Pittsburgh Symphony is on tour. Someone is blogging about it. Since it’s from a radio station I’m assuming it’s a radio announcer, but I’m too fried right now to verify that. There will also be photographs and tours posted by musicians Chuck Lirette and Stephanie Tretick here from what I read.
I don’t believe I ever blogged again about the intonation woes I had had at the beginning of last week’s run. So here’s my little update:
The reed that was giving me the most trouble … well … it was cracked. Duh. Shoulda thunk it. This dry, extremely cold weather doesn’t make for happy reeds. Our extremely cold stage doesn’t help. Who knows if it cracked that night, but the reed had been fine prior to that. Oh well.
After working with a tuner the next day, and trusting my instincts more, things went much better. There will still some uncomfortable moments, but everything was much better. The concerts were fine. Whew.
My ears are doing better too. I did try an antihistamine and perhaps that was all I needed.
And now it’s on to Rigoletto. This coming week I have students but no rehearsals, so there’s time to get the work in order and continue to use that helpful tuner!
… but I would be just fine if the real circus didn’t come to town.
President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov reversed his predecessor’s ban on operas and circuses, saying that with increasing development in the Central Asian nation, it deserved to have such artistic performances, state-run TV reported Sunday.
(RTWT)
I can’t listen in. I have church, a meeting (really! A meeting before a performance. These drive me bonkers! Especially when I received only a notice a few days ago), and work, all in one long row.
British trumpeter Alison Balsom arrived in Minnesota after making her West Coast debut at Walt Disney Concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. If she’d stayed in California, she’d be enjoying temperatures in the upper 60s this weekend. Instead, she’s facing a frigid sixteen below.
But the hearty young English woman doesn’t mind. She says it’s a nice change from the dampness of London. She’s looking forward to her first appearance on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show, even if she admits some trepidition in being roped into a skit.
“I’m a musician, not an actor,” she jokes.
Balsom has been getting quite a bit of attention for a warm style of playing that seems to take inspiration from woodwinds and the violin.
She’s gotta be one smart trumpet player, trying to play like us wind players. Right? 🙂
I’ll probably listen to her later, when yesterday’s/today’s broadcast is put up at Prairie Home Companion’s site
There is no shame to losing an audition — most great players have lost many of them. Avoid the temporary balm of being bitter or claiming it wasn’t fair or was “rigged”. Nobody wins every time. Keep in mind that the growth you gained from the long hours of preparation is still with you. It is never wasted time to practice well. Try to ask yourself what went wrong (if anything), and how can you use this experience to better prepare for the next one. Look for ways to present yourself even greater next time. There will always be another audition.
-Peter Cooper (“Some Thoughts on Auditions” from the latest IDRS journal, Vol. 30, No. 4)
