in Ohio, home of the largest Amish population in the world.
23. The electric green of spring.
24. Garden-fresh tomatoes, so red and ripe, theyre near bursting.
25. Still, silent, frozen lakes.
26. The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota -- the U.S.'s biggest indoor shopping area.
27. Wisconsin Dells and its successful integration of new water parks and golf courses with old standbys like the Ducks and the Wonder Spot.
28. Our green thumbs. We fully appreciate the plants that thrive in our midrange growing zone. Research shows that Midwesterners garden more than people living in other regions.
29. Real, distinct seasons.
30. The Big Ten and the Big 12. Great universities; great teams.
31. Biking the Midwest's scenic trails, such as Missouri's Katy Trail State Park, a stretch of small towns and river views that's the longest rails-to-trails project in the country.
32. Broadway shows sans Broadway prices. Tickets to major productions are often 50 percent cheaper here.
33. Hoosier basketball.
34. A solitary oak tree towering over shimmering prairie grasses.
35. Iowa native Grant Wood and his famous, oft-parodied, painting American Gothic.
36. The International Peace Garden, on the border between North Dakota and Manitoba, Canada.
37. Rhubarb's sweet/tart combination in any form, from pie to crisp to muffin.
38. Extensive homeownership, thanks to some of the lowest average home prices in the country.
39. Small-town July Fourth parades.
40. Nights lit by a full moon reflecting off a blanket of untouched snow.
41. Omaha Black Angus steaks.
42. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
43. Island magic, from the rugged bluffs of car-less Mackinac, to the sweeping dunes of the Manitous, to the wooded beauty of Madeline.
44. Long, flat, straight roads under a wide-open blue sky.
45. Kansas City barbecue.
46. The Great Lakes.
47. State and county fairs: blue-ribbon winners, midway rides and superbly bad-for-you food on a stick.
48. Laura Ingalls Wilder.
49. Wacky winter festivities, like frozen turkey bowling and polar bear dips.
50. Topographic diversity, from rolling hills to open plains, the Ozark Mountains to the north woods.
51. Outdoor concerts. Lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and a symphony echoing through balmy summer nights.
52. Tasty regional specialty foods, including Nebraska's Runzas and Michigan's pasties.
53. Sitting, safe, before a crackling fire, as winter winds whip outside.
54. Lake-caught delicacies, such as Michigan whitefish and Minnesota walleye, plus events they inspire, like fish boils in Door County, Wisconsin.
55. Short commutes.
56. Drugstore soda fountains. Small- town, Norman Rockwell-esque destinations where coffee is sometimes still just a nickel.
57. White-steepled churches poking above oceans of fields.
58. Two awesome beer hubs: St. Louis, which gave the world Budweiser et. al., and the entire state of Wisconsin, where legacies include brews from Miller to Leinenkugel to Sprecher.
59. Spam. Minnesota's own bit of kitsch in a can, (in)famous worldwide.
60. Canoeing the Current River in Missouri, with its clear-running waters and spectacular bluffs.
61. Celebrations of Native American heritage, from present-day powwows to awesome tributes, such as the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota.
62. Fresh Air
63. Our storied work ethic.
64. Bald eagles. The Midwest is arguably the best place in all the lower 48 to see our national bird.
65. Plenty of Claes Oldenburg's way-larger-than-life sculptures, including Shuttlecocks (Kansas City), Free Stamp (Cleveland), Spoonbridge and Cherry (Minneapolis), Plantoir and Crusoe Umbrella (Des Moines).
66. Fresh water -- one of the largest concentrations in the world.
67. Farm markets. They always offer the freshest bounty, whether right in the city (like on the state capitol grounds in Madison, Wisconsin) or along a remote two-lane road.
68. White Christmases.
69. Rich, starry nights and places where you can appreciate them.
70. Great golf. Despite our condensed season, we cater to our links-loving population with the most courses per capita.
71. Cheers rising from Little League games in neighborhood parks.
72. Dried cherries from Michigan's orchard country.
73. Lilacs. Their soft color and sweet spring scent unexpectedly wafting through the window.
74. The Mississippi River, which begins as a trickle tucked into Minnesota's Itasca State Park, then spends the bulk of its mileage carving through the Heartland's wooded valleys, big cities and historic small towns.
