Exhaustion Hit Hard

21. February 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Opera, Ramble

I woke up this morning, knowing I really should get moving since I have two students before noon. I went in to the family room, put some blankets over me (our house can be rather cold) and promptly fell asleep. Oops!

Now I have 40 minutes until my first student. Time to get moving!

I’m not sure why I so exhausted today, but I am. I do think Fridays are a bit too much, and I don’t want to do this schedule again next year; having UCSC on a day that frequently has performances at night is probably not good for me. (Still, I have friends who work all day and go to concerts and deal, so I’m feeling rather wimpy.)

This afternoon is going to be a complete crash time. The house needs cleaning, but I’m not going there. I could work on reeds too (near desperate, but I guess not completely, eh?) but I’m not going there. I’m going to veg out, relax, and watch the tour of california.

No opera tonight; our last performance is tomorrow afternoon. Last night I saw several people I know (during intermission … a much better time to spot them for this head ‘o mine), and they were all quite complimentary of the opera (and even my playing!). AND … big news … the pit was warm! Woo hoo!!

I’d celebrate that last thing, but I’m too tired.

TQOD

21. February 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: TQOD

Annoying oboist has stopped. Played long enough to wake everyone up. Not long enough to justify playing at 8 IN THE FRICKING MORNING!!

Playing the Oboe

20. February 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Links, Oboe

I’d steal this idea and run with it, but I’m just too nice. Or something.

Mostly likely the “something” since “nice” isn’t exactly my middle name.

But check out Playing the Oboe because I told you to. And that’s an order.

Funny

20. February 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Huh?, Ramble, Videos

I’m enjoying my chicken taquitos at the Hungry Slug (when the school mascot is the banana slug this name makes sense, yes?) and I’m browsing the IDRS journal. I’m reading from back to front, as I tend to do (don’t know why!) and I ran across the Fossati ad. There are four players shown playing various instruments (oboe, d’amore, EH) and two of the players’ pictures are backwards, so that their right hand appears on the top joint. How silly is that? I wonder what Michel Bénet and Fabrice Mélinon think about their photos. (If they’ve seen them.) Hmmm.

But how nice it is to sit here and relax. This is the first time I’ve made it to this place in time to actually get to order, as they close at 2:30 on Fridays and I usually finish teaching at 2:00. (Thanks for taking the week off, Jordan … I’m finally enjoying a real lunch! But I do want to see you back next week, and I did miss you, of course.)

And reeds? GRUMBLE. The reeds I thought had potential are showing themselves to be unruly, misbehaving pests. Sigh. I was so hopeful. Meanwhile I found out that I’ll have a new “partner in crime” tonight, since the second oboist is ill (recover quickly, PH!). Ah stress. It’s what’s for dinner the concert. (If you don’t get that lame attempt at a joke I guess you don’t know the beef commercial which, as an aside, uses Copland’s Hoe-Down. In fact, to many that tune is known as the “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner song”.)

Notice, in face, what this YouTube video is labeled:

Good For Him

20. February 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Announcements

… I’m sure he was concerned about his next paycheck. Now he need to worry for a good long time!

Spanish tenor Placido Domingo on Friday won the first $1 million Birgit Nilsson Prize for his “unrivaled” contributions to the world of opera, the award foundation said.

I read it here.

It’s A Nice Thought

20. February 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Links, Ramble

In their efforts to counter violence, a Canadian rock musician and a classical pianist from The Netherlands, come together to offer a piece a free music.

For the whole year 2009, Robert Beriau, progressive rock musician, offers «Time Fracture», and Jorgos, classical pianist, offers recording of his interpretation of «Moonlight Sonata» from Beethoven, for free download.

«Providing this music is our modest way to express the horror of rising violence as seen over the world in recent years. If music can help improve collaboration and hamony between poeple, we would be happy to participate in our humble way»

I read it here.

It’s a nice thought. I don’t believe music brings peace, but the attempt to bring peace is admirable.

I also heard about a Guitars not Guns” program. Again, admirable. And I do hope it keeps some kids from getting into gangs. But I have to tell ya … I know hostile musicians. I know some that, should they ever get their hands on a gun, would scare me to death. Music doesn’t fix everything.

