A Riddle

This is what's been on my mind lately:

If CH moves out of House #1 to live in House #2 with MT, then JD can move into to Room #1 of House #1. Or CM can move out of House #1 and MT or JD can move into Room #2 of House #1. But if JK moves out of House #1, then JD or MT can move into Room #3 of House #1. Except that CM wants to move from Room #2 to Room #3 of House #1. So CH can move into House #2 with MT and JD and CM can live in House #1. But then Room #1 of House #1 is empty. So maybe MT should move into Room #2 of House #1, and CM should move from Room #2 to Room #3.

This is the riddle it reminds me of:

If there's a goat, a cabbage, and a wolf on one side of the river, and you have to get them all to the other side, but you can only take one at a time, and you can't leave the goat with the cabbage, or the wolf with the goat, how do you get all three across the river?

Five Lists of Fives

As you all have probably noticed by now, my blog is basically a collection of lists. I like lists. In fact, I'm obsessed with them. They calm me down when I'm feeling overwhelmed.

I have about 20 lists saved on my computer, 6 floating around my house, and an ever-growing amount in my head. Here's some of them. (P.S. This first list is a blog trend that's going around. I'm such a push-over.)

5 things you probably didn't know about me.

1. I worked as a soccer referee for one year.
2. I've had two boyfriends in my whole life so far.
3. I don't like fantasy fiction or cartoons.
4. As of last week, I have bribed a Mexican traffic cop.
5. Now that I live in Mexico, I want to move to Norway.


5 things I'd like to do every day, ideally.

1. Participate in live music (play or attend).
2. Cook something (simple or complex).
3. Read.
4. Have a good conversation.
5. Exercise (salsa dancing and biking out of necessity count).


5 goals I have for 2007

1. Play a concerto as guest soloist with a real ensemble.
2. Make significant progress in learning a third language.
3. Sell my car.
4. Go to Chiapas.
5. Listen to all my lessons from undergrad.

5 grad schools I'm considering

1. Northwestern University
2. New England Conservatory
3. Rice University
4. "TJS"
5. Yale University

5 things besides grad school I'd rather do

1. New World Symphony
2. Fulbright Scholarship
3. Win another job
4. Keep my current job
5. Chicago Civic Orchestra

What I Didn't Learn in Undergrad

My apologies for my disappearance. I decided in the last few weeks that real live contact with a few people I get to see about once a year was more important than virtual contact with many I see every day. Tee hee.

I've been in vacation mode for about a month- a trip to the alma mater to visit old friends and favorite places, the holidays, two of my best friends visiting and me showing them around this place. Now that it's over, I'm basically totally refreshed and excited to get back to work. I'm lining up some audtions, scheming about chamber music, and really into the orchestra (this week...)

I was thinking today during rehearsal about what I didn't learn in undergard. Keeping in mind that I learned so much I can hardly believe it in undergrad, it's interesting to think about it a year and a half out, with no negative connotations, promise. Also, remember that this list doesn't necessarily mean I've learned it since, although some of them I think I have, but at least it means I've become aware that I don't know it, which is the first step, right?


1) How to play the stopped low C-sharp at the end of Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony so that it rattles.
2) It really is all about air.
3) Pitches have tendencies when they are crescendo-ing or decrescendo-ing.
4) Low horn players play fairly loud, loud or really loud most of the time.
5) What mouthpiece I should play.
6) What horn I should play.
7) That I want to be a second horn player.
8) No, it really is all about air.
9) Most people worry about endurance.
10) Almost the most important thing you can do is play in tune.
11) Watch the concertmaster.
12) Pay attention to the cellos.
13) Listen to the basses.
14) My mid-register D's are usually flat, my low F-sharps are usually sharp, my high G-sharps are usually sharp, and my low D's sound better when I use thumb and 3.
15) Really, it is all about air.

Sorry, that was probably more interesting for some than others. But considering 75% of my readers are brass players (I think), I will leave it at that. I promise my next post will be about falling in love or getting in a fight with a best friend to balance it out. :)