audition comin'

So the Big Orchestra is having auditions for 2nd oboe. I am hoping the current aux oboe will move up, my big competition in town will take that spot and I will be on the sub list. Of course this would mean that no one from out of town wins. Which COULD happen! And I'm sure they won't be filling the sub list from out of town people, so my chances are not awful.

But as always the list is daunting. Not as long as some, but really perfecting any number of excerpts (and that d*#^@ Mozart) is a challenge. The Mysterious G has a system for auditions when he's on the panel - he just tallies every mistake. While this may seem obvious, it was kind of a shock to me! EACH mistake carrying that much weight. It is a really good way to get me to the next level though, I'm kind of a overall sound person as opposed to the notes on the page are the law person. But in an audition you have to play for the panel, and that is the easiest way to weed out people. No mistakes. Thats my new motto. HA!

So any die hard oboe people will want to know the list so here it is: Mozart oboe conc exposition, Brahms Vln Conc, Rossini Silken Ladder, Strauss Don Juan (fast AND slow); 2nd oboe parts: Brahms Variations on a theme by Haydn, Dvorak Cello Concerto (LOW stuff) Prokofiev Classical Symphony, Bach Brandenburg #1; EH parts: Dvorak New World, Rossini William Tell and Strauss Ein Heldenlaben. And there ya go. I have playedat least the excerpts before except Prokofiev, THAT is a true pain. But this will be good for me right?

Went for a coaching with the MG and he actually sat down and acted like it was a real audition! Keep in mind I just got this list a couple days ago, and most of this stuff I'd only played through. But it was surprisingly good experience, not that I sounded great, but I was ok AND now I really know what needs work. Will see him again next week. Audition isn't til August.

Triumph!

My little recorder crew was great! They all played well, we didn't get off on the round (which was harder in the big echo=y room) and they all got through their solo pieces without freaking out (which is the main worry for me). I was kind of freaked out about accompaning on the harp, but it went fine. And of course the harp is an excellent distraction!

I got a lovely rose for helping out this year, and the head teacher made a sweet little speech. I was just one of many "helping staff" or whatever they call us, but it was nice to be recognized. The piano teacher asked if I gave harp lessons! Hahahaha! Guess I fooled her, into thinking I could actually play the harp! Funny how crappy I play the harp and people come up asking for lessons and offering wedding gigs - and that NEVER happens with the oboe. Maybe I should take a hint?

harpy

Tonight is my little recorder class's recital. I am funkily nervous, mostly because I foolishly offered to accompany them on my harp for one piece. I figured it would be no big deal, but harp is not really my "thing". So I'm nervous. Which is crazy, this is a recital for the KIDS, I'm just the accompanist, blah blah blah. Now I know how accompanists feel (sort of!)

In other oboe-y news, I planted my arundo donax (cane plant) from the mysterious G - he has some growing in his yard. I think he planted it two years ago and has made quite a few lovely reeds with the stuff that is the right size. Hopefully mine will grow as well, although D is eyeing it for pikestaffs.

No exciting playing news, but maybe I'll get something done in the garden!

I survived!

So the recital thingy went pretty well, I thought. Of course there are always things that could have been better, but overall I was quite pleased. It would be nice to do that set a couple more times so we could be really tight, but oh well. There were three performing "groups" at this little gathering - me and H (pianist), another pianist (and her fabulous student), and a singer with yet another pianist. I knew the singer's accompanist - her husband is the contractor for the summer theater stuff. It was a little awkward (for me) but nothing was mentioned and she was complimentary afterward (but that was just politeness). *sigh* The singer was really good and she had been singing this stuff at all the area schools trying to drum up business for opera camp - they'd obviously done it a lot! Glad I was first.

Now I'm trying to focus on the next thing, which in my mind is my STUPID promise to accompany the recorder class on the harp if they all memorized Scarborough Fair. I can do it, but of course that adds a whole level of complexity I did NOT want, and it may take focus off the students. Of course, it would be no big deal if I accompanied on piano (which is funny - I would never think of playing piano since I don't really play, but I could probably do it easier than the harp! Then again, everyone thinks you are wonderful on the harp no matter how bad you are)

And the real next thing is Js band concert, which I'm playing, tomorrow! Dress tonight. After the Church Choir picnic, which is after choir this morning which I guess is REALLY the next thing since I will be sight singing. Not super worried about that, more concerned about leaving on time so I can grab a coffee before practice!

what am I doing?!

