I'M BACK!
It's been a very busy summer. I'm sad that tour and camp are over, but I've done so much in the past year that somehow I know it's alright to be home. The end of camp capped off not just my summer, but what I realize now was a yearlong journey. Sometimes the best kind of journey is one that is so intense and enriching that you don't even recognize its full scope until it's over. That's vague, true, and I could go into everything that happened this year to change who I am and my perspective on life, but I won't, not online. Instead, what I can say is that I feel more than ready for Junior year, and that I have learned to face challenges with a clearer head, to endure difficult physical and emotional situations with greater patience, to always try to see the positive side to things, and not to restrict myself from opportunities based on any misconstrued perceptions I might have of my identity, others' attitudes and my own potential.
I've been hesitant to do this entry, because there's so much to write about. In fact there's too much, so I'm going to gloss over it in a very boring way.
Ah, the tour. That was one of the most intense and fulfilling experiences I have ever had in my entire life. I connected with so many people so easily, and we played well. Some of it felt very professional. First, the orchestra went to Venezuela. We stayed in Caracas mostly and played with two Venezuelan youth orchestras, both of which were really amazing. We took a ten hour busride out to Puerto la Cruz to give a concert (which didn't go too well, but so it goes). On the way we saw the kind of poverty many people see only on TV. Shacks in the middle of nowhere, banana stands. It was a strange sight to see from our fully equipped, comfortable travelling bus, as a lot of the kids were too busy watching spider-man 2 or playing cards to look out the window. Before we left Venezuela, a government-sponsored youth group. They were a chorus, one half deaf, the other half including many kids with physical and mental disabilities. They played different instruments, sang and did hand motions. It was powerful to watch.
Brazil was equally intense, but very different. We only spent a few days in each place. First we went to Aracaju, where there was a great beach. The concert wasn't so great (same with the one in Salvador). Then on to Salvador, which I found to be a pretty seedy city. Everyone wanted to take advantage of us. Then we went to Rio, and played in the beautiful hall there, a scaled-down replica of the old paris opera. We also went to the beach. I saw a life-size sand sculpture of the last supper. Earlier in the day, I went to Corcovado, an enourmous statue of Jesus that towers over the city. After Rio was Porto Allegre, my favorite place. We got to see a restored theater that originally was from the time of the boom in the Brazilian rubber trade. The concert there went really well. If I remember correctly, Larry (the pianist) played an encore. Finally, we went to Sao Paulo, were we stayed in this really spiffy hotel called Maksoud plaza. It had 21 floors, plus a secret 22nd floor with a lounge, and a big courtyard space in the middle with a big restaurant. One night, Emily and I just got into the elevator, didn't press any buttons, and rode around with people. It was great fun. We played two concerts at a hall that used to be a train station. My wrap-up of the tour is pretty boring. I'll tell you all more interesting stories in person, because there's not enough space here. For now, some pictures:
Damn, I'm too lazy to put up pictures. I forgot I can't just stick them in this entry. Here are the pictures I would put up:
Political graffiti in the cities as well as poor rural areas of Venezuela.
Smiling musicians.
Shacks and banana stands along the side of the road.
Toucans!
A picture of the band that played at our Fiesta the last night we were in Caracas.
The beautiful beach in Aracaju
Jesus at Corcovado
people at the Mercado (market place) in Salvador
A really, really huge tree
A man with manboobs on the streets of salvador, wearing breast cups because he was trying to sell them and wanted to show that they worked
I lied. there are no pictures.
I played some great stuff: Beethoven string quartet Op 59 #2, 1st mvt, Ravel string quartet 2nd mvt (blisters from pizz!), 1st mvt of the Brahms B-flat major sextet (interesting experience... glad James and Elicia hadn't torn each other apart completely at the end and Jude hadn't keeled over from complete overexposure to passive aggression. it sounded good in the end) and the 2nd movement of the Mendelssohn octet. My sound improved a lot, and I have a better appreciation of a lot of different composers, especially Ravel, Beethoven and Brahms. The Luna Wolf piece from orchestra actually turned out to be something I really like. zilching was great. All in all, a good experience, though sometimes stressful. I didn't realize just how cool it was until it was time to go home.
About French and History APs. Congrats to everyone. I have a new favorite number, and that is five.
