Oh, the places you'll go!

This summer I got to travel all over North America and play the bassoon with some righteous people.  I literally made 100 new friends.  One of the awesome parts of being a musician is travel--you get to go all over the world and show people a good time...With music.  This summer I went to Powell River, British Columbia (Canada) and Madeline Island, Wisconsin (USA).  It was a busy summer.  


I went to the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific in Powell River and got to study with Marc Goldberg, who was just an incredible musician, brilliant teacher, and all around good human being.  I learned more in those two weeks than probably my entire life and I totally changed my attitude towards taking auditions and correct preparation, etc.  

I don't care what anyone says--Canada is gorgeous.  Particularly the Pacific Northwest.  I'd got back in a second.  Also, the climate is great for reeds (I thought, at least).  They never really dried out and so all the mistakes I made when I was scraping kind of got puffed out in the humidity, and the temperature is very cool for July (if you ask me.  Sometimes it would be 45 degrees at night!), so hot, stuffy reeds were never an issue either.  I liked it.  I liked it a lot.


Next stop, Madeline Island Music Camp in Madeline Island, Wisconsin.  Madeline Island is SEVEN HOURS north of Madison.  My dad drove me up there, which was a hoot--luckily, if I am in a moving vehicle for more than 20 minutes, I fall right to sleep, so I missed most of the trip.  Madeline Island is a chamber music camp, and the Prairie Winds is the faculty group/quintet-in-residence.  I love chamber music.  If I could find a way to be a professional chamber musician, I'd do it (PLEASE HIRE ME).  Tim McGovern is the bassoon teacher, and he really inspired me to work hard.  I went to this festival in 2006, so it was great to return and have a completely different experience.

I never think to take photos of performances or rehearsal/concert spaces, so I stole some from other people.  

This is a photo of me and some other students playing "Octoot" By PDQ Bach with the Prairie Winds in their recital.  I was so excited that they asked me.  What an honor!  And yes, I am just playing the long joint and bell of my bassoon.  Look up the piece and you'll understand.


In other news, my dress rehearsal for my recital was tonight.  I didn't get to rehearse all the pieces, but what I did get to rehearse was really good.  Usually I don't feel very good about performances like this, but now that I'm in graduate school, and not taking 22 credits and playing in five ensembles, I feel like I really have enough time to really prepare this music.  There still aren't enough hours in the day, but part of being a musician is never being satisfied, right?