This is the Title of an Uncreative Violinist.:)

Yay! April is almost here!  I'm excited about the next couple of weeks: I've had a Mozart Requiem gig on my calendar for a few weeks but recently got my husband on board as well, so the two of us will get to sit side by side, along with a student of mine.  I've never played the Requiem, but it's so beautiful so I'm really looking forward to it. A week after that, I have another orchestra concert--last one of the season--playing the Verdi Requiem (I guess it's "Requiem" season).  Other than that, just trying to catch up on lessons with my students and continue with the practicing. Our floor is finished, we got some rugs for the finishing touches and the hubby has planned a "Nerd Party" in a couple weeks.  I don't think I'll enjoy watching a bunch of dorks sitting around our living room playing Call of Duty, but I do get a kick out of watching Ryan interact with his friends.  I don't know what it is, but I've always felt mor...

Whew!  SO glad that the past week is over.  Except for Monday, which was consumed by an audition, I was driving back and forth to Dayton, OH. for rehearsals and performances with the Dayton Ballet.  The show was called "New Music for New Dance" and it showcased four pieces written by three different composers alongside ballet dancers.  For the most part, it was technically simple music with annoying time meters, but just like any other show, we (the orchestra) got the hang of it by the middle of the week and all shows were fine. However, we got a complaint from one of the composers--Jesse Ayers, of Canton, OH--who remarked to either our conductor or the pianist that he "preferred his composition through the MIDI file rather than the orchestra".  WHAT A DOUCHEBAG.  I'm sorry. I hate to use that word, but I think it's awfully unprofessional and mean-spirited (not to mention arrogant) to relay that to an orchestra of musicians who have had to listen and play ...

This entire week, I'm playing in the pit orchestra for the Dayton Ballet and we're performing new music that was specifically written for this ballet.   http://www.daytonballet.org/ The music is...interesting.  If you've ever seen the movie Gattaca , then basically the music is like the score from that movie, in a nutshell.  I'm not even sure what the choreography looks like since we're below the stage and can't see a thing.  It's a little scary since there are two levels to the pit and the strings are sitting on the upper level--a very narrow plank that's barely wide enough for two people to sit next to one another.  I'm sitting on the edge, of course, so if my chair ever accidentally tips over, my violin and I are toast. Not much else to report; I bombed my audition on Monday, so that's all I'll say about that.  Sigh, I'm not feeling any sort of strong emotion about it--I wasn't prepared and it was just bad timing, so I wasn...

What's one good thing about being so busy you barely have enough time to go on the internet and update your blog and read others' blogs?  The fact that when you finally do get a chance to indulge in some social media (and I've got about 20 min. left to do all this before I have to dash out the door again), there are so many wonderful posts to read.  I'm so sorry I've been such a boring blogger, but this month has been stressful and I don't think I'll have a real chance of emerging until April is here. That being said, I have one spring recital behind me and: 1 more spring recital left; two major orchestra auditions coming up in 3 (!) days and another in 2 weeks (NOT ready); rehearsals every night this week and a concert this Sat. evening; recording/ballet performance project the very next day (the evening before my audition which sucks because I'll want to warm up that day) in a recording studio lasting 4 + hours. Argh; and then a week long gig with th...

Right after I wrote my last post, I checked the news and read about the earthquake in Japan (I'd watch the news, but we stopped our cable since we hardly ever watch TV).  What a devastating thing to happen and it's still in the early hours--over 50 countries are on a tsunami watch.   Needless to say, I'm praying for everyone who is--and will be--affected by this disaster.

Wow.  Why am I up at such an ungodly hour?  Cramps, that's why!  Argh--this is awful!  Instead of lying in bed, waiting for the pain to subside and then fall asleep, I had the absurd thought that maybe since I was already up, I could wait for the pain to subside (while browsing the internet) and THEN practice!  Since I am not, by nature, a morning person, it's a rarity to find me practicing in the wee morning hours like other good violinists out there.  Obviously, I'd like to be, but I've never been that disciplined.  On the contrary, I have no problem staying up past midnight practicing, but to get up at 4 or 5 and start doing it....no way. When I was in my last year at CCM, the violinist, Cho Liang Lin (aka, 'Jimmy' Lin) was a visiting guest professor and I had a lesson with him.  I had prepared Chausson's Poeme for my lesson and I met the resident accompanist outside his door before my lesson time.  She asked me if I had adequately warme...

I think I've caught the shopping bug from all these other blogs I've been reading, because now I have an incredible urge to go shopping at Anthropologie.  I don't normally go there because a) it's a little overpriced (although I'm the type of person who waits for huge sales anyways...it's the way to go!) and b) it's the type of store that carries items that I think look so adorable but then I go in and try everything and it looks like crap on me.  To date, I only have three items in my closet from that store and I hardly use them.  Yet, I think I'm going to be making a stop there on my way to my studio.  I'm a pathetic victim of mass marketing. One store that I nearly always find something at, on the other hand, is Ann Taylor Loft or Ann Taylor.  I used to walk past those stores thinking it was for "older ladies", but they have a great petites section.  I think 95% of my wardrobe is ATL, down to even my socks. But I've binged on ATL...

Well, this morning my parents headed back to Canton after spending the last three days here helping us install a laminate floor in our condo.  Actually, it was mainly my dad and hubby who installed the floor, but hey--my mom and I took care of all the meals, so that's something:) This should explain my absence from "blogging" for the last part of the week, although I will forewarn you that the next few weeks are probably going to be pretty boring (blog-wise) since I need to crank up my practicing and will be going out of town frequently for rehearsals and performances. It literally rained the entire time my parents were here, so my mom and I spent most of our time just watching movies together, chatting, and reading.  I'm so grateful my parents are close enough to come by whenever we need help with projects like these; I complain about them being far away, but honestly, it could be worse--some people have to hop on a plane to see their family, and that could only b...

I'm boiling two whole chickens right now for a few pot pies that I'm making--one for a friend and one for moi, so I thought I'd steal a little time to write something. I was supposed to go running this morning with a friend, but she called saying she hurt her knee, so of course, the motivation to drive to the park and get out and go run the trail alone dropped to about 1% chance:P  Instead, I was glad for the extra time today so I could run to the store and get all the things I needed for my pot pies, as well as some other stuff since my parents are rolling into town tomorrow evening and are staying for the next three days.  I'm not sure how easy it will be to cook all meals for the rest of the week since my dad and hubby are planning on getting to work on our new floor right away on Friday.  I'm secretly hoping the men don't mind my mom and I NOT helping so that we can get out for some much needed mother/daughter/shopping/drinking coffee/running errands/toget...