New Year's Resolution Blog

No, this is not a post about my New Year's resolutions, or about what yours should be. Don't worry.

Check out this blog: http://www.raptitude.com/

Ok, I lied...this may inspire resolutions, it did for me.

Keep perspective, people.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I hope this holiday finds you warm and content, as Christmas should bring a message of hope and light.

Technology truly is a wonderful thing. I spent many hours on Skype today with my family doing everything we normally do on Christmas. We opened presents (I even had my usual seat on the couch, well the computer did...), we ate Christmas dinner, we opened stockings, we even searched for the pickle! (My mom hides a pickle ornament in the tree and my sister and I have to find it, it's a bit of a Pennsylvania tradition). I marvel at how great technology is. Thanks to Skype and FaceTime, I felt like I was there with my family all day. Though nothing can replace spending time together in person, this was a nice substitute given that I'm 2,000 miles away.

Since it's Christmas, allow the meaning of this day to seep into your life in the coming months. Especially if you're an artist reading this, take this season to think about why you do what you do. As artists we get so caught up in our work, our playing, how we sound, etc etc etc. It's so easy to get caught up in the technical aspects of the work and we very quickly become very self-absorbed. But what is art really about? Do we do it to show off or to glorify our own abilities? Or do we create/perform to affect those around us? We've been given such incredible gifts as artists. It is our responsibility to use them for others, not to glorify our own work.

Reach out, spread hope and light with your work this season.

Merry Christmas.

Holiday Shopping

This post's title is not to be misleading. When I say "holiday shopping," I don't mean shopping for christmas presents. I mostly mean, shopping (for me) around the holiday season...yesterday was a rough day on the bank account.

We ventured the 10 miles out of Minneapolis (yes, that's where the show is right now) to Bloomington, MN (not to be confused with Bloomington, IN, very different) to the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the US. AKA, heaven. It's so big, there's an amusement park inside and an aquarium in the basement. But seriously, who has time for those things when there are SO many stores?? We surely didn't.

The day started off with fantastic finds at both Urban Outfitters and H&M. I love winter and I LOVE winter clothes, so this day had danger written all over it. Continue to Express and it was all downhill from there. I did manage to pick up a few christmas gifts for family and found an adorable, portable (yes, you're reading this correctly) cookie maker. That's right, regardless of where this crazy career takes me for the holidays, christmas cookies can and will be made. Macy's is brilliant.

Needless to say, we shopped for 5 hours...'twas a good day.

Today brings a gown morning, then a rehearsal for our benefit concert on Monday. Check out the pic below for more details. (I know I've already posted this, but I'm posting again for good measure.)

Winter Wonderland

Today's travel day is brought to you by Canada, Le Peep, and Snow.

Corey, the former resident director of the tour, joined me (rather suddenly) on today's 10 hour travel adventure from Grand Rapids, MI to Minneapolis, MN. Having a travel companion is always nice! After a brisk, early start to the day, I decided to feed Corey's obsession with college campuses and took a small detour from I-94. Note the picture on the left. That's right, I ended up back in Evanston, IL for a quick lunch at Le Peep, after of course driving Corey all around Northwestern, bragging the whole time about how much I love the place.

After our brief stop, we continued up through Wisconsin. And a good 5 hours of the drive is up through the sprawling farmland of western Wisconsin. Sounds boring? Wrong. Check out the pic below. It was like driving through a perfect winter wonderland. It made that part of the drive spectacular.

Confused as to why Canada is involved? Well, Corey is Canadian. And apparently most of western Wisconsin reminds him of Canada. Maybe it's the snow?

Anyway, here's to two wonderful, freezing cold weeks in Minneapolis. You thought Chicago was cold? It's only December here and it feels like the dead of winter already. Thank goodness there's a mall nearby. Oh I'm sorry, thank goodness America's largest mall is nearby, just in time for Christmas.

