Monday, December 22, 2008

I'm home! YaY!!!
You have no idea how good you have it until you leave.
On the other hand- I'm going crazy here. 
I attempted the impossible today- aka cleaning the house. I didn't even vacuum the floor I just did the heavy lifting stuff. Lysol will have to wait till later today- if I can find any here. haha
But it's the messes that you don't notice until you leave that I'm talking about. Now I'm back and I notice. That added onto the fact that I have become the most incredible neat freak. Everything in my dorm is kept clean. Or will be cleaned as soon as I get the chance to clean it. I have a lysol canister the size of a bread box sitting on the shelf that I offer morning and evening sacrifices to...

So I'll be making recordings and getting a drivers license with photo ID instead of the piece of paper with scrawl on it. Yes, loosing a wallet (or having it stolen) is not cool. 
The recordings are for summer festivals. It will be fun. I have the tools to do them all by myself now- which is so exciting. I also have time to practice! It's a miracle. 
Having time to myself means that I can teach myself how to sing parts, sleep, learn about Organ stuff, see people I never see anymore, and eat rea
l food. Yum!
SD is amazing. Can't wait for the rain to stop so we can go dooooo things!

Mom and I put up the Xmas lights! :D

Friday, December 19, 2008

Sooo, I'm in the airport. On hold for the 44th minute. Trying to track my baggage. 

The airport has been really trying today. I started this day at 11:30pm eastern time and should (if all goes well from here) at 9pm something pacific time.  And I'm doing this amazing 25 hour day on 4 hours sleep. Yes I am amazing.

First, on the flight from Rochester, NY they put too much fuel in the jet- so that it was too heavy and 9 people had to exit the plane. =Delay

Then the flight to Detroit the pilot was late. No biggie, they found a new crew. But a new problem arises- something again with the weight of the plane and people who didn't board the plane right away had to find a different flight. Tant pis pour ils. Except I was one of ils. lol

Ok so now I go to Pheonix. But that somehow gets delayed for 2 hours as we wait forever to board and then drive in circles for an hour. Long story short, I miss my connection to San Diego. 

So here I am waiting for my 9pm flight in Arizona and they decide that I look like I should be searched. You know those bassoonists with their suspicious back backs that make menacing ticking noises as their uber sensitive dr. beat buttons get pushed.

ok, so now I'm sitting here waiting for my flight and trying to trace my baggage. 58 minutes on the phone has revealed that i must fill a baggage claim to find my bag which I must do pronto. So that is my day of not-heavenliness. lol

ok- time to fill a claim.

Friday, November 14, 2008

college

this place is crazy.

I feel like I've been dumped into a blender with everyone else for some sort of experimental blended drink.

People are strange here too. I usually don't have a problem with other people- it's they that have a problem with me. So either it means I'm weird or they are. -I'm going to err on the safe side and say they are... ;P lol

There's been no blogging for a long time because life is so busy here. Have I complained about my 21 credits yet? hehe 

I've never gotten so little sleep in my life. My joints sound like cement mixers and still the homework does not always get completed! I'm supposed to be resting before my concert tonight, but instead I'm blogging. Bad life decision #1.

Not getting enough sleep really impairs your concentration as well. I have a hard time remembering things, but that might have less to do with lack of sleep than I would like to admit. 

We have to enroll for classes this week, and I'
m debating Organ and/or French.

I've already taken so much French, this would be to keep from losing it. However Organ would be really cool. On the other hand I cannot coordinate two hands in different clefs to save my life- let alone two hands and two feet. However- I've been told that people worse off than myself can do it, so I might just give it a try.

Anyways, I miss home and feel almost like a completely different person here.


Lastly, I just heard about Mr. J. back home- we'll be praying for you man. We love you.


gotta sleep before the concert, so peace out.


Eastman Lower Rotation Orchestra. I'm sitting Second Bassoon- between 1st and contra. :)

Thursday, October 09, 2008

My first Music Theory teacher, Dr. Weller, told me once that "most of the stuff you learn at college does not happen in the class room." lol It's so true. It's like an intensive "how to grow up" experience that just costs way too much. ;) 
But yeah, the thing about work, esp. entering a professional field, is not about how perfect you are, but how hard you try and the attitude you bring to it. The truth is; however hard you try, you're going to mess up. That's the most important thing to keep in mind. How much you mess up however should change as you continue to work in your field. And as you keep in mind that you will always mess up, that should motiva
te you to practice so as to minimize your number and severity of mistakes. You can never be perfect.