75. Sun-warmed skin that smells of sunscreen, mosquito spray and barbecue smoke.
76. The Cubs. Just because.
77. Branson, Missouri, "Live Music Show Capital of the World."
78. Open, quiet space.
79. RAGBRAI (the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). This weeklong event is among the longest, largest and oldest bicycle tours in the world.
80. The Wild West feel of North Dakota and South Dakota, with their buffalo, Badlands, cattle ranches and frontier towns.
81. The sweet, spicy aroma of freshly mown grass.
82. Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. With more than a million acres of pristine woods and lakes, most motor-free, it's one of the best places to experience nature's raw beauty.
83. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
84. The Buckeye Trail. Ohio's nearly 1,300-mile hiking trail offers views ranging from a Lake Erie beach to suburban Cincinnati.
85. Front porch chats with neighbors.
86. History taught via re-enactment at places such as Indiana's Conner Prairie, where learning about the past seems like time travel.
87. Great ethnic neighborhoods and towns, from the Mexican enclave of Pilsen in Chicago to the Czech town of Wilber, Nebraska.
88. Cheese. Of course, Wisconsin overflows with delicious curds, but don't overlook other standouts, such as the Swiss from Ohio's Amish country and the renowned Maytag Blue from Newton, Iowa.
89. Snow days.
90. Tailgating. Nothing like sparking up the grill and breaking out the cooler with other diehard fans in the stadium parking lot.
91. Henry Ford, who brought the automobile to the masses and rooted the car-making industry firmly in Michigan.
92. Fireflies at dusk in the backyard, and hopeful kids with Mason jars chasing the unpredictable glow.
93. Sipping coffee at a sidewalk cafe on the Plaza in Kansas City.
94. Midwest common sense.
95. Door County, Wisconsin, straddling Lake Michigan and Green Bay, for its draws, such as sunset beach walks, cherry picking and antiques stores.
96. Not one or two, but three of the country's biggest balls of twine (in Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri).
97. The Impressionist gallery and the centuries-old coats of armor at the Art Institute of Chicago.
98. Historic lighthouses.
99. The way the sky darkens, the crickets chirp louder and the air turns warm and tense right before a summer afternoon thunderstorm.
100. Michigan's Upper Peninsula -- in summer, whispering pines and lapping Great Lakes; in winter, snowmobiling and ski slopes.
101. The secure feeling of knowing you live in a place where you feel completely at home.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
summer reading list report
The official list, seeing as it's September (!!!) with helpful links and insightful commentary thoughtfully provided by yours truly.
- Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music by Hugh Barker and Yuval Taylor - Mildly interesting, but really could have been written better considering the appeal of the topic. Honestly, I read this so I could better debate with my boyfriend, the indie-music aficionado.
- Cartesian Sonata and Other Novellas by William H. Gass - The author has developed a unique and interesting writing style, somewhere in the shadows between prose, poetry, and stream-of-consciousness, and its beauty took me a good fifty pages to appreciate.
- Angels by Denis Johnson - Denis Johnson is a genius. I loved it.
- A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf - Interesting, but read it for class, not on your own.
- For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway - Not your typical Hemingway. I really really really liked the characters, which is rare -- normally I find most characters in novels pathetically flawed.
- The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis - Mind food.
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (favorite #1) Just utterly fantastic. So well written, succint and beautiful and dirty and poignant. Better by far than the movie.
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - Any woman around the age of 21 ought to read this, really.
- The Stranger by Albert Camus - In the past year or so I feel as though I've gained appreciation for what makes things French and what makes French things wonderful. This is a wonderful book, translation or not.
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - Riveting.
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - Simple and graceful, like another story from the Bible you've never heard before or a modern day epic poem.
- Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour, an Introduction by J.D. Salinger (re-read) - Yeah, Salinger will change the way you think about writing.
- Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (favorite #2) Like eating a loaf of delicious, perfectly crusty bread.
- The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers - Not as good as I had hoped, but still dense and dark. I think I need a few years and a re-read before I can appreciate this one.
Grand total: 14!
- Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music by Hugh Barker and Yuval Taylor - Mildly interesting, but really could have been written better considering the appeal of the topic. Honestly, I read this so I could better debate with my boyfriend, the indie-music aficionado.