'Tis the Season

It's officially December and time is driving full speed ahead towards Christmas. For those of you who don't know my family, a disclaimer: Christmas is a huge deal in our house. So huge, we're talking 7 trees. I'm not kidding. Anyway, I've spent a good deal of the Christmas season away from home in past years, but this year will be the first that I spend Christmas day away from from home.

So, to avoid a sudden bout of near-clinical depression, I'm creating my own Christmas traditions on the road.

1. Music- This one is easy thanks to iTunes. My Christmas favorites of the past are still on my computer, ready to be played on shuffle over and over. Also, thanks to Pandora, Christmas music is even more accessible. But recordings aside, a friend and I have been doing our own little Christmas jam sessions. It's sexy. Violin and viola improv duets. Some of them fall flat, and I'm serious, some of them just suck, but they give us a great laugh. But then you get some moments that are beautiful and leave you speechless. I think Silent Night is our favorite so far.

2. Decorations- With music complete, decorations are the next part to make December feel like Christmas.  Thanks to Target, the following pics have been made possible:
The first is the tree in my room. It's tacky and wonderful, and delightfully reminds me of the season each day. The second is our pit tree! (yes, Jill, I stole this off your blog) What's the season without a little fun at work?

We also decorated the pit with little ornaments and a slightly wilted poinsettia. I hope the people in the upper balcony can look down and see it.

3. Concerts- Ok, so this maybe isn't the thing that puts me in the Christmas mood every year, but you know as a musician, Christmas gigs are a big deal. So, here's an upcoming Christmas event. I hesitate to use the word gig, it's a benefit concert in Minneapolis in about a week. If you're in the area, you really should come. It's for a great cause and the music will be tremendous.

That is all. Forgive me for this rambling post, I'm not yet caffeinated for the day.

Happiness on Tour, for 500, please

A nice 5 hour drive, a cold run along the river, unpacking in a new city, dinner with friends, and a good movie.

What are 'things that make me happy on tour?'

Speaking of, if you have the chance, go see Hugo. The film is beautiful, the score is brilliant, the little kids who star in the movie are incredible, and the artistry in the film making is fantastic.

"If you lose your purpose, it's like you're broken." -Hugo

Be thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

While it shouldn't require a holiday to spark thoughts and conversations about what we're thankful for, it certainly is nice to be reminded to count our blessings. So let's be thankful for all we have in our lives.

Be thankful for family, for friends (old and new, regardless of where they are in the country), for beautiful music, for doing what you love every day, for delicious food, for freedom to strive for artistic purity, and for life.

Wishing all a very happy and thankful day.

Things that don't add up

Today I've been overwhelmed with that "I love my life" feeling. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the crisp winter air, or the Jimmy Johns I'm having for lunch. Maybe I've been reminded that I get paid to play my instrument everyday (and on top of that, I get paid to play a beautiful show).

Regardless, I find it amazing that this feeling has crept into my day. I mean, honestly, of all days, today should be fighting that feeling pretty hard. It's a double show day (always hard...), I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, I may be the slightest bit hungover, I'm hungry, someone has been blasting techno next door all morning, oh and we're in Appleton, WI... All of these things should have fought off that "I love my life" feeling.

Yet, it's crept in somehow. I guess it's going to be one of those days. I'm really lucky.

is it that time already?

Thanksgiving is next week. The hotel here in Appleton just hauled in a HUGE live tree. That's right, it's time to start decorating for Christmas. AND, I need your help. yes, YOU, the reader. I know no one comments on this blog, but I need some suggestions for decorating. I'm talking creative, portable holiday decorating solutions designed for the follwing places:
1. The hotel room.
2. The pit.

Now, keep in mind, we really can't plug anything in in the pit, that would blow a fuse...and our stand lights do that enough as it is... But there's tons of space to hang stuff and tons of stands to hang stuff off of.

Get to work my friends! Comment with suggestions, please.

Snack time

Peanut butter, wheat thins, and a glass of eggnog make a perfect post-show snack.