Tomorrow is my "mini-recital", I am still trying to figure out the order. That is the problem with doing little pieces instead of one big piece. Hmmm. Should be ok, I have some reeds and of course stamina is always an issue, but hopefully not too bad since I chose little pieces. I plan to talk about them in between, and the fabulous H is going to talk too. We are having lunch and then a rehearsal today - it is really fun to play with her.

She played the Schumann Romances back in grad school (some decades ago) so we are both good with that. She hadn't ever heard the Neilsen Fantasy Pieces and the Romance goes faster than she was expecting. But I think it will be fine. We both really like the Capriccio from the Contemporary French Recital Pieces, it is by Murgier who I have not heard of except for this one piece. And I'm doing 1/2 of a Telemann Sonata, but her part is easy. We have done the Bizet (solo from the Symphony in C) in church already and also Gabriel's Oboe, gotta end with that! Every time I play that I get swarmed with people who say it is their favorite oboe piece - who am I to argue? I wish there was a better arrangement out there; my friend JB used to improvise this great accompaniment and I offered to pay him to write it out (he's a professional engraver, would have been easy) but he never did. Oh well!

banned

Tonight J and I are playing in the band concert at Local State University. We will play with the community college band, and there will be a HS band playing as well and the university band. Our group sounds ok - no big oboe-y solos so I'm not sure what they brought me in for, maybe just pitch centering! So we'll play three numbers which will also be on the June 1 Final Concert. Fun.

I'm also working on a mini-recital; for one of those noon music clubs where they have a program once a month. Hopefully it will be good exposure. I'm sort of worried because my summer theater gig, which I thought was kind of "mine" and they usually have 1-2 shows with oboe parts (out of 4) they ask me to play. But this year they have someone else doing both shows. I am disappointed, but last year they asked me to do 3 shows, and I felt I could only do 2 with all the time commitment. So the woman they hired to do the other show is playing this year. She is married to a wonderful clarinetist, so maybe they like getting the pair of them. Of course, they could just like her playing better. And then the same woman played (as a ringer) with the Youth Orchestra this Sunday - they were doing Pines of Rome! She got that fab EH solo - and the director of the YO has told me he loves my EH playing, and how he would call if he ever needed anyone (because I was begging him to get me a gig playing in the great new hall here) he is an old friend and I feel kinda disappointed about that too. The girl is actually an alumnus of the YO, so maybe that is why they called her, but I'm starting to feel like this is a sign. Oh well, I'll just do my little recital and spend the rest of the summer moving furniture around!

not my symphony stuff

Now that our season in the symphony is over, I am still playing a bit even though it looks like a slow summer. Went to community band tonight for 1/2 rehearsal (little guy bedtime) and they are doing some hard stuff! Nothing I really need to practice but I will look at a few places before next time. I am the only oboe (as I like it) and they are so grateful! Makes me feel all special.

This weekend we went to the big symphony's season finale, they did Beethoven 9 and a choral piece by Brahms that I can't spell. It is "song of fate" in German. The acoustics in their new hall are just great, it is such a joy to go hear them. This is the first time I've really noticed the choir sounding amazing, their diction was really good and it was like listening to another instrument (with words). I've heard them in the hall before but for whatever reason this concert really showed them off. Sadly it was my friend the choral conductor's last concert, and we went out to the fancy hotel after. Fun fun fun.

I'm also working on what to play for the music club - my 20 minutes of fame (or going down in flames...)Anyway, I thought I'd do easy stuff, and I wanted to do real oboe pieces for the most part anyway. Here are some of the things I want to do but I'll need to pare it down (no particular order):
1. Murgier Cappricio from the French Recital Pieces
2. Schumann Romance #1
3. Bach Aria from Cantata #89 (Gerechter Gott - this arrangement is w/o voice, weird)
4. Nielsen Romanze from Two Fantasy Pieces
5. Bizet Theme from the Symphony in C (as found in the lovely Tustin book)
6. Gabriel's Oboe by Morricone
7. Telemann Allegro from one of the concertos - can't remember which one but it's in Am
8. Christmas Lullaby by Chip Davis - probably wouldn't mention the Christmas part - but this is pretty. Probably wouldn't do both this and the Morricone.

I think that is all, just want to go over things with my accompanist (who is generously volunteering so I don't want to overtax her). Many of these things we have done at church sometime, so it should be easy to throw together.