That's just how life is, with time constantly marching on. It's completely up to you how you deal with every new situation. All you know is that you need enough money to survive and to be happy. To have money, you must work. To have work, you must be kept employed. To be kept employed you must constantly (as an entertainer) satisfy your employer. To satisfy your employer you must give 100%.
On the other side, to be happy you must enjoy your work. To enjoy your work you must love it and have a positive attitude. Because, if you do it without caring, it won't make you happy and chances are it won't be so good. Doing a poor job is never satisfying and doesn't make you happy. If you do it because you want to do we
ll (keep your job, and be happy with your work), you will learn to love it, and in loving it you will give 100%. 

So that's why it's ok to make mistakes, because they will never disappear but as long as you give 100% those mistakes will slowly be les
s obvious. 

I know I'm not being as clear as I need to be, but I'll come back someday and edit this page so that I can be happy. ;)

This is my bible study on our camping trip over fall break. It was so much fun! -the bugs and germs.
from left to right
Seth, me, Brett, Andre, Luke, and Tabitha- all sitting on a log next to the play ground

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Well life has been really busy here in Rochester, NY.

I finally have a little time to myself because I am quite sick with a cold and fever. I'm going to the nurse tomorrow to see if I have strep- and get proper documentation that I am indeed sick so that I don't get marked down in classes for not showing up without a reason. It's a pain, but it's just one more of the many circus hoops to jump through before anything can happen. 
Before that I managed to lose my wallet..  I will be sticking to the campus since I am broke without plastic. lol

Blah, away from the humdrum and awful

I am really excited about the German class I am taking right now- which I believe bumps me up to 21 credits this semester. haha 
Why is she taking German? -you ask
To go to Freiburg. -she responds
What's so hot about Freiburg? -you ask
The conservatory. -she responds

Yes, in two years I hope to be a student at the Freiburg Conservatory in Germany. I know I've talked about going to France to get a better understanding of the language and study at their conservatories, but it just isn't the best place for studying bassoon- unless I want to switch to French basson (yes basson) instead of staying with the German model, which is what pretty much everyone uses outside of France. 

But here at Eastman, though it feels like there is never time to practice- they do manage to keep you inspired. Here's a clip that I find incredibly impressive and was shown to us at Eastman Colloquium (yet another class)



In Aural Skill class I have discovered that I have a pretty low voice- like I can sing lower than an alto... ha ha? Whatever- I think Philippe here be smokin'!

I miss San Diego just a bit, and can't wait to go back. The weather here hasn't been too bad, but SD weather always always kicks butt. It just doesn't get much better.

The lessons with Mr. Hunt are very interesting- we go kinda nerdy about the bassoon at lessons. He is very good about finding my problems, pointing them out, and then telling me what I need to do to fix them. The scale study he makes us do is brutal. If there are any problems with your playing, this scale study will make them obvious. I really need to work on two things, pitch and rhythm. lol, rhythm esp.
The last lesson his comments on the etude were more stylistic than anything else so I think maybe that is a good thing. But he is a strong advocate of long tones, and I hate long tones. So I will be doing long tones. They're just really tough. You have to keep the air consistent and really pay attention to how the reed, embouchure, support, and throat combine to make sound with good tone and intonation. 

I never realized how important it is for college students to talk with their friends and family still living at home- you can go a little crazy at college and forget about really basic stuff like eating properly and sleeping properly and a hundred other little things that just add up. The problem is just that there is never enough time to do everything. So the things that go usually have something to do with personal comfort. Do not worry! I shower everyday and that will not change. But also you can pick up some pretty unhealthy mentalities when you're under so much stress- so that's why it's really important to talk to peeps who still have their head screwed on properly. lol

Another thing about Eastman is that there isn't much hand holding that happens here. They just expect you to know it and do it. bang. You're at Eastman, so be perfect. Nnnnow! LOL but soo true. So far I haven't fallen into any of the normal holes students fall into, but I did miss a lesson because I scheduled it for the same time as the German class I was taking. Yeah I know, smooth move. Then I slept through reed class and yesterday I couldn't make it to Master Class because I am sick. Or any of my other classes for that matter. I still don't think I will go to classes today, because even though I am not currently running a fever, my tonsils are pretty bad. I don't want to share this newfound joy with anyone else. Also, I'm pretty sure that I got this cold from a moron who went to class when they shouldn't have and was coughing their head off behind me. I'm sorry, I tried not to breathe but that just did last for very long... 
If you're going to class sick (with a cough like that) please turn to a direction where no one is sitting before you cough and if you could, cough into a jacket or your shirt, that would be terrific. 