The show's in Appleton, WI this week and tonight we celebrated our 400th performance. It's hard to imagine being with a show for that long! This week brings a beautiful performing arts center, a cute (but small) town, and 8 shows on a loaner violin. I normally play an 1894 Collin-Mezin violin made in Paris. This week I'm playing a 2011 Zhang violin made in Texas. Different much? These violins could not be any more different. It's a fantastic change. And I'm starting to fall in love with this instrument...very very bad.

Also, it got cold this week. And next week is Thanksgiving already?

(To add to the lack of cohesiveness in this post...) Today we did arts and crafts at a make-your-own pottery/mosaic/jewelry/glass place. The Fire is it's name. Here's a pic of the aftermath. I'd post pics of the things I made, but that would potentially spoil a few Christmas gifts. :)

One year ago...

On this date, one year ago, we had our first orchestra rehearsal for Les Mis. It's scary to think we've been at this for a year now and I still remember the feeling of dread and excitement that I had upon playing the opening bars of the show for the first time.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to that time. Everything was fresh and new, everyone was excited. There was artistry and passion in the air. But going back to that time would mean erasing all the growth and learning that has happened over the past year. Last year I was a student, at least in the way I thought. Today, I am a professional, striving to marry artistry with business.

So for those in the audience this afternoon, enjoy the orchestra's one year anniversary performance.

Listen and read

This post is a suggestions post.

First, listen to this:

Think cello/electronica/minimalist fusion. She's a cellist who created her own genre out of a reaction to her own crippling performance anxiety (something I think a lot of us can relate to). She created a studio in the woods and basically improvises until she creates a passage she likes, which she then records and loops. This allows her to improvise along with looped passages of her own playing. Its like playing chamber music with yourself. Brilliant. Needless to say, the album is fantastic and emotive. A great work of classical crossover.

Second, read this:

The first  chapter is titled "People's Protective Bubbles Are Ok." For those reading this blog who know me well, you can imagine that I became obsessed with this book as soon as I saw that chapter. The book is a series of chapters that are the author's musings on life and living in a city. Misha Glouberman talked, his partner, Sheila Heti, typed. It's a delightful book, rather series of connected essays (my favorite type of reading). If you're living in a city and would like honest, yet uplifting, thoughts on city-life, read this book. 

That is all. 

Find your voice

After 5 fantastic weeks in DC, I'm spending the week in Providence, RI. There's something about the northeast in the fall that feels like home.

Our departure from DC means that we have our touring orchestra back. It's amazing how different musicians are across the country. (For those who don't know, we pick up local musicians in some of the big cities, ie Chicago, LA, Detroit, DC). The locals from DC were part of the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra. While the cast members of our show will tell you that the orchestra there was a mess, the players there were very different than our touring orchestra. They are opera players who are used to playing in large sections. Yes they made mistakes (but don't we all?), but the major difference was just their approach to their instruments. As our violist very accurately put it, our touring orchestra is made up of "pit monsters." Basically, we're all beasts and approach our instruments with an aggressive vigor. The orchestra at the Kennedy Center had a much lighter approach to their playing. Still equally as beautiful, just different.

It has been fascinating to see these differences as I travel the country. When you go to school for music, you develop this complex that makes you feel like you have to sound like the people around you at school. What I've learned: everyone has a different sound and that's the beauty of the art. Find your sound, find your niche, and enjoy being an individual.

Completely unrelated: I'm going to start posting pictures. See below.

 The Kennedy Center Opera House. Heaven.

 Catherine (our violist, and my violin sub that week) and me outside.

 Prepare to geek out. Carl Kasell! We toured NPR during our second week of DC. It was incredible. Such an amazing organization.

 Even my mother has made a cameo appearance. Mom and me outside the White House (another amazing tour)

 Take note of the conductor.

The best pic from that matinee. (Should I be mirroring so much...no.)

Ok, as if this post wasn't long enough (I think its my longest yet...), I'm going to recommend another blog, http://travelinghorns.blogspot.com/. This is from the second horn player (she inspired me with the pics). Her blog is fantastic. Also, I'm featured in it this week! Check out the sexy scarf tying technique. 

I'm going to try to be better about updating. It gives me something to do on the road. 

