The Big 2-3

Well, I'm in the last year of my early twenties. I guess I could do a recap of the cool things that have happened to me this year, and my goals for the year to come. But my blog seems to be filled with far too many lists as of late, and frankly, I'm not in the mood.

So- yesterday was my birthday. To celebrate, I went shopping, ate homemade potstickers, got dressed up, went out dancing, and saw a lot of my favorite people.

It's been my experience that every year since I was 11 has been a little better than the one before. Well, except maybe 19, 19 was rough.

So, here's hoping the trend continues!

Going Through Memories

Happy Holidays!

OK, now that that's out of the way...One of my major projects for my two weeks at home is organizing all of my stuff. I'm always overwhelmed with materialism at Christmas-time, with this over-done flood of buying things (did you know something like 40% of gift cards are never even redeemed?), but this year I am especially aware since I am sorting through EVERYTHING I OWN. For a want-to-be-minimalist like myself, this is not a particularly enjoyable process.

As some of you may know, I moved abroad in less than three days. I was substituting in a different orchestra abroad when I got my job offer. They wanted me to get there as soon as possible, so I rushed home, and with the help of friends and family, wrapped up my life and whisked myself away in about 60 hours. Consequently, my stuff is spread out between the bags I packed, my old bedroom closet at my mom's house, my car, and perhaps some storage at my dad's as well. The project is to re-pack it all into nicely labeled boxes, be realistic and get rid of what I'll never use, and find a few greatly missed items (like those precious black flats with little silver polka dots on them...sigh...) to bring back with me.

As much as I hate confronting all the crap I have, and lamenting the money I could have saved by not purchasing it, I do enjoy stumbling upon some things. My favorite so far was a bundle of letters and cards I've saved. It was like unwrapping a narration of some of my favorite memories. Not particularly significant or big moments in my life, but valuable nonetheless.

As they say, it's the little things that count.

*A letter I wrote to the parents of one of my best friends from my freshman year of college. He was killed in a rock climbing accident in the August before we returned for our sophomore year. That was a rough time.

*A typed summary of the summer of 1997 written by my father. I was 14.

*A few Valentine's Day cards from my college roommate who's getting married this coming summer. She's the master of tongue-in-cheek one-liners.

*A paper my first horn student wrote entitled "Heroes." I was 17 and she was 10 when I was teaching her. She lists her three heroes as Martin Luther King, Jr., Amelia Earhart and me.

*A note scribbled on the back of "Enigma" from "Nimrod Variations" that was passed to me during an All-State Orchestra rehearsal. It was from a percussionist and he was clearing his plans for our honeymoon with me.

*A card I found taped to my locker a few days after my junior recital. The card included: a copy of the program with notes along the way, a description of the sender (a 50 year old bachelor, a clean man, who enjoys nice art and culture, and willing to wait) and a phone number.

*The letter my mom wrote me on the event of my graduation from high school.

So, the bedroom closet is re-done and I've discovered that I have two copies of scores to Brahms Complete Concerti, all the papers I wrote in college, a ton of post-it notes, and a pair of bright blue high heels, among other things.

On to the car...another entry may follow!

P.S. I adore my family! So nice to see them again! And to all y'all south of the border, hope you had a good holiday-I miss you!

Inside Jokes Galore

At the moment I am completely overwhelmed with gratitude for my friends. I have seen A LOT of old friends in the last three days, and I am in awe of their beauty, brilliance, and what they are up to in the world. They're pretty darn nice to me too.

However, I'm choosing to post a list of little or no significance to most of you, mostly for my own records, and the intense enjoyment of AD (and BM). The day of 12-20-06 will go down in my personal history as one of the best of my life.

• Supah long run- "eat it up!"



• Whispered: "You can."



• What does $30 buy you in Madison? A bunch of clothes!



• Practice makes perfect!



• Musical review over Japanese food...



• F, C, o M?



• 3 words- Sweet Potato Cheesecake



• Puccini...Strauss...Vivaldi...uhhh



• New game-1. Meet a person. 2. Talk up to 15 minutes. 3. Write the title and author of a book you recommend for them on a slip of paper. 4. Sign it. 5. Give them the slip of paper. 6. Repeat. 7. Make the world a better place.



• Favorite teacher impressions, gracias a BC



• Don't Get Around Much Anymore



• Chesty Bartenders



• Word by Word Toasts.



• 15 minutes- go- and picture series to go along with it.



• Grocery shopping anyone?



• SpoonFest, etc.



• French Toast



• Winery

One more shout out to AD, who so graciously made her house my home for four days, acted as my chauffeur, answering service, personal trainer, event coordinator, counselor, and one heck of a friend.

Our friendship is great because we have a lot in common, support each other in our goals and dreams, and see life in a very similar way, like one huge opportunity for anything fantastic to happen. She's an inspiration and an energizer.

Home Sweet Home

Ahhh...the sweetness...

Repertoire: A Test of Follow-Through

**Note: For those of you that check my blog obsessively, I have made a few adjustments to the following project.**

I've just recieved a list of the planned repertoire for next season. It's pretty good.

I will now perform a test: "How Likely We Are to Play What We Say We Will." This test involves making a list of the pieces I am very excited to play that are on this list of planned repertoire. If this piece is changed, or canceled, I will note it in blue with the date. When we actually play the piece, I will change it from black to red. We'll see how many are black at the end of the season, and how much blue is clogging up the list.

Remember--- here, nothing is confirmed until it's history.

List posted 12-15-06

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1
Pictures at an Exhibition
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6
Overture to Tanhauser
Salome, Dance of the Seven Veils (Strauss)
Sinfonia Indiana, Carlos Chavez
Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Adams
Firebird Suite
Copelia (Delibes)
Four Last Songs, Richard Strauss added (2-23-07)
Mahler Symphony No. 4
Les Preludes added (1-24-07)
Beethoven Emperor Concerto changed to some Mozart Flute Concerto in G Major (1-19-07)
Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Madame Butterfly
Creatures of Prometheus added (2-23-07)
Brahms Tragic Overture added (12-16-06) then cancelled (1-19-07) changed to Oberon Overture (1-24-07)
Don Juan changed to Death and Transfiguration (12-15-06) changed to Schumann Symphony # 4 (1-19-07)
Candide Overture
Brahms Symphony No. 2
Rhapsody on a Theme from Paganini, Rachmaninoff
Bartok Concerto for Orchestra

New World vs. Columbus-Advice?

I have the opportunity to get away in February for a few days, so I'm going to take an audition. Both of these auditions fall during the time I'm away...on the same day. I can only take one of them, I'm sure. I haven't decided which one yet. This is where you come in.

I'm going to make a list of the reasons why I should take each audition. If you give me a reason I consider substantial, I will add it to the list. Then I will do what I want to do and justify it with the reasons on the list of the audition I choose. :~)

New World Symphony

Cheap plane ticket to New York
Was already a finalist for them, would like to stay on their list
Can stay with and visit my friend Margo for the long weekend
Definitely want to play in New World Symphony
Have already prepared the list (two years ago)

Columbus Symphony-4th/Utility Horn
Is a real job
Pays $1200 a week, 46 weeks
Is a 4th horn job and I'm working as a low horn player (decent chances)
Probably will feel comfortable with much of the list, although I haven't seen it yet

My Very Own Harper's Index

Please forgive me, this is my first attempt at a Harper's Index. I can guarantee it won't be as cool as the real ones.

Number of rehearsals I have had to attend this week: .5
Number of hours I slept last night: .5
Number of minutes I allowed myself to bike to music school due to hitting snooze button: 7
Number of minutes it took me: 6
Number of students I was supposed to teach today: 7
Number that showed up for their class: 0
Number of days until Christmas vacation for students: 1
Number of days until Christmas vacation for teachers/orchestra members: 3
Number of Christmas concerts left to survive: 3
Number of days until Christmas: 11
Number of Christmas gifts I've bought so far: 5
Number I have left to buy: 5
Number of luggage items I am bringing home: 4
Number I am checking: 1
Number of episodes of West Wing I was hoping to watch on the journey home: 12
Number of episodes I will be able to watch now that my computer battery isn't working: 1
Number of helpful things Apple Care guy told me: 0
Number of apples I have eaten this week: 0
Number of pears or pear flavored things I have eaten today: 3
Number of sushi rolls I plan to eat tonight at Campay: 2
Number of pesos I plan to spend: 70
Number of dollars that equals: 7
Percentage off on sushi rolls at Campay on Thursdays: 50
Number of Thursdays I will be in the USA: 2
Number of times I will be salsa dancing on Thursday night in the next two weeks: 2
Number of times I have gone salsa dancing here since August: 2
How excited I am to go home: priceless.

I really should have gotten more sleep last night, but I tossed and turned, and then watched True Romance which is a really good movie. Word.

Uh oh.

I was just at Wal-Mart (the first no no) and realized I was singing along to every song that came on. I then realized that I actually own the CD they were playing in Wal-Mart.

