international gig

Yesterday I did a gig with a Bulgarian, an Albanian, a South African, a Belgian, a Venezuelan, and five other Americans. There was also a hummingbird stuck in one of the churches.

yay jobs!

I have a few more friends that have won jobs, and I thought I should mention it. In the past few months, Alana (horn), Natasha (oboe), Eric (trumpet), and Jonathan (clarinet) have all won jobs, so congratulations to them all! Plus two YOA friends that I don't keep in touch with but have updated their facebook pages to include job information: Harrison (bassoon) and Patty (cello). Congratulations to them, too! It makes the music world seem a little less discouraging to see friends win jobs.

no more papers (/school), please!

I finally finished my horrible paper today for my Stravinsky class. I have never really enjoyed writing papers, but there have been times when I've actually been quite interested in my topic, and thus the writing process was not so excruciating. There have also been times in the past when I would have been intrigued by the idea of writing a paper on Stravinsky. After almost twenty straight years in school, two degrees and very close to a third, this is no longer the case. I wrote a really bad paper, but at least I turned something in. It's the only paper I've had this semester, and considering I used to have to write them on an almost weekly basis, I don't know why I've suddenly developed such intolerance, but I have. Anyway, hopefully I will only have one more paper two write ever in my life, next semester, before bidding academics adieu forever. At least that's how I feel right now. While the prospect of graduating, getting a job at Starbucks or equivalent, and taking auditions doesn't sound thrilling, staying in school is simply no longer an option for my sanity. Anyway, there are just a few things to do now before I go home for Christmas. Maybe I'll actually be able to see a few friends, go shopping, finish The Rest Is Noise. Oh yeah. And work on reeds. Not now though. I am in dire need of some sleep. Goodnight.

la pioggia

It's raining!!!!!

kein musik ist ja nicht auf erden, die unsrer verlichen kann werden

I'm back in LA after a lovely and relaxing respite with my parents in Houston, even if it was a bit muggy and then suddenly quite cold. There was another fire in Malibu, but that's under control now, thankfully. I am currently doing what I do best of anything: procrastinating. I am a world champion of that most wondrous sport. I have a paper due a week from today on Stravinsky and . . . well I guess I need a definite topic still . . . yeah . . . anyway. I also am trying to get the Berio Ricorrenze up to snuff for Monday, and this weekend is AYS concert weekend (aka no weekend at all). But it should be a good concert--we're playing Mahler 4. What a gorgeous piece of music. I love it, although the last movement has an almost morbid text. I love playing those lines with the violas, so satisfying to play low on English horn! And those funny little tidbits Mahler puts in the part. Even if he also likes to have quick changes for just three notes on English horn that are also doubled in the bassoon. Pointless, but he wrote them, so I'll play them! I wish AYS payed extra for doubling. OK, maybe I should get back to searching Google Scholar.

yum

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bill Nye in the Jungle

From IMDB:

Nye Requests Restraining Order Against Former Fiancee

TV star Bill Nye has requested a restraining order against his former fiancee after she allegedly tried to poison him. Nye, also known as Bill Nye, The Science Guy, sought the order in a Los Angeles court on September 4, after spotting his ex, Blair Tindal, dressed in black and acting suspiciously near his home. The order would prevent Tindal from coming near his California house and contacting him. The legal papers filed state Tindal "emerged from my backyard... carrying two plastic bottles filled with some sort of solvent. Apparently she was trying to poison my plants including some vegetable(s). She fled on foot and then a car sped away from the scene." Tindal had driven by his house twice in the previous three weeks. Nye also complained in an abuse report that Tindal "left a coffee pot on my porch" on August 16. However, Tindal filed a response on November 13, disagreeing with the terms of the restraining order. A hearing has been set for December 20.

(Bill Nye married Blair Tindal, author of Mozart in the Jungle, the tell-all book about the classical musician scene in NYC, a few years ago. Guess they're divorced now.)