Life questions...

How do you balance following your heart and following your talents? 

Reality check, please.

I'm conducting at the Kennedy Center tomorrow? Pinch me please. Sometimes life is too good.

Come to Les Mis tomorrow afternoon.

Recording makes you feel famous

Yesterday I spent 12 hours in the recording studio as music director, violinist, arranger, contractor, and producer for Ian Gibb's debut album. While the day was exhausting, it was the most incredible experience to be in a studio with amazing artists and technicians. Be on the lookout for Ian's CD sometime around Christmas. There will be updates as we get closer.

Yesterday we laid down most of the instrumental tracks and we'll be doing vocals next week. A note about the process: you always get behind. It did a number on my anxiety...

work work work

I forgot how much I love working on Finale. I mean that with as much sarcasm as possible.

Heading to the recording studio on monday to lay down tracks for Ian Gibb's CD, Fill in the Words. First time in the studio, first time having my arrangements recorded, first time contracting players. SO many firsts. Its a great learning experience...and an awful lot of stress.

Be on the lookout for the CD on iTunes sometime around Christmas of this year!

when artists die and go to heaven...

...they go to the Kennedy Center.

I'm serious. This place is heaven on earth for an artist. The facilities are incredible, they have an amazing staff (there's always someone nearby to help with anything), there's a cafeteria backstage, its BEAUTIFUL, the acoustics are stunning, did I forget anything? Oh, the people that work there are humble, kind, and truly appreciate the amazing space they work in. Perfection.

The Kennedy Center has welcomed us wonderfully this week and we are all so lucky to get to spend the month here. Leaving is going to be really hard.

Also, let's talk about a thrill: hearing a solo of yours reverberate through the Kennedy Center Opera House. Its pretty incredible.

Maybe Birmingham's not so bad?

I can see how Birmingham gets a bad reputation as a tour city. The hotel and venue are located in a rough part of town, a block from the jail and next to the highway. There really isn't much of interest in the immediate vicinity, except for a nice art museum. However, venture about 3 miles from the hotel and you get a really cute restaurant/boutique district called Five Points. Had this area been near the hotel, I think this city wouldn't get such a bad reputation.

Monday takes me back to Hershey, PA for 24 hours then on to DC. Hello, Kennedy Center.

Travel day post- Memphis to Birmingham

Today's another travel day, express bus to Birmingham.

Memphis was...dangerous. A city with incredible wealth and incredible poverty. And for a city built on the civil rights movement, the class disparity between races is jarring. Everything beautiful in Memphis seemed populated only by whites. Honestly, I found it depressing. But the audiences were great and the southern hospitality is definitely not what I'm used to.

Now on to the bus. I love travel days that don't involve flying. It's not that I have an issue with flying, it's just that bus travel days are so easy. No security lines, no luggage weighing, no issues with getting your instrument in the overhead. Plus there's something fun about long bus trips. It reminds me of high school band trips.

And I can't wait to get to Birmingham. I'm serious. No, I'm not. There's apparently nothing around the hotel and theatre...I'll keep you updated.

In other news, in 15 years I'm going to write a book: Everything I Know About the Violin, I Learned from Les Mis.

It's 55 and rainy here in Denver today and I LOVE it. What is wrong with me?

Denver and Barber

This post finds me in Denver, about to start the second week of our 2 week run here. Next week, we're off to Memphis.

Denver is a great city, probably one of my favorite so far on tour. The weather is tremendous, there's a great pedestrian mall with some fun stops, a fantastic art museum (specializing in Modern and Western American art), a great running path, and the audience here is wonderful. I don't think I've enjoyed a city this much on tour since Philadelphia.

In other news, I was introduced to the Barber Piano Concerto yesterday. Check out the second movement. It reminds me of the Ravel Piano concerto mixed with some Respighi. It doesn't beat the Ravel in my opinion, but about 5 1/2 minutes in, when the strings enter in unison, prepare to have your life changed. Truly beautiful.

up a fifth, over a chair.

today I play my final two shows as a violist. Don't worry though, I'm not going anywhere, just venturing into the world of e-strings, flashy solos, and no back pain. Warning: Starting tomorrow, a little diva may be released...