- Cartesian Sonata and Other Novellas by William H. Gass - The author has developed a unique and interesting writing style, somewhere in the shadows between prose, poetry, and stream-of-consciousness, and its beauty took me a good fifty pages to appreciate.
- Angels by Denis Johnson - Denis Johnson is a genius. I loved it.
- A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf - Interesting, but read it for class, not on your own.
- For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway - Not your typical Hemingway. I really really really liked the characters, which is rare -- normally I find most characters in novels pathetically flawed.
- The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis - Mind food.
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (favorite #1) Just utterly fantastic. So well written, succint and beautiful and dirty and poignant. Better by far than the movie.
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - Any woman around the age of 21 ought to read this, really.
- The Stranger by Albert Camus - In the past year or so I feel as though I've gained appreciation for what makes things French and what makes French things wonderful. This is a wonderful book, translation or not.
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - Riveting.
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - Simple and graceful, like another story from the Bible you've never heard before or a modern day epic poem.
- Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour, an Introduction by J.D. Salinger (re-read) - Yeah, Salinger will change the way you think about writing.
- Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (favorite #2) Like eating a loaf of delicious, perfectly crusty bread.
- The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers - Not as good as I had hoped, but still dense and dark. I think I need a few years and a re-read before I can appreciate this one.
Grand total: 14!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
the clarifying qualities of early morning fog
Ahhh, the mountains. I have been getting up very early lately (usually around 7:30) in order to savor the air -- sweet, cool, moist, and best of all quiet. With every passing day it's becoming easier to savor; the six and a half weeks that seemed an eternity are almost over. I had my last lesson today with Mrs. Pridonoff, which was fantastic as usual, and my last studio class as well. Tonight I attended the last chamber music concert, and that's pretty much it for me. Crazy. Tomorrow will be spent visiting my boyfriend and my boyfriend's family in Asheville. How is that possible, you ask? Aren't they from Iowa or some far flung state like that? Actually, his brother happens to be getting married at the Biltmore Estate -- purely coincidental, but a convenient coincidence nonetheless. After our hurried reunion I'll spend tomorow night back here to watch the opera company perform their last scenes concert, then Friday I'll pack and say my good byes and watch two more fantastic concerts, one of the orchestra and one of student ensembles playing new music written by the composers here. Then Saturday morning I'm off! Not home quite yet, though... I'll spend the rest of the weekend with my aunt's family in Nashville and then finish the drive Monday. Definitely dreading that long long long drive across Missouri but the pay-off will be worth it: HOME!
Seeing as this will probably be my final blog from Brevard, I feel as though I ought to say something about what I've learned here, but it's hard for me to summarize something that hasn't quite wrapped itself up yet, especially when it comes to my own inner, personal growth and development. What I can do is copy and paste a bit from an e-mail I wrote recently, though: "I know, can already see, that I have grown as a musician. I understand my playing better and what I need to do to improve it, I have learned to play tons of literature and listened to sooooo much more, I've gained understanding of what it means to have a career as a musician, I've lost some of my fears of live performance, I've gotten to know incredible players my own age and worked under even more incredible teachers, I've added to my list of qualifications for grad school and what I look for in a teacher, I've gleaned ideas to influence my own teaching style... I could go on but I think you get the idea." In addition to all of that, I think I've changed my mind (once again) about what I want to do within this crazy world of professional music. I won't say just yet what my ideas are, but I think they're forming solidly in the back of my brain and will be ready to act upon very soon.
You know, despite all my complaining, and I've done a lot of it, I think I just might miss this place. See you soon.
Seeing as this will probably be my final blog from Brevard, I feel as though I ought to say something about what I've learned here, but it's hard for me to summarize something that hasn't quite wrapped itself up yet, especially when it comes to my own inner, personal growth and development. What I can do is copy and paste a bit from an e-mail I wrote recently, though: "I know, can already see, that I have grown as a musician. I understand my playing better and what I need to do to improve it, I have learned to play tons of literature and listened to sooooo much more, I've gained understanding of what it means to have a career as a musician, I've lost some of my fears of live performance, I've gotten to know incredible players my own age and worked under even more incredible teachers, I've added to my list of qualifications for grad school and what I look for in a teacher, I've gleaned ideas to influence my own teaching style... I could go on but I think you get the idea." In addition to all of that, I think I've changed my mind (once again) about what I want to do within this crazy world of professional music. I won't say just yet what my ideas are, but I think they're forming solidly in the back of my brain and will be ready to act upon very soon.
