Its been a long while!
I haven't written for so so long, but I am going to make it a point to try and write this year and get down on paper? internet? my San Francisco experience before it is over!!!
So now the question is, where to begin??? So much has happened in the past year...
I survived my first year of grad school with all of its challenges and triumphs. I love my teacher, she has really brought a different perspective to my playing, and just my point of view in regards to the crazy world of music and symphony musicians. I'm so grateful to her for taking me in and becoming my oboe mother.
The conservatory life definately took some adjusting to. Probably the biggest difference I can point out is the emphasis on playing... and playing, and PLAYING. It has really made me appreciate the complete education I got with my BM at DePauw. Of course the focus was playing, but it was also everything about the oboe; reeds, pedagogy, etc. Here, it is excerpts night and day, chamber music rehearsals, performances. It is definately a different world, but a great change of pace and most definately a learning experience.
I also got engaged last December :) My college boyfriend of 4 years, Tyler proposed to me on December 27, 2007, we have planned our wedding for August 1, 2009 and are really excited!!! I have officially turned the planning over to my Mom so that I can go on with my crazy musical life without worries over flowers and table settings.
I should back up, Tyler works in the Clark County school district in Nevada, so we are having fun with the whole long distance relationship thing. I feel like I am not allowed to gripe about it too much because we were so lucky to go to college together and see each other every day, and in the long run... its only this two years, one of which is out of the way!!!
I'm totally jealous that he has a job doing what he loves, he really likes going to work every day and gets so enthusiastic about what he is doing... sometimes a job in music seems so far away to me, but I will make it happen!
Things with school are just getting rolling, this week we had 5 hours of orchestra reh. on both Tuesday and Wednesday :( Classes officially started yesterday, and we somehow have our first concert on Saturday :( (TOMORROW!!?!?) Hopefully they won't try this schedule in the future, we are playing new works by two of the faculty composers:
The Blue Hour Conrad Susa
Dangerous Liasons Conrad Susa
Call of the West Elinor Armer
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Elinor Armer
I'm sure the audience will love the program, what more could you want... piano concerto, opera selections, singers, its all there. It just so happens that the music is so difficultttttt, yay new music.
I'm also playing in a woodwind quintet, playing in baroque ensemble which right now includes a Handel trio sonata (HWV 383), teaching lessons at a middle school, Baroque Performance Practice seminar, and Composer Biographies seminar.... oh and you know my own lessons and practice :)
Hopefully next semester will be a bit calmer, helping me to stay sane while preparing my second (and final!) grad recital.
Seems like now would be a good time to break out those instruments (I'm playing EH on this new music concert) and run over some of the tricky stuff :)
So now the question is, where to begin??? So much has happened in the past year...
I survived my first year of grad school with all of its challenges and triumphs. I love my teacher, she has really brought a different perspective to my playing, and just my point of view in regards to the crazy world of music and symphony musicians. I'm so grateful to her for taking me in and becoming my oboe mother.
The conservatory life definately took some adjusting to. Probably the biggest difference I can point out is the emphasis on playing... and playing, and PLAYING. It has really made me appreciate the complete education I got with my BM at DePauw. Of course the focus was playing, but it was also everything about the oboe; reeds, pedagogy, etc. Here, it is excerpts night and day, chamber music rehearsals, performances. It is definately a different world, but a great change of pace and most definately a learning experience.
I also got engaged last December :) My college boyfriend of 4 years, Tyler proposed to me on December 27, 2007, we have planned our wedding for August 1, 2009 and are really excited!!! I have officially turned the planning over to my Mom so that I can go on with my crazy musical life without worries over flowers and table settings.
I should back up, Tyler works in the Clark County school district in Nevada, so we are having fun with the whole long distance relationship thing. I feel like I am not allowed to gripe about it too much because we were so lucky to go to college together and see each other every day, and in the long run... its only this two years, one of which is out of the way!!!
I'm totally jealous that he has a job doing what he loves, he really likes going to work every day and gets so enthusiastic about what he is doing... sometimes a job in music seems so far away to me, but I will make it happen!
Things with school are just getting rolling, this week we had 5 hours of orchestra reh. on both Tuesday and Wednesday :( Classes officially started yesterday, and we somehow have our first concert on Saturday :( (TOMORROW!!?!?) Hopefully they won't try this schedule in the future, we are playing new works by two of the faculty composers:
The Blue Hour Conrad Susa
Dangerous Liasons Conrad Susa
Call of the West Elinor Armer
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Elinor Armer
I'm sure the audience will love the program, what more could you want... piano concerto, opera selections, singers, its all there. It just so happens that the music is so difficultttttt, yay new music.
I'm also playing in a woodwind quintet, playing in baroque ensemble which right now includes a Handel trio sonata (HWV 383), teaching lessons at a middle school, Baroque Performance Practice seminar, and Composer Biographies seminar.... oh and you know my own lessons and practice :)
Hopefully next semester will be a bit calmer, helping me to stay sane while preparing my second (and final!) grad recital.
Seems like now would be a good time to break out those instruments (I'm playing EH on this new music concert) and run over some of the tricky stuff :)