Well, can't say when my next post will be- but it will be. So there. :D

Guten Nacht!
Katarina



Eastman Quintet!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

# 41 -Musicamp, leaving, Eastman




     SDYS Rotary International Musicamp at our first concert


       At the Farewell Party
                          Those crazy Austrian boys... LOL just kidding Lorenz!


                     Roberto and I


             
 Don't ask me! Que pasa?!
   Wilfredo, me, Roberto
          Hola...?

Well, it's been a fun few weeks with the International Youth Symphony. The people you meet there are some of the best people ever. Mr. Edmons is always making speeches about how the musicamp is wonderful/life-changing experience/fantastic/etc. and though you haven't the patience to listen then, you realize later that what he was saying was so true. This group of students has become like family to me. We're all going to stay in contact and are even planning a new performing escapade. :D (shhhh, it's under wraps. ;) But the great thing about being international is that we all come from so many different cultures that we end up creating our own unique culture in which we all fit perfectly. We're also a really tight orchestra and though we had to spend 2 weeks to play Beethoven and Mozart -it was after the first week and a half that we really started to gel -and I think we could have played anything after that point. :) just my opinion. 
But yeah, these peeps are awesome and I will miss them like crazy. 

           1st Clarinet Martin and I


Both Martin and I agree that we make a good team :) btw, Martin is awesome to work with.


The Venezuelan String Quartet
from left to right;
Wilfredo (violin), Roberto (cello), Omar (viola), Jairo (violin)
Wilfredo looks like Jim Carry *haha*


Looking a little more formal... ;p
Wilfredo, Jairo, Omar, and Roberto


On break
Christoph, Lorenz, Magdalena, Marjan, Kimberley, Marie-Luise, Nicole



Warming up before the concert
yes that's me on the ledge- practicing that devilish solo from beethoven 4. haha
red hair on left is Andrea, the Bassist is Henry, and the crazy Frenchman Gaeton is on the right. ;)



It's kinda sad, these people mean so much to me and now we must leave. Thank goodness for the internet! Otherwise I don't know how I would cope! 


 And of course the reason I'm still doing orchestra;


Valentin Martchev, my awesome teacher, who is constantly an inspiration and the person I want to be just like when I grow up. Outside of my parents, he is the one person who has had more influence on my life than any other. I can't thank him for all the lessons he has taught me over the past 5 1/2 years, not just in music, but life lessons and how he always made an example that I wanted to emulate. He is my hero, the best musician ever, and the best person in the world. 


Away from my bassooning life, my best friends Stephy and Leah are heading off to college this week too. It's not quite as sad because we will see each other for sure many times yet to come but still a little sad. 
When we were little we all swore to go to college together, which we kept since we all attended the community college together during highschool -but real college has finally come and hilariously enough we are all moving to the four corners of the USA; WA, NY, GA, and CA.
Stephy and I (at my grad party)


Emmy and Leah (Coronado)

I am leaving for Eastman and NY soon, but until then I intend to enjoy the SoCal weather if possible. It's all packing and cleaning over here so I won't get out of the house much. :( 
I'll probably be the most ridiculously prepared person in the world by the time I finally leave. ;p

peace!


Universal Studios (splash zone!)

Saturday, August 02, 2008

#40

Sooo, it's been an incredible summer so far- I'm always learning new things and learning how to act when in new situations. I'm kind of a nerd, so social interaction is still something I have to work at, but it is getting better. I'm seeing people outside of the work environment and learning how to fit in with this crowd (I know, it's hard to believe!)
I've already been to 5 parties this
summer! 2 grad parties, 2 birthdays, and 1 orchestra party.
(picture stolen from Nicole's blog, thanks Nicole!)

