Within the next five years, Turkey might become the center of opera and ballet for kids.
RTWT
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Someone landed here doing a search on the above.
So … well … okay. Why not?
A 20 minute pretty darn lame poem for you—
It’s not that I expect each one to make
the oboe his career. It’s not that I
would tell a student to pursue and take
the path I chose. I won’t cajole and cry,
I won’t manipulate. I cannot shove
you into busy weekends and low pay
although this truly is the life I love.
I must confess it’s fun to say I play
and work, doing the two at once. Can you
proclaim the same? But don’t think I would force
someone to major in the field —it’s true
we also need an audience, of course!PEM 4/23/07
Yes, I’ll stick to my day night whenever job. 🙂
Moving on …
Someone else searched on “normal life of an oboe reed”. Hmmm. What to say? The normal life of an oboe reed is … wake up, take a little water bath, climb into oboe, get a bit of a workout, go back into reed case, sleep. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
I return to my hosts’ home for a wonderful dinner and then head downstairs to woodshed everything that I felt didn’t go as well as I would have liked today. The committee issued written comments from the first round, and I read these and go over what they have noted as needing improvement. It’s a nice surprise, to receive these comments, and it helps to focus me for the next round’s rigors.
The audition story I blogged about earlier continues. (But Mr. Noble is taking his time and I want the rest!)
I was surprised that the committee sent out comments to the auditionees after the first round, but what a nice thing to do! This allows the auditionees to fix things they need to fix, and also helps the committee see just how the follow what was suggested. Nice.
So stay tuned. I’m sure we’ll read the outcome soon!
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The Merc has a video that features just a few of the auditionees for “Saratoga Idol”. The little violinist is adorable. The singers don’t thrill me and one—I’ll let you guess which one— just pushes all my “ugh” buttons. But me? I’d choose the “Eucalale” player. (Even if the Merc can’t spell Ukelele/Ukulele correctly.)
Speling iz ovurraited aniweigh.
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This is as close as I’ll ever get to seeing our Opera San José Madama Butterfly production. He describes the stage well enough that I actually have a bit of an idea of how things look.
Someday, video monitors?
Naw. A video monitor is merely a dream. So far so is a sound monitor. But one of these days everything is going to fall apart and then perhaps the company will realize that we might actually benefit from hearing the singers.
Ya think?
And yes, in case you are wondering, we do follow the conductor. And, for the most part, that is just fine. But, at least for me, there are nuances— individual things the singers do that I want to hear, in order to either mimic or play against. And I want to see and hear them breathe, so that I can do the same with my line when we are in unison (often the case with oboe and soprano). Maybe I’m just being silly. Maybe none of this matters. But I can tell you that back when I could see the singers there were little magic moments that felt like bliss … something about working as one, adn all that jazz. Or opera.
Just a thought: in this day of high tech. In this valley of silicon. In our wonderful, newly refurbished California Theatre. Might someone think about donating monitors? Might someone think about making it wonderfully high tech. Might someone understand that the instrumentalists might benefit and, thus, the stage and audience might benefit as well, from our being more connected?
Ah, the mighty might.
Or might not.
Truth be told, it’s more about the almighty dollar. Sigh.
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Read the “Guide to get the most of arts experience”. Included are these:
What to wear
To the symphony: Dress at most concerts ranges from students in sweatshirts and flip-flops to ladies in gowns and men in tuxedos. You?ll probably be most at home with something in between.To the opera: A night at the opera does not have to be akin to attending the adult prom. Just obey the basic dress guidelines (shirt and shoes), although you might feel most at home in a mix of business/church attire.
A refreshing intermission: Most classical music concerts are at the Koger Center, where you can get a glass of wine, M&Ms and the weakest Starbucks coffee on the planet, but at half the price of a regular Starbucks. And if the music isn?t stunning, the sunsets on the terrace by the entrance can be. At least until that new parking garage is completed.
A great deal: Concerts at the USC School of Music recital hall. You might hear a top-notch faculty member or a high-profile guest performer. The music ranges from all electronic computer pieces to pipe organ recitals. And it?s almost all free. But beware of students attending to fulfill a course requirement who don?t mind making it known they?d rather be playing ?Ratchet and Clank.?
The one big rule for concerts and plays: Be on time. Nothing ruins a great performance like a squeaky door. In most cases, tardy patrons will have to wait until there is a break in the action before they can enter. Some will even be shut out for an entire act.
… but the thing that really got me? This:
A worthwhile splurge is $30 for one of the Charles Wadsworth chamber music concerts at the art museum.
SPLURGE?! Hah! $30 hardly seems like a splurge. At least around here. At least to me. Is this the difference between South Caroline and California?
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