There's a first for everything...

I got my pinky stuck under my D String yesterday during A Heart Full Of Love. Somebody explain that one...

Its going to be a great last week on viola. Moving to the treble clef on Monday.

Keep the fire burning

I can't begin to express the role that little coffee shop/bakeries play in my happiness on tour. Today finds me in a European-style bakery in Nashville, TN (who knew?) and I've been camped out in the back corner of the shop all day. Based on this intro, I'm assuming today's post will dwell on an issue I've currently been dealing with on tour: taking care of yourself.

Now, don't roll your eyes or write this off just yet. Many people had expressed the importance of taking care of myself while on the road and I guess I listened to them a bit, however I never took any of the advice to heart. I mean, I knew how to take care of myself, right? I got through a hectic 4 years of college just fine and managed to get a great job. How hard could it be? I was going to be fine, right?

Wrong. Taking care of yourself has so many facets, many more than I had originally realized.

Physically speaking, I had that under control. I knew the demands my instrument puts on my body. I knew to stretch every day, I knew to be careful with my wrists, I knew to exercise to keep stay strong and relaxed, I knew when to practice to keep myself fresh and when to take breaks. Sure, I had to make a few adjustments and learn a bit. I had to learn how to arrange my seat in the pit, how to angle my chair, how to adjust my set-up etc etc. But I had the physical under control.

Socially, I knew what I had to do. I knew I had to find close friends, people who shared my interest in the field, but who also could take my mind off work. I knew my social energy (which some could say is often non-existent...) but I knew the types of people I was looking for and I found them, or rather, they found me. I also knew that I needed my alone time and I knew I was going to have to take it when I needed it.

Artistically, now this is where it got complicated. Or I should say "gets complicated" because I'm still figuring this one out. The artistic thrill of playing the show wore off long ago. It lasted a long time, and granted, it still happens occasionally, however it is not a daily event any longer. NOTE: There is nothing wrong with this, it's just the nature of the career. Here's where things get tricky. If I were doing this job in New York or even Chicago and if I weren't in a different city every week, I could get my artistic "fix" in so many places during the day while I was playing the show at night. However, not having a home-base makes finding that thrill more difficult than I had ever imagined. I had a professor in college talk about "protecting your flame" and I now understand what she meant. I believe she had used it in the context of auditions or maybe in terms of criticism. "Protecting your flame" is all about keeping that little flame of artistic passion burning inside, despite all odds. As a bright-eyed college student, this was easy to do. I had so many dreams and life changed daily. Now, the responsibility of "protecting the flame" became key to artistic survival once real life set in.

Again, "protecting your flame" is easy when you are constantly stimulated artistically and when your art is well-received, or rather, appreciated. When one or more of these factors is removed, the flame is threatened. And in a life of transience, it is very easy for that flame to come under constant attack.

Enough with the abstract metaphor, let's talk strategy. How do you keep your flame alive? I don't have answers for everyone, but I have my answers for sure. It usually begins with days like this, sitting in a bakery alone for hours on end. Sitting, thinking, writing, blogging. I find that a little alone time is the best start. Next, make sure you have a project that stimulates your artistry. For me, that's orchestration. Yes it's tedious, yes it's difficult to do without a piano nearby, but it gives me a chance to have complete artistic freedom and allows me to express myself, even if my writing goes nowhere for the time-being. And the best part about orchestration: it allows me to collaborate with composer friends who live thousands of miles away. Orchestration is portable. Finally, a good artistic outing helps to bring the flame back to life. Whether it's an art gallery or a small concert or even a good film, just having to chance to observe and critique art puts me back in touch with what I'm about as an artist.

I hope I haven't bored you too much with all this art talk... The subject of personal health has just been an issue of recent importance.

Remember: Protect your flame.

what you live for

observation: in this business, you begin to live for your sunday nights and mondays off.