SDYS International Musicamp - Pool Party



Currently I'm doing the SDYS International Musicamp which is awesome. I'm sitting with one of my bassoon friends of two years ago (Banri) and a Clarinet (Martin) from Bulgaria, the same country that my teacher comes from. I'm learning bits and pieces of Bulgarian, and it's a fun language! Very challenging, especially since it requires you to make noises not found in English. :p
Zdravei! Means hello in Bulgarian, better yet there is "Costa!" Means "Wassup?" in Bulgarian :D

It's very fun hanging with all the international students, we come from so many different cultures that when we hang together, the common language is laughter and music. You can't tell what he's saying, but between the hand gestures and the facial expression/pigeon english (not always) we can usually understand each other. Musical ideas are another thing entirely. You don't need to speak any language to express those ideas. Everyone gets it. It's great how we try to verbalize our musical ideas and everyone is mystified, until you pick up the instrument and demonstrate- the comprehension is instantaneous and ridiculously gratifying! haha

We have a Venezuelan group of boys who play in the orchestra and in their own string quartet- they are very young, talented, and romantic. That's mostly because they are Venezuelan and hugging/kissing is totally a cultural norm. I was even told by one that he loved me. Too bad he's only 15. ;p LOL
They are going to teach us to Salsa before they leave, which is very exciting for me since I recently became infatuated with the idea of dance! It's so exciting and passionate yet controlled that you can get goose bumps just from watching it! :D

As for the music, we are performing, it is Beethoven 4th Symphony and Mozart 35th Symphony- both are big pieces for double tonguing.
Double tonguing is a special technique where the wind player has to tongue the reed/mouthpiece with the tip of the tongue and then quickly chop the air flow with the mid section of the tongue to give the illusion of tonguing. It works and is the only way to play Beethoven 4 which has a crazy hard/fast solo for bassoon- the strings disappear and suddenly the Bassoon is busting mad double tonguing with the spotlight fixed upon them! It's that bad. Everyone pray for me. I need it!
That's the hard technical part, the other hardest part is the intro to Beethoven 4, it's deathly quiet while the woodwinds play a series of chords where intonation is perilous.

It's laaate, so until next time! Caio!

(here's a picture of us right after rehearsal is finished. As you can see the bassoons are always the last to leave because it takes 7 minutes to properly clean the instrument. I'm the one with brown hair half covering my face, and Banri, bassoon is on the right. I'm talking with Martin at the moment. That dude is hilarious!)

(Omar is the Venezuelan guy putting his viola away, and the bassist on the right in Henry) For those of you still interested in the musicamp and it's happening- please visit Nicole's blog you can find it by going to the comments section and clicking on the blue stuff by her picture, it will take you to her blogger profile, then scroll down and it will have another link blue that says something like "the Turners" and that will take you her blog which features even more pix and a video in which Wilfredo stars on cello (he plays violin) and features his brother Omar on the left. I show up in as much as I appear on the right and so does Andy.

Friday, June 06, 2008

#39 la nature est belle

I know this is a lame topic to blog over, but the realization of the biggest difference between SoCal and the Midwest just hit me!
When I first moved to SoCal about 11 years ago, I used to get up early in the mornings because it was cool and I could play outside before starting school. (Also there was this really cool palm tree that had hundreds of those little round seed pods that were so much fun to play with! - haha, they make great ammunition! lol)

 But whenever I got up in the morning, especially my first few weeks of living in SoCal, there was a particular smell that I had never noticed before in any of the other places I had lived before, and that was always the air. Anymore I take it for granted, but after having gone to the east coast for auditions just recently, I found that I really missed the SoCal smell. The smell isn't just the air, it's really the smell of plants and flowers- mostly because there is so much plant life here in comparison to similar suburban settings in the midwest or east coast.
I think I'm going to turn my dorm room into a hothouse and bring a few lizards. jk 
Yes the difference is not only the weather, but the plants. Especially the plants. 
I am totally into plants and nature, I can see a spider 1 mm in size from 5 feet away and can usually identify them as toxic vs. nontoxic, 
our hibiscus is so awesome,
 I love our lizards (wild), 
our bird nests with their chicks (wild), 
our apricot tree which has the best apricots, 
our cute rabid rat (wild), 
our snails (wild, which we paint neon colors with nail polish), 
our fuzzy caterpillars, 
our bumble bees, 
dragon flies, 
heavily scented jasmine bush, 
butterflies, 
not so keen on the ravens but whatever. 