Does that speak highly of Wal-Mart or poorly of me?

Yeah, better not to answer.

A Wedding

I'm supposed to have gotten a really great blog entry out of this wedding I went to on Saturday. But you can't force a really great blog entry. So I'll just relay the events and we'll see what happens.

My friend and co-worker, RM, got married on Saturday. As our wedding gift (and dues for getting a free party) about half the orchestra provided the music for the event. Some contributed more than others- JK arranged "All You Need is Love" for the recessional, and JM arranged a lot of string pieces in order to include the brass and winds a little more. Oh yeah, JM also conducted, which was cool.

Anyway, it was kind of half gig, half friend's wedding which made me both enjoy the gig but not cry at the wedding. Well, I cried a tiny bit, but I don't think anyone noticed.

It was a beautiful ceremony, but after it ended the party really started.

Highlights included:

• Waiting so long for food that we turned into 4 year olds, playing games with the flatware.
• The food being well worth the wait.
• 
  
• Seeing the bride and groom dance a cha-cha.
  
• Realizing it was a cha-cha version of Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers.
• 
  
• Galloping around in a conga line of solteras due to some tradition I don't know about.
• Enjoying it thoroughly.
• 
  
• Not catching the bouquet.
• Not catching the bouquet all three times the bride threw it.
• 
  
• Mariachis that brought tacos.
• The mother of the bride busting out in song with the mariachis.
• 
  
• Seeing little girls in princess dresses with their hair done up in flowers.
• Seeing my co-workers dressed up in not-black clothes.
• 
  
• Being complimented on how I look by my co-workers (thanks!).
• Socializing with people that aren't my co-workers (no offense!).
• 
  
• Sleeping all day the next day.
• Still having two more days after that off.

Yeah for weddings and congrats to R and R- they seem to really be right for each other, lucky bums.

Jingle Bells, Time Wasters, and Party Justifications

Jingle Bells:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2700154567140630531&pr=goog-sl

Time Waster:

www.weffriddles.com

Warning: IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO WASTE, DO NOT GO TO THE FOLLOWING SITE. IT WILL SUCK YOU IN AND YOU WILL END UP WASTING YOUR TIME WHETHER YOU HAVE IT TO WASTE OR NOT.

Party Justifications:

Lastly, here is a list of excuses we are using to have parties here lately. Fortunately, most of them seem fairly legitimate.

~Thanksgiving
~Semi-House Warmings
~Successful Cello Concerto Performance
~Fantastic Jazz Trio Premiere
~Bachelor Party
~Bachelorette Party
~Another Bachelorette Party
~Weddings
~Going Away Party

And here is a list of excuses to have parties while I am home. Perhaps less legitimate, but it's vacation so it's OK.

~Welcome Home!
~Welcome Back to Alma Mater!
~Nostalgic Evening of Visiting Old Hang Outs
~Reunion at The Cardinal
~Welcome Back to Hometown!
~Merry Christmas Eve!
~Merry Christmas!
~Happy 23rd Birthday!
~Happy New Year's Eve!
~Happy New Year's Day!
~Welcome Amber to my new home abroad!
~Amber in town for 2 weeks!
~Real House-Warming?
~Post-Concerts (perhaps successful, likely not)
~Welcome Jessica to my new home abroad!
~Goodbye Amber!
~Goodbye Jessica!

and on and on. Yippee.

How do you spell Bachelorette?

"I have never..."

You know the "I have never..." game? You play it at summer camp sleepovers, on Spring Break road trips, and when you're on tour with your high school marching band. That's right, now you remember.

Just in case, this is how it works. Everyone in the circle puts all 10 fingers up. The first person says "I have never..." and finishes in the sentence with something they have never done (duh). If you HAVE done the thing the person says, you have to clap (so everyone knows you've done it, in case it's embarassing or funny or something) and put a finger down. Last person with a finger up wins. Of course the point is to think of something really good that you have never done that everyone else in the circle has done.

I thought of some really good things I could have used if I had played "I have never..." yesterday, as I did a few things I have never done before, but seem probably common, today.

Yesterday...

1) I had never gone to a movie in a theater by myself. (The Prestige is an AWESOME movie by the way. And Christian Bale is smoking hot. And I didn't actually intend to see it by myself, but things got confusing because I forgot my cell phone and Mexican movie theater organization is craaaazy.)
2) I had never rejected a blog comment. (I'm sorry BP, but I just can't "jeopardize my career" like that, especially after my mother's scolding. Post the comment link-ified and I will gladly oblige.)
3) I had never walked a dog. (That's the killer that would've wiped 'em all out in one round.)

Fortunately, I still am really good at winning "I have never..." with the following...

1) I have never attended the first grade.
2) I have never eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
3) I have never smoked marijuana.
4) I have never smoked a cigarette!
5) I have never seen Ghostbusters.
6) I have never dyed my hair.
7) I have never plucked my eyebrows.
8) I have never bought a television.
9) I have never bought a computer.
10) I have never been to grad school.

BAM. How many fingers do you have left?

Wanna play?

Sir Winston Branchill, perhapsÇ

HEY HEY HEY¡ we:re shaking things up on the blog o clara¡ I am not her, for one thing, and i;m waving her very nice shiny computer around, for another. I happen to be one of her famous blogged-about housemates. whatever she says about me is a lie. Never trust anyone who configures their keyboard to Spanish language¡ these¡ things¡ are¡ all¡ upside¡ down¡ WTFÇ¡ and that, after the F, was supposed to be a question mark, but came out as a French c to excuse my French and pay tribute to her instrument. ok, sorry for going on and on (and i could because this is extremely annoying).

I set out only to ask a question. You see Clara here let me post on her blogthing here because i wanted her to ask her reader-friends to name our tree and she instead suggested that i do it (I think because she secretly hates how her keyboard is configured but wants the whole Mexican experience, annoyance and all). Soo on to the abovementioned tree¡ it is a very large and happy tree, slouching in the corner of our living room. if it ever fixes its posture there is no telling how tall it will be. for now, at 12 feet, at would make a formidable xmas tree but, alas, it is not of the needle-y sort and does not believe in holidays. I;m afraid i have no idea what kind of tree it is, but it has many many leaves and is green, if that helps with the naming process. and branches. Get Naming¡ thank you for your time. Carlos de Contrabajo¡

Playing School

You know how little kids play school? I used to looove to play school. I remember in third grade Kristin LeLoup and I spent a week planning for a sleepover at which we were going to play school. We got some assignments, grading material, nametags, etc. and we did play school for hours on end in her basement. It was fun.

The thing is, actual teaching isn't much different. I make up homework assignments, I write things on the board, I correct homework, I write quizzes, I make lists of things to memorize. And I enjoy it just as much. It's really fun to assign homework and announce an exam schedule. I even like taking attendance.

Plus teaching English is a kick, because it's basically a license to stand in front of a bunch of kids and talk, and that counts as educating them. Even if you just want to tell a story that's on your mind.

My favorite part is making them laugh. And when they ask very sincere questions and I can resolve them. It is truly fulfilling.

I've always been the same way about teaching, since I started doing it in high school, whether the subject be horn, piano, soccer, waiting tables, piano, calculus, chamber music, or English. I dread going to it every time. During it time disappears and I get energized and feel not only good at what I do, but that I'm learning too. Afterwards I get a sort of high that comes from contributing to kids that I inevitably grow to find adorable.

The thing is, I still am sure I don't want to be a teacher primarily, at least definitely not of music. Is that weird?

Oh, and also, I will just say this: mother knows best; the blog has been edited accordingly.

Quickie

On Friday: I bought my plane ticket home and had a semi-house warming/post-concert party.

On Saturday: I played a wedding gig for a relative of the third richest man in the world and saw a bi-zarre electronic music improvised to surreal French film from the 1930's followed by drinks with the performer.

On Sunday: I made some tostones, went to a horn sectional, and played soccer WITHOUT spraining my knee.

I like my life.

Which comes first, the Blog or the Life?

My dad sent me this today, via email, I might add. (Hey Dad! You can comment ON my blog!)

"...the thought occurs: do you live your life in such a way as will create good material for your blog?"

To be honest, I'm really not sure if it was a complete joke or a serious question or a little of both--another product of internet communication, huh? No tone of voice capability yet.

But, it got my head spinning in a certain area, so I'm going to write about it.

How do we live our lives- for how it will be to live them, or for how it will sound when we tell other people about them, whether that's on paper or out for drinks?

I remember when I was picking colleges I really wanted to go to Oberlin Conservatory because no one in my high school had heard of it. I mean really, I loved that it was obscure and different and I would look elite or something if I went there. Of course, looking back I realize all my classmates save my best friends could have given a damn where I went to school, but at the time it seemed important. Luckily I snapped out of it before May 1st, and instead of going to an obscure liberal college's conservatory that hadn't had a steady horn teacher in 10+ years, I went to a nearby, more middle of the road, state school that many of my high school classmates were also headed to with a fantastic, internationally recognized horn professor. I adored going to the University of Wisconsin-Madison pretty much every day I was there.

