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.