Two lives

"There are two lives that people lead. One is the real life of business, mating, plans, bankruptcies and gas bills. The other is an unreal life - a life of secret grandeurs which compensate for the monotony of the days." - Ben Hecht's "Michigan Avenue"

Something to think on: Yes, this quote contains a great deal of truth, however is it not the clash between the two above mentioned "lives" that spurs artistry? Does the artist not strive to marry the unreal life of secret grandeurs with real life? Is that not what sparks creation? Just a thought.

cleveland

Cleveland is rainy.

Survival kit essential #1

The show's currently in Cleveland. not the greatest city ever...but certainly not the worst. I guess the company was smart in putting Cleveland after Detroit.

Anyway, here's the first survival kit essential for tour life: get addicted to a tv show. Better yet, get addicted to a tv show that's entirely available online.

Enough said.

Ordinary day

This post is inspired by a song I heard, Ordinary Day by Scott Burkell and Paul Loesel.

Today's a normal double-show Saturday, the start of the usual double-show day weekend. Its ordinary by all means, relatively speaking. Its ordinary to me, and that's beautiful. Its beautiful that ordinary for me is having the opportunity to do what I love and to create something extraordinary for a new audience, every day. So often we get caught up in the work of what we do that we forget that our version of ordinary is pretty special.

To quote the song, "... so I look up to the heavens and say, thank you for this wonderful, ordinary day."

Evolution exists

I write this post in support of evolution, with regards to the arts.

The Vienna Phil is performing for the next few weeks in San Francisco. Their presence is causing quite a stir, both artistically and socially. The artistic excitement is obvious, it's one of the world's greatest orchestras. The social is a bit more elusive. Historically, the Vienna Phil is known for it's exclusion, as the orchestra is made of up mostly white men. Only recently did the orchestra begin accepting women into the roster and i think there are only about 4 or 5 current female members. The orchestra seems to pride itself on their lack of diversity, claiming that it is what helps to create their signature sound and performance style. So is it ok to justify social errors in the name of art?

Here's where evolution plays in: Survival of the fittest. It's no secret that classical music is dying. It's merely a fact that many classical players ignore. The attitude of this orchestra epitomizes this ignorance. Much of the greatest music was written in response to the human experience, so why do many classical artists seem to ignore that today? We seem so caught up in preserving the past, which seems to be the goal of the Vienna Phil, that we forget to create art for the future.

While the social errors of the orchestra are of great concern, what concerns me more is that this leading force in classical music is too caught up in antiquated tradition to have the energy to further a sustainable future for the art. Don't think that I am in any way demoralizing the performance abilities of the Phil. They are truly one of the greatest orchestras in the world. And I want them to continue to hire the greatest players, but the greatest players aren't always white men. True art comes from the highest level of expression and collaboration, exclusion based on race or gender has no place in making art.

Mindsets, Outreach, Perfection.

Life on the road moves fast. We're approaching our 100th performance! I've never played a show for this long and I'm happy to report that I'm not sick of the show yet. Yes, it's lost some of its magic, but the magic comes from creating a first time experience for a different audience every night. Working in the theatre is a selfless art. You're satisfaction is derived from the knowledge that every single show you play, whether it's your tenth performance or your 100th performance, is someone's first time seeing the show.

A few days ago we did a talkback for a local high school. I normally don't attend the talkbacks, mainly because i assume people are most interested in the actors, not the musicians. But this time i went and it was a wonderful reminder of why i do what i do. The high school was currently working on their own production of Les Mis and they had brought the entire cast, crew, and orchestra to the show, and subsequently to the talkback. To begin, we all did introductions. The students were super excited to see Valjean and Fantine, as she had gone to that school. When i introduced myself, the roar was quite possibly louder than Valjean's as the orchestra kids went crazy. It was a response i was not expecting and reminded me that what i do is pretty special, even as a violist.

I have always enjoyed doing talkbacks, mainly because i love to talk about what i love. Well, i love to talk. Period. I absolutely hope to do more talkbacks in the future, and maybe i'll consider extending myself to local schools. I know i loved hearing about the business when i was younger, it's my responsibility now as a working musician to educate and inspire young players.