When I tell my music acquaintances where I went to school I often get little or a negative reaction. It's not a particularly renowned music school (not that Oberlin really is either). Side note: most of the horn players know otherwise. But I don't care, because I got a really good education and got good enough at the horn to make it as a freelancer and now I have a job. I made A LOT of good connections and am exactly where I want to be. I made the right decision.

It's fun to tell people I live in Mexico for the same reason I wanted to tell people I was going to Oberlin. They think I'm adventurous, brave, open-minded and fluent in another language. Although I hope those things are true, they don't necessarily have to be for me to live here. Many days they aren't true. But I like that people think that.

Honestly, the jury's still out on if the place is making me happy. I'm happy, but I don't give living in Mexico all the credit. More on that another day.

And if the life comes first and the blog later...

How do we talk about our life? I know people that have the most amazing things happen to them and they pass them off as somewhat ho-hum. I know people who have not much happen to them at all but can make a fantastic story about it. Does it matter what happens to us or does it matter how we tell the story? Which do we remember? Which do we live from?

Version 1:

There's always a lot that happens the week before going into a concert. One thing I really love about music is that once you're on stage it doesn't matter, the audience doesn't care, and it dissolves. You have to be present.
Tonight we are playing a Prokoffief March originally for Wind Ensemble; we were supposed to play the Chamber Orchestra version but the wrong parts arrived (or were ordered?) and now we're playing the Chamber Wind Ensemble version with a few parts missing- oboes playing trumpet parts, horns playing tenor sax parts, some ridiculous lengthy moments of nothing but repetitive boom-chicks. Then Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with an endearing young and shy violinist, who sounds like a machine and an angel singing depending on the passage. I'm crossing my fingers we can keep up with him. Then Brahms Symphony No. 4, which is fun to play second horn on, especially the second movement. I love how Brahms uses rhythms and makes the phrases flow into one another almost so you don't notice and it's just like one 20 minute phrase. We aren't really exploring either of those qualities in this performance, but I can still appreciate it cerebrally. Given the drama of today's particular rehearsal, it will be interesting to gauge the tension level once we get on stage tonight. We should have a color system like the terrorist warning thing in the states- Green: All the regulars are sick and the orchestra is made entirely of subs who haven't known eachother long enough to hold grudges. Yellow: Normal annoyance across the board, but no particular drama. Orange: Principal so and so just broke up with so and so violist, because so and so percussionist was caught yaddah yaddah yaddah. Red: Certain members are spacing out so much and so frequently that other members are playing spitefully consistently. I think the musicians that read this know exactly what I mean.

Version 2:

I'm playing a concert tonight. Wish me luck!

Know what I mean?

life is goooooood

Today I...

1. Woke up early by accident, no alarm. I love getting up without an alarm and having time to do everything I always itend to do before I go to work. It happens about once every five months. :)

2. Ate fish tacos and ceviche with some super cool guys.

3. Had someone clean my entire house for the cost of 120 pesos=12 dollars/3 people= 4 dollars. 4 dollars!!

4. Read, wrote some email, took a nap.

5. Went to a yoga class (a somewhat bizarre yoga class, but nevertheless energizing and body-toning.)

6. Got an extra wad of cash to perform Brahms' Fourth Symphony (keeping in mind we were doing it anyway, so this was just an extra performance).

7. Played Brahms'4 with a mediocre orchestra, and a pretty darn good horn section.

8. Had a few beers- cafe owners gave us bruschetta on the house as they do every once in a while.


Tomorrow I will...

1. Wake up early to go play in a mediocre orchestra (OK, so not everything on this list can be dripping with optimism).

2. Make a Spinach Salad and a Raspberry Vinagrette to bring to Thanksgiving dinner.

3. Teach 2 hours of Chamber Music (I am neutral about this particular item, FYI).

4. Bring aforementioned Spinach Salad to aforementioned Thanksgiving dinner. Will recieve in return turkey, pies, mashed potatoes, motza balls, applesauce, beer and who knows what else.

5. Spend the evening with a great group of people. I'm expecting a lot of intelligent comments, engaging conversation, and laughing. Really-the people here are rad.

So, yeah, could be worse, huh?

G'night!

Dear You knOw who you Are,

(Reader Warning: this is a rant.)

Since our love affair began two years ago, I have been committed to you. I took a big risk asking you out, but luckily you said yes right off the bat. I basically fell in love with you. But there comes a point where you just have to put your self-worth above your infatuations.

It's true, you are fantastically great. You have taken me all over the world. You have paid for a lot of amazing meals, parties until the wee hours. You have introduced me to loads of amazing people, many of them famous and world-renowned musicians, or soon to be. You have helped me improve my Spanish and exposed me to many cultures and perspectives. You have given me adventure. You have opened a multitude of doors for me, including leading me to the job I have now.

But this summer you started jerking me around. At first I was willing to bend over backwards for you, willing to be the bigger person. By the end, I was fed up with how you were treating me. By the end, I was starting to think- I deserve better than this.

And now, I find out you don't want me back. I find out you were going behind my back, noodling with less gutsy people, those that will continue to take your poor treatment, lack of respect, unprofessionalism, and messed up vision.

Well, you know what? I'm better off without you. It's true, I could go crawling back. I could beg for your forgiveness and probably, in the end, you would invite me along for another summer of exotic experiences. But this time, I choose to move on and stand up a little taller for it. If you can't see a good catch when it falls into your lap, you don't deserve her.

I wish you all the best.

C de C

Eggplant Affinity

I'm getting obsessed with eggplant.

Last weekend I made Grilled Eggplant Caviar:

1 eggplant
1 cup feta cheese
1 plum tomato, diced
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon loosely packed basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Pita Bread ( or French bread, or tortillas if you are desperate)

1. Prepare the grill. Slice and peel the eggplant into rounds about 1/4-inch-thick. Combine the cheese, tomato, garlic, oil, basil and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Grill the eggplant slices on each side over medium-hot coals until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

3. Cut eggplant into a small dice and add to the tomato mixture, turning several times. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired, before serving. Serve with pita bread or with French bread.

**Not that I know a damn thing, but use extra basil.**

Right now I'm working on a pot of Ratatouille:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 small eggplant, cubed
• 2 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
• 4 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped, or 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
• 3 to 4 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

PREPARATION:

In a 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add eggplant; stir until coated with oil. Add peppers; stir to combine.

zSB(3,3)

Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep vegetables from sticking.

Add tomatoes, zucchini, and herbs; mix well. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes, or until eggplant is tender but not too soft.
Serves 4.

**Again, feel free to ignore. Use a few less of the other vegetables or a few more tomatoes, and a little tomato puree or paste or sauce. Don't skimp on the spices. Good over rice.**

This looks fantastic-Eggplant and Mozarella Sandwiches:

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 6-inch lengths of French bread or individual sandwich buns
• olive oil
• garlic powder
• salt
• 12 to 16 ounces thinly sliced Mozzarella cheese
• roasted red pepper slices, cut in strips
• 1 medium eggplant
• flour
• salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

Split bread; sprinkle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little garlic powder and salt. Cut eggplant into 1/2-inch thick slices. Dredge in flour and fry in hot oil until browned. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

zSB(3,3)

Place overlapping slices on one side of split bread. Top with slices of Mozzarella cheese; add several strips of roasted red pepper. Put under broiler briefly to melt cheese and lightly brown.
Serves 4


It's true, I'm on a cooking kick. I think it's the combination of finally having most of the necessary dishes to cook anything besides beans or eggs, having roommates that eat my creations, and living two blocks from a good market that is stocked with fresh fruits, veggies and basil they literally cut right off the plant when you buy it.

And it is a simple pleasure, to be sure. Honestly, things at the job aren't going so hot. I'm thoroughly annoyed with the conductor, the administration, the politics and the complaining (although not uncalled for). In fact the only thing I like about my work right now is that I get to play the horn. So it was awesome to wake up late today, decide to cook, and get a little lost in the chopping, stirring, and NPR I was listening to during said actions. Relaxing, really. And then you get to eat!

Another shout out to the internet, which is showing me I never-ever-ever (name that pop culture reference?) have to buy a cookbook again.

All y'all whose blogs I read (you know who you are), why don't you post some good recipes? It could be fun!

Rank these from 1 to 4, one being the most enjoyable, 4 being the least enjoyable.

~Good music-good conductor
~Bad music~bad conductor
~Good music~bad conductor
~Bad music-good conductor

I say 1,4,3,2 but I think in 10 years when I've played a lot more good repertoire I will say 1,4,2,3.

Make sense?

Would be interested in your opinons and reasons!

A Moment

Today during our Brass Quintet dress rehearsal the lights turned out for a moment and we were left in complete darkness.

