Now that Hilda has blogged about our time together I am going to fill you all in some more. (I wanted to wait, just in case she wasn’t planning on yakking about it.)

Hilda and her husband arrived at about 1:30 or so on Wednesday. Prior to that, I was nervous. Yes. You read that correctly. You see, folks, it’s not just you … I get nervous! I was concerned that I wouldn’t sound good enough. I feared I’d be a great disappointment or even a shock. There is always this little voice in my head saying, ‘They’ll find out your a sham, just you wait!”

Hilda plays very well, I’m happy to say! (And Hilda, I wouldn’t write that if I didn’t mean it.) She is also witty and intelligent, as you might expect. I can’t believe that after only 2 1/2 years on this tough instrument she is playing so well. I was very impressed.

We worked on the opening of the Mozart Concerto (yeah, really!), the first Barret articulation study, and we ended with Barret duets. I had a blast!

I do have a few regrets … good old hindsight: I wish I’d demonstrated a “typical patty lesson” to Hilda, which I didn’t do (you can see that below). I wish I’d been a kind enough hostess to offer some food and water. (Geesh. That’s just ridiculous of me!) And I really wish we could have gotten together one more time. But life … it all takes time you know.

Here’s my “typical patty lesson” although of course I deviate, drop, alternate … you know how it goes!:

1) Scales: chromatic, major, minor and whole tones
2) Thirds in major keys
3) Long tones … but not always … it kind of depends
4) Lesson book. For the younger student that means Rubank or Gekeler or Edlfeson, for the older Barret or Ferling or … well … the list goes on!
5) Solo work
6) Orchestra excerpts if time
7) Duets (I consider duets the “dessert of the lesson” but I love to do them!)

Anyway, Hilda, it was an absolute delight to meet you and hear you play, and I loved meeting Juan Carlos as well. Keep up your great work on the oboe, and if you move here I’m holding a spot for you! And WOW …. thanks for the Starbuck’s card! 🙂