News

Well, the year started again and I got BUSY. It was such a lovely summer. I could blog almost every day, except on the busy days when I might have the incredible imposition of one random lesson to teach, or a single orchestra service out in a field somewhere. And now, work is back. That's really okay, though. I enjoy going to work most of the time. (Strictly, this isn't true--I enjoy BEING at work, but the commuting to work, especially in Buffalo and Syracuse, is kind of a drag.) Here's how everything has been going for the first few weeks.

GPC-
My choir is eager to be back singing again after a long summer off. We hired a new organist who just moved back from NYC with his partner, who is a pro harp player. As is typical, I am missing too much time to take other gigs. Like tonight. Thanks to Pax, who is covering rehearsal for me.

LCS-
Lots of beginner lessons. I'm starting to get half-decent at coaxing sounds out of 4th grade flute and clarinet players. (Interestingly, none of my trombones are every shy about making a sound.) I had a new vocal music teacher in the room for three weeks, who then quit. The new new vocal music teacher starts next week. I am sad that it didn't work out for the first one, and only wonder a little bit if she might have stayed longer had I not been working through the Colin book of Contemporary Atonal Etudes for Trumpet

SSO-
Wizard of Oz, then Beethoven 5. It's been nice to see my carpool again, and to spend the afternoons of the double days stretched out in a sunny lawn next to Wegmans instead of cramped up inside while the snow comes down. The first week we bought a growler and worked through it all afternoon while we waited for the show. I thought that this year the first week of the season might not catch me quite so off guard since I was deliberately practicing loud long tones (why DID that vocal teacher at LCS quit?) and had a quasi-warm up week of BPO playing 4th on some Berlioz. then there was Beethoven 5. It was loud, but absolutely glorious.

RPO-
It's nice to have quite a bit of RPO lined up for the fall...what a nice short commute! In addition to a community concert I did a fanfare with some of the section guys at a school and a phils week next week.

HSM-
"Mr. Smith, I couldn't practice this week because I was really busy."
"Oh? How much tv did you watch this week?"
"Well, also I kind of forgot..."

H. College-
Interestingly, when the students are paying their own tuition (and are college students) they do a much better job of practicing. The commute is killer, but the job has been fun so far. J and I go down this Friday to play a trumpet ditty for the homecoming concert, and I sat in on their Wind Ensemble rehearsal last week. I forget how incredibly LOUD you end up playing in college band. Probably should work on more loud long tones soon. And maybe some shakes and trills on high notes, and some really percussive high register attacks. I wonder what the new vocal music teacher will be like...

BPO-
There were a few services of Berlioz early in the month, and I'm out for a double today playing a Bartok opera. Quote from the trumpet section: "Oh, yes, I was whistling that tune in the shower just this morning."

J-
J is watching three boys under the age of three today. I will get back at 9:30 or so tonight, and I suspect she will not be awake. Aside from the babysitting and church work, though, I think she's having a pretty nice Fall. James is much better behaved in a single-parent situation. When we're both around he's a little tyrant.

James-
James is...looking big. Looking downright, three years old, I'd say. He is routinely offered options by his parents, such as "Your choice is to eat three bites of squash, or to get down without dessert," or "Your choice is to stay up and pick up toys or to go to bed right now." Last night he told us "your choice are to make me a fruit smoothie or to set up the tent." I guess that cuts both ways. He's also started to imbue George with the faculty of speech and reason. He now holds lengthy furtive conversations with George and then emerges to inform us that "George wants to watch a George," or "George wants to watch his-self." When we tell James no, George (not James, mind you) keeps insisting that George really does want to watch a George. J has resorted to picking up George and telling him no in person.