It just so happens that this blackout coincided perfectly with the the three beat grand pause in the second movement of Eric Ewazen's Frostfire. At the moment the silence began we were thrown into utter darkness, and light returned a millisecond before we had to play the next chord.

No way.

Mmmm...Huesos...

Spanglish pun explanation: "huesos" in Spanish means bones. It also is the word for "gig." Therefore, the title is funny.

Some people have a taste for the freelancing lifestyle, others do not. I'm certain it's related to age, family, financial situation, etc. but I think it may also be an innate personal quality. I think I have it.

I like variety; I like having a different schedule every day; I like being busy; I like being organized and efficient with my time; I like thinking on my feet, switching gears quickly, seeing lots of different people in one day; I like being tired when I finally get to go to bed.

Before I moved here my days often looked like this.

5:30 am: get up, walk to the coffee shop to open at 6 am.
11:30 am: finish at the cafe, go to Little Big Band rehearsal at UW.
2:00 pm: grab lunch, drive to first private lesson
3:00 pm: squeeze in rehearsal with accompanist
4:30 pm: go to teach second private lesson
5:30 pm: head to Dubuque for rehearsal-make some phone calls on the way
10:00 pm: leave Dubuque, listening to recordings of pieces for next week on the drive home
11:30 pm: arrive home and catch up on email, send off some resumes
12:30 am: crash into bed to do it again the next day!

Yep, sometimes I got really tired. But in general, I found I had a lot of energy because I really liked everything I was doing. When you are excited about everything ahead of you on any given day, it's easy to find the energy, which is one of the main reasons I'm so committed to being a musician.

Now, I'm not saying I don't like having time to cook complicated things if I so choose, ample time to watch The West Wing and have a beer or four with my friends, or time to actually maintain a blog. But I miss the pace of having more than one activity you do both because you enjoy it and to earn money. I think that's part of the reason I took a job teaching English right when I got here.

Fortunately, things are picking up, little by very little. I've had one gig since I've moved here (a fluke: special request for brass quartet at a wedding) but in the past week I've gotten two more. Hopefully these things do grow exponentially rather than...wait, what's the other one?

So, next Monday looks a bit like my old life, and I kinda like it.

10:30 am: press conference for chamber music concerts
12:00 pm: read through woodwind quintet arrangements for orchestration class at ESAY (music conservatory)
3:30 pm: brass quintet dress rehearsal
7:00 pm: english class
8:00 pm: string orchestra rehearsal-playing extra for some violin concerto

That doesn't even include my actually salaried job- we have that day off. (12 pm and 8 pm are gigs #2 and 3, in case you couldn't tell)

Other things possibly in the works...Mozart Horn Concerto No. 3 with the aforementioned string orchestra, Konzertstuck with the symphony, another horn quartet concert, another brass quintet recital (???) , a recital, soloing with my old high school Wind Ensemble...

I like scheming, I like planning, I like organizing, I like hurrying, I like doing.
Lucky for me, it's all necessary for what I want to do.

Many things, but not feeling all that creative.

I came up with a lot of good Blog Post Titles in my head today. But I don't want to go through the effort to make the actual post live up to the standard the title sets. So, here ya go.

1)Chile: Qualms and Consejo?

La Orquesta Sinfonica de Santiago has 4 horn job openings. Or they did...huh...that was posted on musicalchairs a few hours ago, now it's not. Strange. Anyway, the reason they have so many openings is because they apparently fired most of the orchestra, or the ones that stuck with the union, or something like that. Some people are trying to get the word out not to apply for these jobs or that reason. But, it's all rumors at this point.

Question- should I send 'em my resume? I'm leaning towards no, but would like comments, please.

(BTW, consejo=advice).

2) It's Beginning to Feel a lot Like Día de los Muertos

Biking home from Brass Quintet rehearsal today was fun because I got to bike through town on the night of a very important holiday in Mexico, "The Day of the Dead." Tonight is a big part of the holiday, and tomorrow we all have vacation, from everything.
I went to a little thing at the music school I teach at, where they had made an altar and cooked a bunch of traditional food (pib=a giant tamale supposedly cooked underground, relleno negro=eggs and chicken in a black sauce, served in tortillas, pan de muerto=dead bread, sweet, slightly orange-y bread, atole=corn based, past drink- ICK). It was fun to learn a bit about the holiday and go around the circle and hear how this time of year is celebrated in Yucatán, the rest of Mexico (because it's different!), United States (that was my turn to talk), Colombia, Italy, and England. Mmmm, one of my favorite parts about my job.

3)You Need Your Knees

Some people from the orchestra organized a soccer game last Sunday. That game was definitely one of my top five favorite moments in Merida to date. It was a perfect day, about 12 people showed up (Mexicans, Brits, Americans, Bulgarians, Russians, men, women, kids, short, tall, just like soccer should be). It was great to be playing again, and great to be spending time with my co-workers without a) drinking nor b) talking about work. And I was even pretty much in shape from all the biking I do here and my exercising kick (no pun intended) I started last month. I have since set that kick aside during my mom's visit and my moving process, but I plan to pick it up again as soon as my knee heals. Oh, that was the point of this paragraph.

The entire game ended with me in goal. Running out to block a shot, slapping the ball to the ground, diving a bit to get it before the oncoming forward could, and my knee giving out. Crunch, "Owww...." and I was on the ground and not walking normally since. The last time my knee gave out was the day I got offered and accepted my job here. (No, I did not get offered another job on Sunday, for those of you that believe in those things.) I've had knee problems for the past 5 years. I've also had a car for the past 5 years. This time it seems a bit more problematic, as I walk and bike everywhere. Luckily I just moved WAY closer to downtown, and I can actually bike in a somewhat one-legged manner. Buses and a new roommate with a car are also contributing. But, I think it is healing more slowly as a result, and I am realizing that I really need to deal with this situation. I think I should take on some real physical therapy and fix this thing. I don't want to be afraid of this happening every time I play soccer, especially if the orchestra games become a regular Sunday thing, like we are hoping.


Well, those titles seemed a lot better before I wrote them down. Oh well. I think I had some more too, but I can't remember them. Basically, life is great. Like my roommates and the house, my moving in is complete now that I finally got my bed moved back into the house, finally playing real music in orchestra again, feeling ready with the brass quintet and no work tomorrow!

Living with Boys

Well, I'm finally all moved in. I've just made a move to a new house with 2 bass players, JK and CM (practically the entire bass section, btw). The house is nice- furnished, nice high ceilings to help cope with the heat, good lighting, great courtyard in back. Tonight JK is away playing a gig, and CM is away with his family. So, it's my last day in a house by myself for a long while. Tomorrow we will start being roommates.

I don't mean to make this sound too significant, it really isn't, but I have lived by myself for two years now, and this seems like a big change. I am basically really excited to have roommates. I intentionally shyed away from roommates after my junior year of college, due to a somewhat stressful house-sharing experience and a personal shift in priorities. I think I've bounced back nicely, so nicely, that I'm even prepared to live with dudes, which I've never done before.

I'm setting my expectations low- I'm expecting no cleaning, lots of TV noise, rude comments and bodily noises I'd rather not hear. (Am I being too judgmental based on stereotypes? Or not?) But I don't really care, I've considered all these things. And these guys are really nice, interesting, and funny. I'm also expecting some great conversations, lots of laughs, help fixing my bike, and cheaper than cheap rent. You win some, you lose some. :)

Oh, and we have wireless internet- fun.

Beethoven 9: The Recap

And no, I don't mean the recapitulation, for all you music geeks. Although there were a few of them. And they sounded OK.

The point is this: I got to play the fourth horn part to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony this weekend. Three performances. A few too many rehearsals. It was fun, but it also felt like work.

Because a lot of horn players read my blog, I'm going to overanalyze the experience. For those of you that are a) not horn players or b) not interested in what goes through my head while I do my "job," feel free to skim, or skip entirely, this post.

I knew that playing the actual part would be much different than playing the excerpt in auditions, as I've done 15 or 20 times now. I think playing the excerpt will be easier from now on, not only because it's more comfortable due to the pure repetition with the actual orchestra, but because the excerpt is a lot easier than the part. When you play the excerpt you don't have to play two movements of low B-flat horn beforehand. You don't have to play most of the long notes in the part, you don't have to tune to the out-of-tune clarinets, and you don't have to pretend to look at the conductor once in a while.

The biggest thing is the endurance. My old teacher warned me of this, and I decided not to pass off a few notes to the third player as he strongly suggested. I don't regret that decision, but it was a bit of a challenge in just a few measures. And when you get to that arpeggio, down to the low B-flat, it just feels completely different than you think it's going to. But you have to just truck down there and crank it out.

The other thing that was very funny to me was my colleagues' reactions. After the melody, and then the solo bar, the whole row (third horn, trumpet players, maybe even a particularly aware trombonist) would stick there foot out or give me a shuffle. And I'm thinking "Wow, the work is just beginning" because really, the "solo" is easy as pie. And fun! It's the stuff afterwards that's difficult. And the first movement. That's harder than the excerpt too.

