morning ramblings...

So yesterday was a relatively uneventful day in the way of April Fools. Otherwise, it was really hardcore packed. Woke up at 7 for quartet at 8. Quartet blew more than it usually does. Mr. T told us more or less that we sound terrible. The thing is, though, that he is acting more like a coach than a teacher. Which is I guess what we signed up for, so I can't complain. It's just really difficult for 4 people who just got their techniques rebuilt to get together and play in a quartet. I don't know. Ear Training was empty because Shenandoah Chorus is in NM for the weekend. Oh, remind me to email Dr. Oakes about rescheduling that test for the 4 or 5 of us who missed it for orchestra. (That was directed mostly to me to not forget about it). Music Lit was a waste of my time. Just have to study a little for the next test on Tuesday. Then our recording session that I was under the impression that it would take half an hour or 40 minutes took a good hour and 15 minutes. But it was all right because it didn't cause me to miss a class or anything. Then I had to cancel my lesson because I had a nasty splinter in my 4th finger. Olivia was cool about it.

Then it was orchestra time. Wagner, Tchaik, and Elgar. Fun. Wait a minute. Go back and put "not very" in front of fun. There ya go. It just sucks not to be playing anything hard this concert. I mean, it is a soloists concert so it's mainly accompanying. Eh.

Then came home for a bit and went to Chili's with the gf and some friends before rehearsal for Maryory's recital. Man that was a great rehearsal. She's doing the Mozart A major concerto and I'm playing first violin in a little chamber group she got to accompany her. It's great because it's the best concerto ever. Well, maybe except for the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Or maybe the Shostakovich piano concerto.

Speaking of which, I probably ought to talk a little about how violin is going (for those of you just dying for an update). Well, right now I'm working on the Khachaturian violin concerto, Corelli's La Folia (well, cleaning up the La Folia), Gavinies etudes, Kreutzer etudes, Flesch scales. I really like the Khachaturian concerto, but I can't wait to play something that I'll be using for auditions for orchestras, like the Mendelssohn, Tchaik, Beethoven, Dvorak, or something. I don't really want to play the Lalo though. I mean, it's all right, but the last movement is really the only one that I like. That and it seems like a lot of people here are playing or have played the Lalo. I don't want to play the Bach d minor partita either, because everyone and their brother plays it. Maybe the C major. Actually, I think I'm going to ask Olivia if I can play some Bach this semester.

I'm (hopefully) going to get a new violin sometime in the next year. I could really use one that's better than the one I have now. I mean, not that it's a bad violin, but I'm outgrowing it. I mean, I've had it since I was in the 8th grade. I think the outfit was around $1800 (fiddle, bow, and case). It was good for its purposes, but there's no way I'm going to be winning any concerto competitions with it. Olivia told me to look at Gail's violins in College Park. So I think I'm going to be exploring that for some time. Telling them my price range and seeing what they have in stock. I know one thing, though. I'm definitely getting a modern instrument (at least made in the past 50 years). They're much less expensive, still great quality and great sound, and their sound grows with you as you own it. I think it would be so great to have a fiddle that sounds great now and that grows in sound as I grow in ability. Then when I'm rich and famous I'll get a Strad.

HAH!