Chamber music

So its been awhile since I've posted anything...I've been really busy! What's new, right? It seems like I'm always busy. I've been trying to squeeze practicing and preparing physically for boot camp into my evenings after working all day. Last week was really hard - my co-worker was on vacation all week so I was covering for her and trying to do my job too! I ended up getting a little bit of overtime, so my paycheck yesterday was a little bit fatter, which was nice, especially because I haven't had any students for the last month and a half. Anywho...

This month I'm playing with a little chamber group called "Ad hoc", and we're putting on concerts every Sunday. Last week was the first one, we played Wagner's Siegfried Idyll, and I got to play the principal part. It has been over a year since I've played in a small group, so it was really refreshing to play in a more intimate setting again. But the first 10 minutes or so of rehearsal was really rough for me - it was a shock to be playing in an ensemble like that after so long! I was having issues counting rests (I've never been very good at it anyway), and tuning especially. But after a few minutes, I was able to settle in, and it felt like second nature again. The concert went really well, it was a great first concert.

Tomorrow we are performing the Mozart Serenade, K. 338. Its an awesome piece, I am really enjoying myself with it. I'm playing second, which is really where I feel more comfortable. I find the process of blending and matching the principal player is much more rewarding to me than playing a beautiful solo. I've known that for awhile, I really could never be a great principal player. My home is definitely the harmony parts! Next Sunday I'm playing principal again for Debussy Afternoon of a Faun - one of my favorite orchestra pieces!! And I know the part very well...thanks to conducting orchestra at Eastman! We are playing the chamber version that was arranged by one of Schoenberg's students. Very excited for that one, I'm sure I'll write more about it next week.

As far as Navy progress...I finally have a date to go to Buffalo for my physical and to sign my enlistment contract!! I'll be going on August 17 - that is the next best day that I can go. The doctor there is off all week next week, and I can't really take work off on Mondays, so its next Tuesday. I'm ready to get outta Rochester! I hope that I can go to boot camp sooner than later, I'm pretty much ready physically. I can do pushups now LOL! And I've been running a ton lately. I'm so ready to go!