ANYWAY, it was a really good experience, and I'm glad I got the chance to get nervous and play something exposed- it had been a while.

Overall, the performance was a little campy- big community chorus, local mediocre soprano, ya know. But it was fun. And there were some moments. And it's a masterpiece, no doubt, so it was still exhilirating at certain times.

And that exhilariation will have to last me for the next two weeks, since next up is Bambuco Sinfonica, which is rumored to be some Colombian musical...wish me luck.

Nice Picture

Really I just wanted to test out this posting pictures thing, now that I'm trying to get in the habit of using my digital camera more often. I like this picture- it's the east coast of the peninsula I reside on. And I'm going there in thirteen days. Sweet.

Basquetbol

I think this is "supposed to happen" when you live abroad. You get a perspective. Have any of you other abroaders (Spot, LR, BK, anyone?!?) had the experience of seeing something you saw as normal in the states as completely bizarre in another country? And then you realize that it's actually completely bizarre in your own culture as well?

I went to a basketball game tonight- Los Mayas. That's right- the mascot is an "indian" (a Mayan, to be exact) except I didn't see anything Mayan about him- even his skin was white. If there is a single Mayan in the history of the world with white skin...well, there's not.

Realization #1: Mascots?? What is THAT?

The star player for Los Mayas is Lil' Magic (real name: something Dorsey). He is kind of little-he's the point guard. He has corn rows and wears a sweatband that says MaJic on the front and Lil' on the back. He has his own t-shirts for his extra special fans, and he changed shoes, socks, and sweatbands at half time. He made about 50% of his lay ups, but for everyone he made he reacted in a way that would make the naive bystander think he's the best basketball player in the world.

Realization #2: Most basketball players are this way. On TV, it's not so strange, which is true of a lot of things, huh?

The "cheerleaders" here are horrible. They walked out a few minutes prior to half time, threw a few pens into the fans, took off their little outfits to reveal even littler ones, and proceeded to "dance" to "Don't You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot (Like Me)." I put dance in quotations because I wouldn't really call that dancing. It was more like, "look at me, I'm skinny and can move my hips back and forth." There was no routine, no ensemble, no rhythm, they just stood in a mob in the middle of the court and kind of moved back and forth. It was WEIRD.

Realization #3: Is the full routine, with lifts and drops and claps and everything, any more sane?

I went to get a coke 3 minutes before half time to avoid the crowds. There wasn't a single person in line. In fact, there wasn't even anything really available at the concessions, save a pack of Oreos and a few cheap beers. I have a feeling there wasn't a half-time rush.

Realization #4: Americans love to snack. This is not a universal love. It goes without saying, practically, that we (Americans) do it while watching sports (live or on TV), movies, at intermission of plays and concerts, before meals (appetizers?), parties, in class, at work, in the car. I am no exception. Luckily, I can't snack while I play horn.

The game was terribly exciting. Yelling "eso!" and "Donde está la magia??" is still more fun then the English options.

Realization #5: I like watching sports.

Tomorrow-Oakland A's v. Minnesota Twins in TBA sports bar with my sports-watching, viola-playing friend RG (who happens to be from Oakland!).

OK, fine.

I've gotten a little flack for not updating my blog lately. I'm choosing to respond with a post about all those things you blog about when you don't have a million things happening in your life, rather than blogging about the millions of things that are happening in my life. So there.

1) Go Twins. This is the best stage of this process because I can root for Joe Mauer AND Derek Jeter. I know that's a bit un-Minnesotan because we don't really want to play the Yankees, but those ojos...sigh.

2) iPod on shuffle is amazing. It's just such a kick to be listening to Cumbia and then have it segue to Wagner which segues to Alison Krauss. Maybe it will get old eventually, but it hasn't yet. Also, the few days before I saw Cake live (by the way, I saw Cake live!!!!!) it knew to play a Cake song every 5 or so- what is that about?

3) I had a dream about an ex-boyfriend I haven't thought about in ages last night. Where do those random dreams come from?!?

4) Today my best English student stayed after and asked me to help her with her assignment for English class at her school- 6 proverb type phrases. My examples were: An apple a day keeps the doctor away; The early bird gets the worm; Nice guys finish last; Don't look a gift horse in the mouth; There are other fish in the sea; and Don't count your chickens before they hatch. What would yours be? And why do mine all reference animals (yes, guys are animals, especially nice guys)?


There. Now I don't have to talk about my grandparents growing older, my roommate moving out and me trying to find another living situation, my car breaking down, my bus arriving to Merida an hour and a half late last night, making me run in breathless and teach a lesson on gerunds with completely no preparation, the person I spend the most time with in Merida moving away a few days ago, how I'm kinda homesick, and how broke I am.

OR about how I had a fantastic visit home, heard some great music played by a great orchestra, my best friend who I've known for almost twenty years and still just adore, watching my admirable mother handle the situation with her parents gracefully, tactfully, and lovingly, going to a really fun baseball game with my dad, a very productive, educational rehearsal with a Bulgarian trombonist who I am lucky enough to have as a colleague, making my first opportunity to play a concerto with an actual ensemble happen, and how there were actually some things I missed a lot about this place I now call home.

I'm pretty sneaky, huh?

"Life has a funny way, of helping you out when you think everything's gone wrong, and everything's blown up in your fa-ace."

(Name that pop singer from my adolescence.)

Anyway, it's a fitting explanation of my week. It's been kind of a rough one, for emotional, relationship-type reasons. In fact, I feel a little split in two: my career is taking off (have been feeling very good about my playing, have started a brass quintet, had my first gig in this city, have new ideas and opportunities) while my personal life seems to be slapping me in the face, due to unfortunate circumstances.

To be brief, in a sea of very pleasant friends, I have found two very important relationships here with two people that I find quite exceptional. That is, they are different than anyone I have ever met before, we have a great connection, I respect them intensely, they intrigue me, inspire me, support me, nourish me, make me laugh, invite me out and ask for my help. I've invested myself in them. They are ideal friendships, in a still foreign city where I really value them. I found out in the past two weeks that both of them are resigning from the orchestra and moving away. Far away. This week I have been, to put it simply, sad.

And then yesterday, my co-worker stops me and says, "So, week after next is two horns, I'd rather play it, want it off?" And I thought about it, looked at the calendar, realized that if I worked out a few kinks I could get a full 11 days off work without losing but a few hundred pesos in pay. Next thing I know, I have a fairly cheap flight booked to Minneapolis, and many plans for my time back. I feel completely energized, looking forward to getting my time with family and friends that I missed out on this summer, and grateful for the realization that upon making plans to be in Minneapolis I could email 15+ people that I really want to see there.

So I'm feeling much better. Thinking about friendships and people, I am reflecting that I have in fact picked a fairly transitive career. I may not live in the same place for more than a few years in the next twenty years, depending on how it goes. But I do think I will meet a vast amount of fascinating people along the way. I also am thinking that the really great ones you never lose touch with as I email my best friend from age four, family friends from the same era, a friend from junior high, friends, my horn teacher, and band director from high school, college friends and an old co-worker. I am truly blessed for the unique individuals I have let into my life along the way. (And gracias a dios for email!)

Here's to two more of them, and all the adventures on which they are about to embark.

Thoughts on Mexico: Mexicans are funny (in honor of Spot and LR)

It's pretty fantastic, actually. Two of my favorite horn players that I had the pleasure of playing with in a previous era are just beginning their "orchestra job in another country" experiences. Welcome to the club. Anyway, they have recently provided some interesting, chuckle-inducing lists (LR's, Spot's).

I'll admit it, I feel left out. I never made a list like that. So I'm going to now.

1) Do they really think that if they yell out "Hello lady!" in a thick accent as I bike by, I might think they speak English and stop to chat?

2) I don't want to buy a hammock. Ever. Stop asking.

3) Hot water is not included. I learned this the hard way, after renting a house, wondering why I couldn't get it to work, and learning that I had to actually purchase my own boiler, and pay to get it installed. Fortunately, hot water is also not exactly necessary in this climate, so I was able to hold off a few months on that.

4) Sí, se llama el corno. Never heard of it? Well, it's like a trumpet, except it's a spiral, and I put it on my knee, and the sound goes backwards. Still never heard of it?

5) Yucatan has a thing for pork, tortillas, beans, limes, habanero, avocado and salsa. Fortunately, I adore all of the above.

6) Spot, this place is the same, sooo dusty! Why is that? We get plenty of rain!

7) When it rains, you can't do aaannnyyything. So don't make plans for about 5 pm-8 pm, period.

8) LR, Humidity isn't all bad, but all humidity is. From www.weather.com today-- "Humidity-100 %" (I swear, I did not make that up for effect- click the link to the right if you don't believe me). It said nowhere in the ad for this job on musicalchairs "must be willing to sweat...all the time."