The smell of plants and flowers is definitely opium of sorts as far as I am concerned. I am an addict. 


This is the view from my house, just this afternoon. Actually, though the palm trees give an incredibly tropical feel, they are not indigenous to SoCal, or so I've heard. People have said that SoCal is more of a dessert than anything else, tropical plants just do really well here.

What about the bassoon? Hmm, well since we're on the topic of air, the air is usually just perfect here for reeds. I love to practice with the window open- and it keeps the neighbors' dog from yapping too much- for whatever reason. :D

Catch ya next time!
kt

Thursday, May 29, 2008

#38

Ok, so it's been a while since I did any blogging... but there's a good reason for it! I've discovered Facebook! I am insatiably addicted. Completely and utterly so. It's where I found this funny little clip;http://carmina.ytmnd.com/
 
It's the lyrics for Carmina Burana... lol

This is the piece that first convinced me to play timpani, I'm glad my mom said no. Though the instrument I chose is insane, I'm sure it will be worth the effort once I master it. The bassoon is an incredibly challenging instrument which is constantly requiring some sort of fine tuning whether it be reeds, fingerings, keys, and a hundred other little things that all need to come into balance for the thing to work. One hundred is an exaggeration of course, however it can feel pretty crazy at times. 

Right now I'm trying to find a way to cope with the way the bassoon sits on my left index finger/palm joint. There is a vein right there that gets squished after hours of playing and starts to cut off circulation to my hand. I have to stop and shake my hand out every so often to get the blood flow back, until eventually the pain of the bassoon sitting on the joint becomes to great and I have to stop practicing all together.

The other part to the fine tuning that I'm dealing with right now is perfecting the capricious reed. They're never the same, and I keep reminding myself that whatever I have to deal with here is only going to get worse in Rochester. If I don't go insane it will be purely providential. I'm sure Mr. Hunt will know what to do.

I have two concerts coming up, for which I am very excited. One is with soloist Eugene Fodor (you have to see this guy- he talks while he plays!) who will be performing Lalo's Capriccio Espagnole. The other concert is Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

We recently played our last Trio concert at the Neurosciences Center which was a blast! Our Trio just has the most amazing dynamic that I've ever experienced in a small ensemble. From right to left we have Chloe; Jazz extraordinaire, Mark; Wiz kid, and Me; hmmm, sorry can't think of anything. :D lol


Ok the picture itself isn't great, but the memories associated with it are more precious than five really spectacular reeds.

Now I need to go to bed, so catch ya next time!


Tuesday, May 13, 2008

On dit que...

On dit que l'amour est beaux,
C'est brilliant comme le soleil!
On dit que l'amour est douce,
et touts qui pass sont enchanté.

On dit que l'amour est fort,
coeurs sont son stabilité.
On dit que les coeurs sont faible,
pleine d'haine et passioné.

On dit que l'amour est fait
des coeurs qui sont amoureux,
L'heine se lutte contre l'amour
et tout qui passe est disgracieux.





This poem was an optional assignment for the French 215 class that my lil sis and took last semester. This week I will do the formal graduation from the French program offered at Palomar Community College. Thanks to my lovely professors Chantal Maher and Judith Fauconnier I have enjoyed all five semesters very much, and hope to go to France one day to see what all the fuss is about. ;p


Translation for those who speak English:

It is said that love is beautiful,
all shining like the sun.
It is said that love is sweet,
and witnesses are enchanted.

It is said that love is strong,
hearts are its stability.
It is said that hearts are weak,
full of hate and impassioned.

It is said that love comes
from hearts in love.
Hate pits itself against love
and all that happens is disgraceful.




Yeah, it definitely sounds better in French! :D

Salut!


PS,
On joue du basson, en français.

Friday, May 09, 2008

#37 Eastman!

Ok, I promised everyone I'd post all about the colleges- this is that post.

Eastman: Accepted

So that's what happened, and my school choice is Eastman. YaY!
Oh yeah, I was offered a free ride at Wyoming U, but I really feel that I belong in a conservatory so that's where I'm going.

Music is such a funny thing, the more you know, the more you don't know.

