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!