9) Yes, I'm from the US. No, I'm not studying here, I work here. How nice you think I speak Spanish so well. No, actually I don't have a boyfriend. And no, you cannot have my phone number. Or my email address. Or my address. Adios.


Whew, feeling much better. G'night!

"Saving the World, One Apostrophe at a Time"

The title is my mother's slogan. :)

I was brought up to appreciate words. Talking about words is fascinating, funny, satisfying.

I like my Mom's comment on a previous post so much that I feel the need to upgrade it to actual-post status, and respond with some copy-and-pasted definitions.

Mom said: "I hate to be persnickety (do you think I spelled this right), but actually in this context I love the chance to be persnickety. I think you have misused the word "stint". I don't think one can have a stint of generosity, since stint implies the opposite--you know, stingy, tight, parsimonious. A stint of generosity is way too oxymoronic, like a deafening silence. I'm guessing it is not what you meant. I think you meant more along the lines of a short time, maybe a burst, perhaps an episode or flurry? Unless you really meant to imply that the generosity was in some way stingy likey maybe you should have gotten two mac books (just kidding of course). Isn't it weird how flammable and inflammable mean the same thing? Or that sanction can mean one thing and then the opposite? How about how if you "table" an idea, either you continue to talk about it, or you stop talking about it. Perhaps now would be a good time to table this discussion of the word "stint."

I say: It appears you are both right...and wrong, at the same time. This is what I found.

stint v.
1. vi to be ungenerous in offering, providing, or giving
2. vt to deny somebody something out of miserliness, or deny something of the self, usually in an act of sacrifice
3. vi to stop or halt (archaic)

n.
1. a fixed period of time spent on a particular task or job
2. limitation or restriction, especially one of time or amount
3. a pause or stoppage (archaic)


And so, you are right that in a sense, "stint" implies an ungenerosity, or a limitation, which I by no means intended. However, if we review the context...

"Well, to give credit where credit's due, my mom and step-dad gave me a new computer, in a stint of oh-so-much generosity."

...I used the word as a noun, so I actually meant what I wrote. A fixed period of time in which they were especially generous. Not that you aren't always generous, but that you aren't always buying me MacBooks.

In retrospect, perhaps burst, episode or flurry would have been more judicious. I also was considering "bout" but turns out that has a negative connotation as well.

Now, to use the archaic usage (n. #3), I think it's time to put a stint to this conversation.

per·snick·e·ty adj
1. overly attentive to detail and trivia
2. snobbish in terms of choice, and thus wanting or accepting only the finest things
3. necessitating precise, keen attention to details

Way to go. But come on, really, when's the last time you misspelled a word?

Anonymity Deemed Necessary

I get it now, why people use initials and links in blogs. Wouldn't want someone to google !$@##% and be directed to my humble and uncalled for opinions. Could harm my all too pristine reputation. So, if you need any clarifications, just ask. :)

Ladies and Gentlemen, BIENVENIDOS to the Opening of the Sixth Season of the Orchestra!!!

The concert began with "Ficciones" by contemporary Mexican composer, ML. Nice piece, kind of abstract, but interesting, experimenting with colors and rhythmic complexity. Unfortunately, however, in my opinion, not an opener for any concert, much less a season.

We played the piece, and when we finished the audience DID NOT clap. I swear, no applause. So our conductor, rather than turning around to clarify that the piece indeed had ended (to the audience's credit, it WAS an ambiguous ending) chose to begin applauding himself, without actually turning around. So he started clapping, but the audience couldn't really tell, and there was a slow trickle of applause that eventually crescendoed to a medium-sized golf clap. The conductor had each principal wind player stand during this sort of mezzo forte applause and then walked off. The applause died down long before he got off stage.

How do you say AWKWARD in Spanish? (Side note: I have yet to find a truly satisfying translation for this word.)

Well, I was thinking, at least that's over, it can't get much worse...

The concert proceeded with Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto- great pianist, Mr. Brazil (actually his name!) and the audience seemed to forgive us for the previous blunder.

Intermission, string piece, all that was left was Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet-no potential problems there.

We tuned; the conductor returned to the stage and raised his arms towards the bassoons and clarinets to begin the piece. Then, the principal bassoonist stood up and walked off the stage. Wait, that's not supposed to happen...

Conductor looked stunned. Another awkward 15 seconds passed in which everyone just sort of waited for something to happen. Nothing did. The principal clarinetist shook his head and mouthed "No viene" (she's not coming) so the conductor motioned for Bassoon #2 to move over, and we began. Eight bars into it, the conductor stopped (!?!), turned to the audience, apologized, and half-explained what happened. Bassoon #2 went off stage to find Bassoon #1. We waited, trying to avoid eye contact for fear of either cracking up or crying, and then Bassoon #2 returned, without Bassoon #1, and confirmed that she wasn't coming back anytime soon. So, we started AGAIN, and proceeded to play the most unfocused, bizarre version of R + J I've experienced.

Turns out the bassoonist, who had been sick, felt severely ill at the last second, and simply couldn't play. No hard feelings against her, of course. I have a lot of respect for her and trust entirely that it must have been an extreme situation. I only wish it wasn't so hard to bounce back from something like that, as an orchestra, so our opening concert hadn't been a sort of circus.

Well, we hope for the best on Sunday...

¡Hasta la vista! (Get it?)

Because, deep down, we all just want to hear about ourselves.

If you comment on this post...
1. I’ll respond with something random about you.
2. I’ll challenge you to try something.
3. I’ll pick a color that I associate with you.
4. I’ll tell you something I like about you.
5. I’ll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I’ll tell you what animal,vegetable or mineral you remind me of.
7. I’ll ask you something I’ve always wanted to ask you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on yours.

BK, how dare you?

While finally digging through the virtual pile of email I've had sitting in my Inbox since June, I came across a post from BK from June 14th, a comment on my "To Complemint or Criticize?" I recalled that I have been meaning to thank/reprimand him for commenting on my blog. So, please excuse the public nature of this private letter.

Dear BK,

THANK YOU, because I have been wondering what happened to you, how you are, and where you are. We need to catch up, I miss you!

HOW DARE YOU, because when you comment on Blogger, it doesn't give an email address, much less a phone number. So how am I supposed to get in touch- you are such a tease!

So now we are in a bind, because neither of us want to post our contact info due to the far too accessible nature of blogs.

I'll leave it at this- figure out how to get in touch with me.

Here are some selected suggestions:
a) Put a comment with some way for me to contact you in it, and I will recieve it, but not actually send it to get posted on the blog, because I can do that.
b) Ask DA, she has my email address.
c) Figure it out!

I await your timely response...

Sincerely,
C de C

3 am Post

I guess every blog needs one now and again. Most people probably start blogs at 3 am, in a bout of insomnia, when they have recieved no new emails, instant messages, Skype voicemails or Facebook wall posts since they went to sleep.

It's true, I haven't been getting to bed much before 2 am in the last 5 days, but the thing is, I actually WAS asleep, and then I woke up again. And this time I really do have to get up for work tomorrow morning, so I'm particularly annoyed.

I used to be a freakishly heavy sleeper. I once fell asleep with eight people in my dorm room, none of them trying in any way to be quiet. Any plane, train or automobile in any bizarre position was no problem for me. I could handle any friend's couch, or floor, or car! What's happening?? Am I losing my knack?

And life is pretty darn sweet lately, so it's not stress-related. I was feeling a post coming on about how grateful I am- for my job, my friends here and elsewhere, my family, my past accomplisments and my future possiblities; my ability to enjoy the present. I'm the least stressed out I've been since 6th grade, and I guess also the most well-rested...

The thing is, now that I'm up, I almost don't want to go back to sleep. It's the only time I've been awake in my house without sweating since I've returned "home."

¡Buenas noches!

Apple Addict

I got a new computer! A MacBook Pro, to be specific. Well, to give credit where credit's due, my mom and step-dad gave me a new computer, in a stint of oh-so-much generosity. And today it wouldn't start up. So I promptly spent almost the entire day working on getting it going again. The process involved a lot of waiting, during which I watched 3 or 4 Sex and the City episodes, so excuse me if this reads a little more cliche than usual.

It's amazing how dependent we have become on our computers. I felt today (and I think I'm not alone on this, or at least that's what the Apple Care lady led me to believe) that I couldn't do anything else until I got my computer back to normal. Actually it's only in Safe Mode now, I'm still working on the problem, so I haven't completely let go of all the anxiety. In thinking about this, I realized the insane extent to which this reaches.

I often check my email right after I walk in the door. My computer has my Skype, which is the closest thing I have to a real phone in my life right now. I have a journal online, I pay my bills online, I read the newspaper online, I find out about music and art and books online, I chat with friends, see their pictures, buy plane tickets, keep track of events online, on and on. Could this be... addictive behavior? (That's the moment the camera zooms in on the blue computer monitor, for all you S and the C watchers, by the way.)