And some of us carry knives.

TQOD

20. February 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: TQOD

I’m switching to oboe soon. Flutes are too girly…blah!

Here Again

20. February 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Links, Oboe, Opera, Ramble

I’m back at my favorite Santa Cruz coffee shop. They made me a most lovely latté. I really need to bring my camera and show you; they always do a great “milk drawing” of a heart. This time I watched, thinking I could do it at home, but the barrista makes it look awfully easy, and I don’t believe it really is. They are playing Ingrid Michaelson too, which goes over well with me on a Friday morning when my head isn’t happy, my eyes are worse, and I anticipate an extremely long day. (I am on campus until 4:40, and I have a 3 hour Così performance tonight.

(Heh. A man sitting at a table next to me is chuckling and marveling over the fact that this, a “church coffee shop” isn’t giving him a “hard sell” and is a calm and quiet place. He seems somewhat stunned.)

I need to spend some time on reeds today, after I finish teaching. Considering how all three (Yes, three; one for the overture, one for most of the two acts, and one for tutti passages where I can really play it hard, as I attempt to work it into HappyReedLand™.) reeds I’ve been using for Così felt on Tuesday night, I’m guessing they will be even worse tonight.

Whew!

19. February 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Ramble

I’m home from the dentist. And Whew!

Anyone who knows me knows that I fear the dentist. When I was younger, I consistently had a miserable time at the dentist. The guy we saw seemed to think I was pretending when I said I could feel him drilling. My current dentist knows that I have extremely sensitive teeth, and when he does work he makes sure I don’t feel a thing. (He’s into the “painless” thing. If you need a dentist and live near me, Dr. Charles Bocks is fantastic with that … at least for me.)

Dr. Bocks, though, has been known to make me feel rotten about my teeth. So I still have the childhood fear that pops up (no matter what, childhood stuff sticks with you, you know?), plus the guilt that Dr. Bocks dumps on me.

But today? Today he only complimented me! So woo hoo! Time to celebrate. Or maybe I’ll wait until I finish teaching the three students I have today. That might be wiser, knowing what a party animal I am.

Yeah, I’m just kidding about the animal thing.

Oh Really?

19. February 2009 · 14 comments · Categories: Quotes

I get asked all the time not only why I chose the bassoon, but, “what the heck is a bassoon?” Generally, I have to explain that the bassoon is not an oboe, nor is the fingering similar to an oboe. Nor do we play the same mouthpiece as an oboe, but the two instruments are similar. “No, the bassoon is not in the oboe family, but of course the oboe is in the bassoon family … why don’t you know what a bassoon is???”

So some folks know about an oboe and not about the bassoon? Weird.

I read it here.

Awry?

19. February 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Ramble

Sorry, but something is awfully awry with the site right now. The right sidebar is messed up. Sometimes I can get in to post something, sometimes I can’t.

What a mess. :-(

And I’m a computer idiot.

TQOD

19. February 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: TQOD

New! Here is a “Twitter Quote Of the Day” for you:

brother threw a tantrum. he couldn’t play oboe right, so he hit me with it. he ripped my iPod off the headphones…

BQOD

19. February 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: BQOD

I can play the flute and oboe, as well as some bassoon, trumpet, and piano. The oboe used to be my passion (it still is to an extent) and my dream was to play in an orchestra that recorded movie soundtracks. Movies have the best music.

Saving Money

18. February 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Opera, Videos

So if anyone is interested in the last two performances of Così, you can get discounted tickets via Artsopolis. Nothing like saving money, you know? So try this. (I hope the link works; I’ve subscribed and I don’t know if that’s a requirement to get to the page.)

As readers know, you won’t find our production on YouTube, but here’s a video just for fun (and for the beauty of it):

Well, He Put the Effort Knife In …

18. February 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Links, Ouch!

YIKES.

A 13-year-old schoolboy stabbed his music teacher with a kitchen knife, leaving the blade stuck in the teacher’s back as he made his escape.

The pair had just finished a private violin lesson at a middle school near Venice when the pupil allegedly turned on the teacher, stabbing him once in the back.

Fabio Paggioro, 36, had reportedly told the boy, ”See how you manage to do well when you put the effort in”.

I read it here.

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