Kauffman for history, Hamilton for english this coming year. SWEEEEET. also Quain for science. does anyone know what Oulton is like? she's my math teacher. I am only still dreading R-G's class. I'm afraid it will be both tremendously difficult and tedious.
I want to do chamber at NEC this year, anyone need a violinist? I might try to whip something together. Also, anyone wanna try out some Astor Piazzolla, just for fun?
N
I've been hesitant to do this entry, because there's so much to write about. In fact there's too much, so I'm going to gloss over it in a very boring way.
Ah, the tour. That was one of the most intense and fulfilling experiences I have ever had in my entire life. I connected with so many people so easily, and we played well. Some of it felt very professional. First, the orchestra went to Venezuela. We stayed in Caracas mostly and played with two Venezuelan youth orchestras, both of which were really amazing. We took a ten hour busride out to Puerto la Cruz to give a concert (which didn't go too well, but so it goes). On the way we saw the kind of poverty many people see only on TV. Shacks in the middle of nowhere, banana stands. It was a strange sight to see from our fully equipped, comfortable travelling bus, as a lot of the kids were too busy watching spider-man 2 or playing cards to look out the window. Before we left Venezuela, a government-sponsored youth group. They were a chorus, one half deaf, the other half including many kids with physical and mental disabilities. They played different instruments, sang and did hand motions. It was powerful to watch.
Brazil was equally intense, but very different. We only spent a few days in each place. First we went to Aracaju, where there was a great beach. The concert wasn't so great (same with the one in Salvador). Then on to Salvador, which I found to be a pretty seedy city. Everyone wanted to take advantage of us. Then we went to Rio, and played in the beautiful hall there, a scaled-down replica of the old paris opera. We also went to the beach. I saw a life-size sand sculpture of the last supper. Earlier in the day, I went to Corcovado, an enourmous statue of Jesus that towers over the city. After Rio was Porto Allegre, my favorite place. We got to see a restored theater that originally was from the time of the boom in the Brazilian rubber trade. The concert there went really well. If I remember correctly, Larry (the pianist) played an encore. Finally, we went to Sao Paulo, were we stayed in this really spiffy hotel called Maksoud plaza. It had 21 floors, plus a secret 22nd floor with a lounge, and a big courtyard space in the middle with a big restaurant. One night, Emily and I just got into the elevator, didn't press any buttons, and rode around with people. It was great fun. We played two concerts at a hall that used to be a train station. My wrap-up of the tour is pretty boring. I'll tell you all more interesting stories in person, because there's not enough space here. For now, some pictures:
Damn, I'm too lazy to put up pictures. I forgot I can't just stick them in this entry. Here are the pictures I would put up:
Political graffiti in the cities as well as poor rural areas of Venezuela.
Smiling musicians.
Shacks and banana stands along the side of the road.
Toucans!
A picture of the band that played at our Fiesta the last night we were in Caracas.
The beautiful beach in Aracaju
Jesus at Corcovado
people at the Mercado (market place) in Salvador
A really, really huge tree
A man with manboobs on the streets of salvador, wearing breast cups because he was trying to sell them and wanted to show that they worked
I lied. there are no pictures.
I played some great stuff: Beethoven string quartet Op 59 #2, 1st mvt, Ravel string quartet 2nd mvt (blisters from pizz!), 1st mvt of the Brahms B-flat major sextet (interesting experience... glad James and Elicia hadn't torn each other apart completely at the end and Jude hadn't keeled over from complete overexposure to passive aggression. it sounded good in the end) and the 2nd movement of the Mendelssohn octet. My sound improved a lot, and I have a better appreciation of a lot of different composers, especially Ravel, Beethoven and Brahms. The Luna Wolf piece from orchestra actually turned out to be something I really like. zilching was great. All in all, a good experience, though sometimes stressful. I didn't realize just how cool it was until it was time to go home.
About French and History APs. Congrats to everyone. I have a new favorite number, and that is five.
Kauffman for history, Hamilton for english this coming year. SWEEEEET. also Quain for science. does anyone know what Oulton is like? she's my math teacher. I am only still dreading R-G's class. I'm afraid it will be both tremendously difficult and tedious.
I want to do chamber at NEC this year, anyone need a violinist? I might try to whip something together. Also, anyone wanna try out some Astor Piazzolla, just for fun?
N