You know, despite all my complaining, and I've done a lot of it, I think I just might miss this place. See you soon.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
mood swings of mountain weather
I don't have much time for a substantial entry -- rehearsal in twenty minutes -- but a few important things went down this week I wanted to let you know about.
First of all, I had my lesson with Elizabeth Pridonoff yesterday (finally) and it was just incredible. In studio class on Wednesday we all had a wonderful discussion about why we are here and why we are musicians and it really got me thinking. In the past year I have been doing a lot of questioning in that same vein: Can I really make a living in music and be happy with myself and my life at the same time? I don't want to have to overwork to succeed, but I don't want to be unsuccessful, either. Basically, all my thinking and talking to other musicians and talking to my family/friends and that discussion and my talk with Mrs. Pridonoff culminated in a personal epiphany of sorts; I've realized that I can do music and still acheive a balance. My life is what I make of it. Along with that epiphany comes the realization that I really need to go to graduate school if I'm going to make success as a musician plausible, which means this coming year is going to be very stressful and busy and full of big decisions.
But of course my lesson wasn't all just talking, we played some music too. I played the first movement of my Beethoven for her and she offered some very helpful suggestions. It was almost a surreal experience... she is so incredibly similar to my first two piano teachers in personality, musical outlook, and teaching style. It was like going back to my childhood. I really enjoyed it, and it made me feel very inspired and truly excited to practice for the first time in a long while. Her technical suggestions, especially, made a lot of sense to me. Donna Lee's suggestions were good for someone with hands and arms like hers, but they felt for the most part very unnatural to me, and I think Mrs. Pridonoff can help me return to my own personal comfort at the piano.
I'm running out of time! Quickly, other things I did this week:
- Took a spur of the moment trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and went hiking to look at waterfalls and mountain overlooks and trees trees trees everywhere. It was just gorgeous.
- Rehearsed with the gigantic (120 people!) choir for the Carmina Burana performance we're giving tomorrow afternoon with Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops!
- Played for the Board of Trustees dinner with a singer and got to schmooze a bit afterwards. I've found that for the most part the older people get the more I enjoy talking to them, so I had a good time.
Okay, truly have to go RIGHT now. More later, hopefully!
First of all, I had my lesson with Elizabeth Pridonoff yesterday (finally) and it was just incredible. In studio class on Wednesday we all had a wonderful discussion about why we are here and why we are musicians and it really got me thinking. In the past year I have been doing a lot of questioning in that same vein: Can I really make a living in music and be happy with myself and my life at the same time? I don't want to have to overwork to succeed, but I don't want to be unsuccessful, either. Basically, all my thinking and talking to other musicians and talking to my family/friends and that discussion and my talk with Mrs. Pridonoff culminated in a personal epiphany of sorts; I've realized that I can do music and still acheive a balance. My life is what I make of it. Along with that epiphany comes the realization that I really need to go to graduate school if I'm going to make success as a musician plausible, which means this coming year is going to be very stressful and busy and full of big decisions.
But of course my lesson wasn't all just talking, we played some music too. I played the first movement of my Beethoven for her and she offered some very helpful suggestions. It was almost a surreal experience... she is so incredibly similar to my first two piano teachers in personality, musical outlook, and teaching style. It was like going back to my childhood. I really enjoyed it, and it made me feel very inspired and truly excited to practice for the first time in a long while. Her technical suggestions, especially, made a lot of sense to me. Donna Lee's suggestions were good for someone with hands and arms like hers, but they felt for the most part very unnatural to me, and I think Mrs. Pridonoff can help me return to my own personal comfort at the piano.
I'm running out of time! Quickly, other things I did this week:
- Took a spur of the moment trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and went hiking to look at waterfalls and mountain overlooks and trees trees trees everywhere. It was just gorgeous.
- Rehearsed with the gigantic (120 people!) choir for the Carmina Burana performance we're giving tomorrow afternoon with Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops!
- Played for the Board of Trustees dinner with a singer and got to schmooze a bit afterwards. I've found that for the most part the older people get the more I enjoy talking to them, so I had a good time.
Okay, truly have to go RIGHT now. More later, hopefully!
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