Monday, October 4, 2010

What's goin on?

Today I have a clarinet lesson! It is really fun since I only do it once a year or so - but the guy who played in La Boheme is my "teacher" and he's really amazing. I believe he got a lifetime acheivement award from the Clarinet association (whatever it is) this year. Hopefully he can help me with that high range and some of the "in between" stuff that makes playing the oboe breaks look like cake.

Our WW5 is planning a 1/2 concert with the string quartet in November, I think we are playing Barthe Passecalia (from the Yellow Book), Ibert, Arnold Three Shanties, and Haydn-Muth (also from the esteemed book). Fun! And I do think it is helping us wind players play together better. The pitch in the opera was so amazing, it gives me new confidence that "it's not always me"!

I'm in this musical "club" (mostly elderly females - I'm definately one of the youngest) that meets once a month and has a music program. As a performing member I'm asked to play 20 minutes once a year or so - and I thought it would be fun if the quintet could play this year - and it is conveniently scheduled 2 weeks before our concert! But it is also the same day as West Side Story opening, which 4 of us are involved in (with a total of 16 instruments!) But we can announce it and maybe some of these people will see the Little Orchestra has some talent too.

So that's all coming up - but trumping everything is Mahler 1 this Sat/Sun! I can't wait. I've been asking about the bells up on the bulletin board, apparently most people hold them up higher than I was thinking! I was going to go on the side of the stand, but I tried it last night over the stand and I think it will work. The only problem is my stupid bifocals - can't read the music when I do that! Such great music though, we are combining with the local Expensive Private College Orchestra (Thursday first day together) and it should be a huge sound. Just worried about fitting us all in place!

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