I actually enjoyed the trouble-shooting process. Apple has good taste in music, and after 15 minutes of one guy telling you you are an important guest and will be attended to shortly, they switch it up and have a different lady jump in. The two different people I worked with were especially nice and helpful. But more importantly, it's a satisfying problem-solving process. You follow simple directions, read numbers aloud, press certain combinations of buttons, wait an already figured amount of minutes and then see the phrase they told you you'd see in the box they told you you'd see it in. And then there you go, problem-fixed. Follow the steps precisely and you are rewarded accordingly. No decision-making, risk-taking, or goal-setting; no over-analyzing or beating around the bush. No difficult conversations in which you must worry about timing and phrasing. No feelings hurt. No vulnerability or sticking your foot in your mouth. No personality conflict. No rejection.

It reminds me of when I was 10 or 11 and I loved filling out those Random House "You could win 1,000,000,000 dollars!" pamphlets. Follow all the directions correctly in the right order, and you never know! It's satisfying in a simple but ultimately superficial way. And I think that's why we all get so into computers, they feel clean-cut and straight-forward, in the midst of our inevitably messy lives.

P.S. It's great to be back "home", I swear! More on that later!

The 4 M´s

I can´t quite begin to summarize this insane trip, so I won´t attempt. Sorry for my neglect along the way.

In a few hours we do the Verdi Requiem with Placido Domingo conducting. It is sure to be an unforgettable experience. I am playing assistant, which means I don´t have to play much, but get to sit in the exact middle of the stage, right in front of the singers. I plan to just soak it up.

The tour has been one of a kind, I have a lot of reflecting to do about it when I get some space. Hopefully will be talking with many of you about much of it. But right now I am triple homesick- for the comfort of Minnesota, the college-style life of Madison, and my current home of Mexico. And I´m stuck in Munich (have I mentioned I´m toying with the idea of moving to German next?).

Be back soon!

Riva del Garda, where the wine flows freely and Internet costs 5 euro an hour.

Enough said.

Not Just Buying Sunglasses

I just bought a pair of sunglasses. I mean a real pair of sunglasses-fashionable, with a fancy name, that come with a case and a special rag to wipe the lenses. I left Flagey, the concert hall in Brussels where we are stationed for our ten days here, and paused a moment. I had two hours to kill and I really needed some sunglasses. I turned left, towards the hotel, and then realized that I had walked that route a hundred times already, so I turned around and crossed my fingers that I would encounter something on that same street. (Since I don't have a good map of this city, any sense of direction, or an understanding of anything but ten words in French, I've made a pact with myself to stay on one street when I decide to explore.)

Sometimes things go horribly wrong-you wander for hours and find nothing interesting in a reasonable price range. You get lost and lose track of time and have to spend 20 euro on a cab and arrive to rehearsal panting. But sometimes you make a guess, walk two blocks in a random direction and see a pair of big sunglasses in neon flashing lights, walk in the store where only two other people are, find a great pair of sunglasses you love, discover the other customer in the store is from Bolivia and speak Spanish with her and invite her to the concert and tell her the glasses she's thinking about buying are "preciosas" and then get 10 euros knocked off the glasses. It was a fun little outing.

But there are many other things to write in this entry, and I still have 25 minutes to get my 1.25 euro's worth.

There are so many elements to this tour, it's hard to sum it up in any way. There's the music, the travel, the people, the language, the food, the administration, the self-discovery and the frustration. I guess I'll start with those and see where it takes me.

***We are playing A LOT of music on this tour---Tchaikovsky 5, Shostakovich 5, Dvorak 9, Il Pagliacci, Verdi Requiem, one piece by Copland, Revueltas, and Ginastera each, a variety of concertos including Rhapsody in Blue and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto, plus some encores. The orchestra is really really talented. It was a mixed bag when I realized how good the other horn players were-it means I wasn't assigned any of the big solos, it also means I get to play in a bad-ass section every day. Every person I've met in the last week has responded to my "I play the horn" with a "You guys sound incredible!!" I'm not going to complain about that. And they're all really great people, so although I was hoping on a chance to shine, nope, no complaining here.

***Brussels is a cool city, although more like a place I would want to live than just pass through. Very advanced, put together, clean, organized, polished. Beautiful gardens, statues, buildings, cafes, and plazas everywhere you turn. That and some tree I am horribly allergic to...Besides checking out the cathedrals and the beer (Brussel's main attractions) we also went to Brugge yesterday (a little city of canals) and are headed to the internationally-famed Musical Instrument Museum.

***It is really an experience to be a returning member of YOA. I feel a level of comfort it took me all tour to achieve last time and I'm getting to know many of the Latinos much better since my Spanish is so much better. Plus, I'm not gonna lie, it was a blast telling everyone that since last summer I've won a job and moved to Mexico. :) The people in this program continue to be like no other group of people I have encountered-undyingly energetic, notably talented and quick, refreshing and fascinating and full of affection. I'm lucky to be in the group.

There is so much more to say but I'm running out of time and energy (that whole thing about not sleeping on the tour? that's still true) so I'll leave it there for now. Oh wait, the food, let me just say ice cream, chocolate, waffles, fries, mussels, strawberries, beer...it's all dreamy.

And, as expected, I'm getting the urge to learn French and move to a country where they speak it...

Let the month of little sleep begin...

In twenty-three and a half hours I will depart this city to begin my summer- a European tour with YOA. That´s right, my bus leaves at midnight, arrives in Cancun around 4 am, then a taxi to the airport, plane leaves for Miami, then to New York, then Brussels, where I arrive Sunday morning at 9:35 am. An appropriate first day for the kind of summer it is sure to be, one where sleep is not a priority, that is.

Will do my best to check in during the tour. I'm sure it will be quite an experience!

Mexican Elections: Who Knew?

Today, Sunday, July 2nd, 2006 is the day of the Mexican presidential election, which happens every six years. It seems that with only four months in Mexico so far, I have witnessed some pretty big, and infrequent, events: both the World Cup and the presidential election. I'm feeling that "Wow, things sure are different in another culture, sometimes more ridiculous, and sometimes smarter than in the US" feeling that you're supposed to get when you live abroad. Here's why.

1) The election is always held on a Sunday. Makes sense, right? Most people don't work, so they don't have to get off work to get to the polls. None of this trying to get off a few hours from the job to vote (technically all employers are required by law to grant this in the US, am I right?). But still, with long lines and traffic and the million other things going on in a person's life, the likelihood of your average worker to fit voting in on any given Tuesday is not high. Sunday seems a bit more democratic to me.

2) It is prohibited to sell alcohol in the entire country from 2 am Saturday morning before the election until the following Monday. Crazy, huh? Not sure how I feel about this one, mostly I'm just really surprised by it. Is it illegal to actually drink alcohol or just sell it? Of that I'm not sure (and decided not to risk it). It is possible that everyone just buys a ton of beer on Friday and stays in for the weekend. But still, an interesting gesture by the government, even if solely symbolic. Frustrating, however, for one of my good friends, whose birthday was on Friday. When the security arrived at around 1 am, the waiters start to yank half full pitchers off the tables, and threatened to take our drinks right out of our hands if we did not finish them soon. Quite a sight.

3) When you vote, you stamp your thumb in dark black ink, which takes at least a few days to really go away. This prevents people from voting twice. Not so hard, huh? Why didn't Jeb Bush think of that? ;)

4) The candidates' campaigns were not always the most issue-centered things I've ever seen. It seems fashionable to rewrite a current pop song with lyrics supporting the candidate and their party, then to blare this song over a loudspeaker propped on top of a van, and drive around the neighborhood. Hmmm...

5) The presidential debates seem a little less, well, required. There are 5 major candidates here, and one of them failed to show up (well, actually just chose not to appear) for the first debate. No one seemed to mind, he's still one of the top two likely to actually win.

Anyway, it has been an interesting experience observing the process from the outside. I still can't quite stay objective though...go Lopez Obrador!

To Compliment or to Criticize?

Last night I heard the this string quartet give a concert. They are a quartet consisting of basically the best string players in our orchestra. Joining them in their concert last night was CC, an internationally recognized soloist and chamber player, and also our guest concertmaster (he comes once in a while to play concertmaster, solo with our orchestra, and give other various recitals).

As I listened to the first half of the program (a Barber string quartet and a piece by contemporary Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas) my mouth hung open. I kept thinking, I can't believe I get to play with these guys every day! Their presentation of the music was impressive- it had all the essential elements of good ensemble playing, but nevermind that, it was ART. It is not often that I get so wrapped up in the music, the energy of what the composer wants to say, that I forget about hearing things like intonation and articulation agreement. But last night I was taken over by purely the music, not the techinque behind it, and I loved it! There were so many phrases I did not want to end, I felt my body's physical sensations actually affected by the music, I was in love with the sound of a string quartet. This was my experience of the concert.