As if this post weren't long enough, i have a confession. Just because I've played the show almost 100 times, i still make some pretty heinous mistakes every now and then... Like last night for example. I definitely got lost during Stars. And not lost like "I didn't count my rests." We're talking lost like I blanked during a very exposed line, where I'm driving the rhythm, and when i looked up at the music to save myself, i had NO idea where i was. Needless to say, i just stopped playing. Oops...

To all those young players reading this: perfection is impossible. Be satisfied playing your best, but always remember you're human.

Things to listen for when YOU see the show: This one is tough. As you know, most shows augment their string sound with synth sounds. Try to see if you can hear what is acoustic strings, what is synth alone, and what is a blend of the two. Its tough, which is a testament to our keyboard players, our string players, and our sound designers.

good sounds.

"...Billig’s orchestra delivers a sometimes sinewy, sometimes Lalique sound that takes full advantage of Chris Jahnke’s new orchestrations. The aural soundscape ranges from a powerful wall of music to subtle tinkling pieces of percussion. You haven’t heard the score before like this." -South Florida Theater Review

Les Mis meets Suzuki

Before I begin the story intended for this post, allow me to quote an audience member from this evening's show, who noticed instruments in the pit upon getting to his seat in the front row. He turns to his companion and says, with a bit of surprise and distaste "I guess there's music in this play."

Play? This show's an opera. Its ALL music. I hope he enjoyed it.

Ok, now to the point. At intermission today, a little girl (probably 5 years old?) leaned over the pit and asked me if I knew Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I did, of course thanks to Suzuki, and she asked me to play it. So, partially swallowing my pride, I started playing (with as much professionalism as I could muster) the Suzuki Book 1 classic and then asked her to sing along midway through.

Two observations:
1. I made this girl's night.
2. That song was easily the most beautiful thing I played all night. Take that as you will.

After the show, her dad leaned over the pit and said "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star!" as if to compliment me. I'd bet this little girl's personal serenade meant more to her than the actual show itself.

Advice from the road: It's about the little things. Making a little girl's day can make your day, regardless of how silly you may feel in the moment.

time to fly: Ft. Lauderdale

Working in the theatre is great. While there is little stability, I get paid to work for basically 3-4 hours per day.

This makes touring wonderful. In Philadelphia, I spent days exploring the city. Now we're in Ft. Lauderdale, which means NO exploring, just sitting by the pool. ALL DAY LONG. That's right. I have to work today, and I've already spent several hours by the pool and will be hitting the beach later. Its a lovely life.

The performing arts center here is enormous. It's like playing in a giant cave. It seems relatively modern, which is much different than the Academy of Music in Phila.

This post is short, there's no point in sitting in the hotel room to write when there's a beach right outside my window.

Later.

new home: Philadelphia

So Paper Mill ended well, with the exception of the epic snow blizzard, but everyone survived, and we're now in Philadelphia playing at the Academy of Music.

Some thoughts:
1. The Academy of Music is beautiful. I hate to use a musical theatre reference, but think Phantom of the Opera beautiful, COMPLETE with a moving chandelier. Also, the pit is huge. major plus. Oh, and the musicians get a dressing room. another plus.

2. Philadelphia is wonderful, compact, quaint, and fun. And there's SO much to do.

3. Snow on tour is a blessing and a curse. While it makes everything beautiful, you can't play in the snow on tour, so it just gets annoying...Also, it can make shows messy. A snow day in the theatre is MUCH more complicated than a snow day at school.

4. We're staying around the corner from the Curtis Institute. If you're a working musician, don't walk by their practice rooms. It will make you want to cry and consider never playing your instrument again. but then it will make you thankful you have a job.

Two shows today!

Things to listen for when YOU see the show: (these are back, don't worry) Listen for the bass clarinet/viola line that happens after Eponine dies when Valjean approaches the barricade. Its SUPER awkward and difficult to play but sounds real cool.