Aspen Update.
Sitting outside at Starbucks. rainesbaines was just here chatting with me. Things are going well so far this first actual week of the festival. I was assigned to Aspen Chamber Symphony (smile!) and I had my first lesson already. Our first concert is tonight at 6:00. Leonard Slatkin is conducting and we are playing Copland "Music for the Theatre", Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major with Cho-Liang Lin soloing (who will be on the Rice faculty starting this year!), and Brahms Serenade in D major. Although I'm so happy I'm Chamber, I feel a tad lonely because alot of the people I am friends with are in Festival this summer. I just need to meet some more of the people in my own orchestra. Plus it's probably better this way so I can really enjoy the time I get with my friends. At first I was a little daunted by 9:00 am rehearsals from Tuesday-Friday, because that' when I normally practice, but I'm happy now. It means my day is done at noon and I have time to rest/nap a little and then practice the whole rest of the day, rather than my day having an exhausting rehearsal right in the middle. If I go out to a bar or something I can't stay out as late, but hey - that's less money spent on my part. This week I have been a little non-social because my phone hasn't been working and I've been getting up at 7:00 am everyday and haven't gone out. But I get Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off! So everything is balancing out. I am excited to work on excerpts and start Bartok Concerto and to be generally immersed in great music.
As for my phone - the charger broke and so I kept my phone off for a few days, which was hard because I had to set up Mr. Dunham's first week of lessons. I bascially had enough battery to check messages and then call people back on my roommate's phone. The phone being down certainly worked well for my experiment, which was not to call anyone ever and see who really wanted to hang out with me here. I just got a little tired of always being the one to call everyone to see what was going on or to plan stuff. I got one text message from a bass player here wondering what I was up to and a voicemail from Meredith (who is in Massachussetts teaching at a swanky private music camp called Belvoir Terrace) and that was it. So does that mean no one wanted to spend time with me all week? Probably not. I mean, I hope not! I wouldn't have been able to see missed calls without the phone being on, so maybe I'm a little more desirable than I would think. I have a new charger now, so my phone is up and running again. I am excited though because tonight I am going out, finally! And then practicing all day tomorrow. Well, not all day, but you know what I mean.
I randomly saw a girl from Rice riding bikes with her family. She's not here for the festival, but I guess they have a summer home here or something. She invited me to a "Shepherd Student Dinner" at her parent's house tomorrow night. Mr. Dunham is also taking our studio out for a studio dinner on Sunday. So, I have a nice little practicey/free foodey type weekend. Lovely!
If you want to make me feel special and send a postcard, I'll send you one back!
Whitney Bullock
334 Vine St
Aspen CO 81611
As for my phone - the charger broke and so I kept my phone off for a few days, which was hard because I had to set up Mr. Dunham's first week of lessons. I bascially had enough battery to check messages and then call people back on my roommate's phone. The phone being down certainly worked well for my experiment, which was not to call anyone ever and see who really wanted to hang out with me here. I just got a little tired of always being the one to call everyone to see what was going on or to plan stuff. I got one text message from a bass player here wondering what I was up to and a voicemail from Meredith (who is in Massachussetts teaching at a swanky private music camp called Belvoir Terrace) and that was it. So does that mean no one wanted to spend time with me all week? Probably not. I mean, I hope not! I wouldn't have been able to see missed calls without the phone being on, so maybe I'm a little more desirable than I would think. I have a new charger now, so my phone is up and running again. I am excited though because tonight I am going out, finally! And then practicing all day tomorrow. Well, not all day, but you know what I mean.
I randomly saw a girl from Rice riding bikes with her family. She's not here for the festival, but I guess they have a summer home here or something. She invited me to a "Shepherd Student Dinner" at her parent's house tomorrow night. Mr. Dunham is also taking our studio out for a studio dinner on Sunday. So, I have a nice little practicey/free foodey type weekend. Lovely!
If you want to make me feel special and send a postcard, I'll send you one back!
Whitney Bullock
334 Vine St
Aspen CO 81611