So afterwards, I gathered with the musicians that had played (my friends, lucky me!) and others that had attended the concert. When I went to congratulate the cellist he responded with, "Thanks. It was a bit of a mess, wasn't it?" My euphoric bubble burst and was replaced with a mist of complete self-consciousness. What if I hadn't heard all the mistakes? What if my ears aren't good enough to catch how out of tune it was? What if I'm so poor of a musician that what I thought was great playing was actually bad playing?? So I replaced my planned extensive praise with, "Well, I really enjoyed it" so as not to look like a complete fool of a colleague because he thought it was bad and I thought it was fantastic.

I've noticed this a number of times since I've arrived on the scenes of my first professional orchestra job: it is a lot safer to criticize than to compliment. People can sit around complaining about this guy's baton technique, that guy's tone quality, this guy's out of tune thirds all day, but if someone wants to say something positive it's like they are sticking their neck out. For me, the ever-optimist, this is frustrating.

We sat around for a while discussing the concert. All of these guys have about 10 years (of age and experience) on me. Lucky for me they still let me hang out with them, so I'm trying to just take in as much knowledge as possible, while maintaining my fresh perspective. It's true, the final piece on the program was a little shaky, and not as convincing as the others. But I was still shocked how critical these guys were of themselves, when I had really been musically fulfilled. And it makes me wonder, is your perception of the music at all separate from your own mood and approach? Is it at all possible to listen to music objectively?

I guess the problem is we always think we could have done better. My solution is this- after a concert, enjoy what you did. When you go back into the practice room or the rehearsal hall look at it again critically and improve, for of course we want to learn from our mistakes and keep striving for that elusive perfect performance. But in the moments after a performance, accept the compliments! Be grateful for what you did accomplish, after all, you never know how much somebody enjoyed it, and you don't want to ruin it for them!

Universal Languages

Soccer is like music-a universal language. I think that's part of the reason I'm so into both. This morning I biked downtown to have my first cup of coffee in a place with a TV. I'll admit this is the first time in 8 years without a TV that I've considered buying one, just so I could watch the World Cup. Luckily, I live in Mexico, where every establishment, whether jewelry store or sports bar, coffee shop or archaelogical site, has an accessible TV showing any and every game. So I went to Cafe Olimpo, a sort of tourist center,in search of some fellow gringos with whom to support the US. To my dismay, not only were there no gringos to be found, proving the stereotype that Americans don't care about soccer, but Mexico's TV head honchos had decided that the US-Ghana match wasn't even worth broadcasting!!! On the one hand, I was truly disappointed. On the other hand, let's face it, the Italy vs. Czech Republic game was a lot better.

As I drank my coffee (and discovered this amaaazing chocolate muffin!) I got to know Enrique, an old man at the table next to me. In what other context would I ever get to know a guy from a different country, culture, language, economic group, and generation than me? Playing or listening to music, or watching soccer, that's it. Otherwise any opening for communication would be cut off.

So, my desire to meet different sorts of people and practice my Spanish with them was fulfilled this morning. Unfortunately, my nationalistic pride (or what's left of it) was scarred: Ghana ganó.

Musical Muchachos

The music school I teach at tends to be kind of a joke sometimes. Or at least from the perspective of many of the teachers. We have been fortunate to come from cities that have heard of school band, general music, and somewhat affordable private lessons. It's not that the kids in this city are oh-so-unfortunate (many of them are quite well off) and I don't mean to depict them that way, it's just that music is in no way an assumed part of their education. So if you want to study music, you go to a music school, no matter what age, sometimes in addition to your regular school, sometimes after high school (but before university). This explains why I have a cellist and a trumpeter in my class that are quite serious, have played for only one year, and are nineteen years old!! They want to be professional musicians and they STARTED playing their instrument at the age most musicians I knew entered a major music school. So forgive me if once in a while it is a challenge to take them seriously.

Moving on. Monday night was the Chamber Music Recital (I am officially a chamber music teacher now, I guess) and it changed my perspective. I've had some turmoil with my kids in my first semester of teaching- getting them to show up, getting them to practice, getting them to remember their music, getting them to prove with their actions what they say with their words--that they want to be musicians. But the thing I love about making music worked like a charm yet again this past Monday. When it came to playing music, all the bullshit floated away, the air cleared, and they pulled through. Yes, some notes were out of tune, some rushing occurred, some repeats were ignored. But their hair was slicked back, their parents were video-taping, and they played good, real good in fact. They made some phrases, they had some moments, the stood up in front of people and said, "I have something to express" and then they expressed it. So I am proud of them.

If we can keep supporting kids in doing this sort of thing, the world still has a chance.

'Renting it

My dad and my step-mom are staying with me right now- this is the second night of eight. It is such a mix of experiences to have them here. Obviously, first and foremost, I am present to how much I've missed them and how lucky I am to have such great parents in my life. And it is bliss to have people that know all about me here in this city-I have a level of comfort with them that takes years to develop, no matter how great my friends are here, our three-month old relationships just don't cut it. But my experience of their visit runs a bit deeper than that.

It is amazing how we become who we are in any given moment in direct relation to the person we are with. And so, as I play tour guide of this city for GH and LG, I am seeing everything through a different pair of eyes, not quite fresh, but not quite accustomed either. Today I saw the theater, even the orchestra, my neighborhood, my grocery store, the English school, speaking Spanish, a favorite restaurant, the heat and taking the bus, for the first time again, and it was kind of a shocker; that is, I'm shocked that it's only taken me three months to adjust.

If I think about it for too long, having them here makes me homesick, so I'm going to cut this one short. I will be sad enough when they depart, no point in starting the nostalgia now while they're still here.

Tomorrow: cenotes at Cuzuma! Yes! Swimming and funny little Mayan tour guides!

Want to be bilingual? No time like the present!

So today after rehearsal one of the people in the office asked me to do her a favor. Never one to refuse a favor for someone in a position of authority, I agreed. Then she told me she needed me to translate for the conductor this week (he is from Germany, only speaks English, no Spanish). OK, I can kind of do that, I thought. But for what? Oh, an interview. OK, no problem. Wait, what kind of interview? For a TV station. OK, wait, ON tv? Yeah. Hmm…OK, I wish I had taken a shower this morning then, but I’ll do my best.

So we got in her car and drove to the TV station- I got to meet the conductor and talk with him which was really nice, he is a really friendly guy, and as a low horn player, I don't often have the opportunity to really meet the conductors. He's a big fan of our section which is always nice. We arrived to the station and were greeted by, I don't know, TV guys, who whisked us into the studio, Hurry, hurry, they said. We have two minutes. I said, WAIT, this is live??? Yeah…quick, sit, ok here's your microphone, ok go. And I found myself really translating for the first time in my life on live TV for a German conductor!! I think I did OK, although I found out later I said "rego" instead of "reto" for challenge. Other than that, not bad.

Translating is hard. It is hard to remember everything the person just said. It is hard to get the person right (third person, first person, what??), it is hard to get across the exact meaning of the adjectives. But, it was amazing how clear my mind could flip from one language to the other, like a light switch, when I was on the spot like that. It was actually pretty exhilarating.

I think I have another idea for a back up career if this whole horn thing falls through…

Is this topic actually interesting?

I've had this idea for almost a year now, and was re-inspired today in a conversation with JM, a very articulate guy, a good friend, and our second horn player.

Would a study on the culture of orchestras be a good Fulbright proposal? This idea would involve connecting how an orchestra works (administratively and logisitically), musical approach and end result, musician's attitudes, classical music education system, audience perspective, etc. with the culture. The main question is: how does a culture's classical musical world reflect its culture and how does it's culture affect its classical musical world?

So, is that interesting to anyone besides me? Do you think I could pull it off?

I got to thinking about this again as James described the changes he would make to the system here in our orchestra, if he were magically put in charge. I immediately recognized that the things we would like to see happen to the orchestra are very American ideals. He generalized, very succinctly and poignantly: "Americans value the quality of their work and the stuff they have. Mexicans seem to value their families and their time." And yet we, as Americans in Mexico, are constantly complaining about inefficiency and shoddy standards, while appreciating our much more relaxed way of life and opportunity to really pass hours on end with the people we care about.

So which is it? Can you have one with or without the other?

When it rains it pours...in this city

Wow, I experienced my first rain today. After finishing up my last English class I noticed it was raining, so I threw on my raincoat and thought "I can rough it back home on my bike. This thing is a Marmot after all." I might has well have been wearing a swimsuit, in fact I wish I had been, it would have been more fun. The rain was falling so hard I could hardly see, and thanks to the very poorly thought out street construction, much of my route was in puddles as high as my pedals. I stumbled into my house half an hour later, soaked to the bone, with a backpack full of soggy materials about past participles and present perfect tense. Oofta.

And it seems that this rain was "the last straw" and has truly inspired me to start a blog. Maybe it's the resulting mystery puddles in my house (I don't SEE any leaks...) or the fact that I have to go back out in it (why did I agree to meet my neighbor's family tonight??) that I'm so compelled to share.

Or maybe it's that sometimes when you're living in a jungle city, weather makes you long for community. I miss you, my people!