It's All About Balance

We are lucky to have this conductor with us this week. He really is outstanding and I'm very much enjoying everything I'm learning. I'm also enjoying that he's really dealing with problems our orchestra has, in practical and effective ways. For example, during the second rehearsal he was asking for more third and fourth horn. He asked a few times and then he went on break early to move the sounds shells to actually close the right side of the stage. Simple genius! We actually were playing quite loud, but to no avail since all the sound was going straight out the back door off stage right.

Anyway, something I've noticed, besides his never wavering commitment to musicality, incredibly clear stick technique, overall enjoyable rehearsal demeanor, and bizarre haircut, is that he mostly talks about balance. More of this, less there, because of this. Bring out this, accompany this, background, foreground. It makes sense- really it should be one of the only responsibilities of the conductor, if everyone else is doing their job well. After all, he/she hears more of the full package then any one of us possibly can. Unfortunately, the conductor often starts trying to do everyone else's job for them, and it never works.

OK, back to the positive spin. So, all this attention to balance is making me think about bigger-picture balance. And how I think that might be the secret to it all.

Balance! Work and play. Friends and boyfriends. Alone and together. Internet and nature. Verbal communication and silent understanding. Plans and spontaneity. Activity and rest. Career and family. Classical music and pop music. Getting up early to go running and staying up late to go dancing. Health food and junk food.

OK, those last three might just be justifications, but maybe not. Too much of anything is simply that, too much. The trumpets can sound fantastic, but if they're too loud, it doesn't matter. You can have a great boyfriend (who happens to play the trumpet) but if you spend too much time with him, it doesn't matter. You can be really organized, but if it's too extreme, it doesn't matter. I'm working these things out as I go.

Now, the secret may be balance, but the trick is finding it. That part I still haven't figured out.

I guess I'm going to need a lot more good conductors around to help me with that one...

It's Easy to Start Taking Things for Granted, Like Your Middle Name

As I was walking home today, I realized that after a measley six months in this place, I'm already starting to take it for granted. Sometimes I forget that I live in a place people come from all over the world to visit. But then I see a couple with matching tourist shoes (you know what I mean, right?), and it snaps me out of it.

That's what did it this afternoon, and the rest of my walk home was different- I appreciated the artists in front of the temple and the clown on the steps of the theater and the families eating together and the people oohing and aahing over the plaza I walk through every day. It's a nice reminder.

A lot of things have been happening in my life lately that make me appreciate the things I have usually taken for granted. For instance, I've been to the doctor probably 10 times this month. Nothing too serious, but it still makes me appreciate all the health I do have, as I contemplate doing leg lifts every morning and night for the rest of my life to keep my bad knee good, what migraine pills I have to always have in my purse because this is a new lovely little addition to my life, and that I just have to drink more water, as every doctor from head to knee mentions. But other than that every thing's fine, and I'm appreciative.

I had a cast on for ten days, and boy, when that comes off, you sure are grateful for the ability to walk again.

And then I was cleaning my room and getting ready for "work" by listening to a recording of the pieces we're playing next week. And the music is so beautiful and I was just overwhelmed with the realization is that it's part of my JOB to listen to beautiful music on a Sunday evening. That is not overlook-able- I refuse to ever take that for granted.

I'm also in a real relationship for maybe the first time in my life, and I would say one of the main differences between this and a fling is that there are ups and downs. (hence the rollercoaster comment, for those of you that are stalking me on more than one internet medium.) In a fling there are no downs, once it's down it just ends. Hence a fling having no substance and me being sick of them. The downs in this, and working them out, make me appreciate the ups, and they make the ups better, really. So, I'm feeling pretty darn lucky for my sweeeeet novio.

I just realized that maybe I'm anticipating Thanksgiving (my most homesick holiday) and I'm reminded of my latest self-resolution (besides drink more water)- whenever I'm homesick, I just practice. I figure, I left the States to do all this stuff on horn, so if I'm missing my family, I need to take advantage and do what I came here to do. Which makes me grateful to have a job I really love- playing great music every day. And grateful for the opportunities I get down here (I get to play a concerto with a real orchestra in November!!)

So, when this label on my knee x-ray came along, it was just the icing on the cake. Because really, how often do you get to feel especially grateful for your middle name (mine is Mayhew)?

Been Missing My Blog? Oh, Grow Up.

This quote was just passed to me:

"Maturity is the ability to hold a contradiction."

Behold the following:

A: Writing, and sharing my writing, is really fun, important, fulfilling and valuable to me.
B: I haven't posted on my blog in over six months.

Accept the past. I'm back now.

As compensation, I'll give you the snippets I have almost posted, but never came to fruition, recently.

September 8th:

"Last night I was practicing the 3rd horn part to Borodin's Polovetsian Dances (yeah, if you think that piece is all offbeats for the horns, think again before you show up to the first rehearsal) and something snapped.

I felt the desire to post on my blog.

Actually, more than that. I not only felt the desire (which I've actually felt multiple times in the past 6-month drought, to your great relief or disappointment, depending on what kind of person you are.) I guess it snapped and stuck, because I'm actually writing and I'm actually going to post this.

I know you can hardly believe it- you probably think I'm just leading you on..."

(fizzle)

September 3rd:

"Spanish Classes: Unit #1,463: Knee Vocabulary"

(only got as far on the title as that one)

A while back...when I thought I might salvage it without too much notice:

"My Relationship with my Blog

Let's face it, it's been suffering significantly. Or, to put it more diplomatically, it's been changing."

Actually there were many more but I deleted them in a obsessive cleaning frenzy.

I'll admit, it's a little tough for me to come crawling back. But I'm hoping you'll embrace me with open arms. And you can count on me to post at least once a week-I'm recommitting.


Behold this, too:

A: This post is a bit childish and trivial.
B: It's not.