Anyways John Hunt, the bassoon professor at Eastman, is great. He actually called me and asked me if I had any questions about Eastman- how's that for nice? He's super tall (well everyone is tall standing next to me) and nice, and the first professor to say "It's important to have fun, you gotta have fun!" :D

It think this is going to be quite a year. My parents are certain that I am going to get my butt kicked at Eastman and I agree completely.

Well, I need to go participate in the activity called Life now so I'll catch y'all next time!
KT

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Yes I'm a nerd, but I just love this cynical joke attributed to Neoclassical Economics!

"What are three things you should never believe?

1. The Cheque is in the mail.
2. Of course I'll respect you in the morning.
3. I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you."

So hilarious!

So the new developments are few but exciting, I got a new reed tip clipper from Rieger and it is GREAT! Absolutely no danger of cutting off your own fingers, completely consistent with every chop, every time! It's so much easier to use too! I had been using a fairly dull knife on top of my mandrel handle to chop the reeds and they were coming out uneven and my teacher was justly scandalized (jk.) but he did tell me I needed to change what I was doing, and the change was totally worth it! Now I have to bring my reeds to visit his lovely profiling machine. lol

Most of the conservatories have gotten back to me about my acceptance or lack thereof except for one but I still don't feel at liberty to divulge all the names of those conservatories yet. I will after I've finally made my decision.

Catch ya next time!
Katie

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Here is Ray Pizzi in action in his "Ode to a Toad" This is the song I played in San Francisco when I got the copper bassoon, but not quite. I played the Bulgarian version. lol
 
Haha, and I just found this one with Ray Pizzi live. At the very beginning he says "Now I would like to say you can dedicate this song to anyone you like- I call it Ode to a Toad"
LOL

Here is the same thing only done with all bassoons and without Ray Pizzi. It's so totally reminiscent of toadiness!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aynSrgVHXfA

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Oh my goodness. I just found a clip on youtube of Milan Turkovic! One of the greatest bassoonists ever. My teacher is always talking about him and Claus Thunemann.
Here's the clip;

I'm going to have to search for Thunemann now! I'll put it up if I find it. :D

ok here it is;

1st movement of Mozart cello/bassoon duet;

2nd Mvmt;

3rd;

and I don't know this one;

but that's enough, you get the idea.

I love YouTube! 

See ya next time!
Katie


comment linx

I just saw that someone left a comment on one of my posts lol. So since the links he left didn't turn blue, I've reposted them here. Have fun!

http://www.youtube.com/jazzbassoonpaul


Thursday, March 27, 2008

LAst audition




LA was AWESOME!





Check out the beautiful sunset!






All my friends and family have all made smart remarks like "nice smog" instead of appreciating that smog can be beautiful! Just look at those colors! *cough cough*




Anyway it's been a fun trip. Stopped at Chapman U. to check it out, it is one of the most beautiful campuses I've ever seen. Unfortunately I don't have a picture but it was just gorgeous! It had an impressive fountain and sculptures with well kept lawns and buildings that looked like roman temples! Highly cool :D



The next day at Colburn I auditioned, took a Music Theory test (yeah!) and wrote an essay. I got to hang with my friend there and we had a great time. She was the student of both of my teachers; Tammy Harris, and Valentin Martchev.

On another note; that part of LA is so pretty! There are fountains everywhere and art and all the people are really nice. We stayed at the Omni hotel, and it was the best hotel you'll ever stay at. I shouldn't call it a hotel, it was more like a palace!

On a slightly nerdy note, did you know that the word Omni is derived from the Latin word "Omnia" which means "all"? It totally fits because this hotel is so comprehensive -it has it all!

Oh yeah, if you are going to Colburn, make sure to stop at the California Pizza Kitchen (right across the street), it's worth it.

Colburn is across from one of the coolest pieces of architecture in the world, Disney Hall.





Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to any concerts there, but maybe someday I will.



I am still in limbo concerning conservatories, I've heard from some but not from others and it's just a matter of time now. :-/ When it's all said and done I will tell which ones said yes and which one's said no.


Until my next post! Chookas! (means "good luck"in Australia and is way cool!)

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

The Big #30




I'm back from New York!


It's been a lovely trip with uneventful flights that braved the New York weather, and everything in-between.

First stop was Rochester, NY, where I auditioned for Eastman School of Music. Seen here is the center area over with the student housing.






It was a very good experience. It had just snowed 6 inches of snow the night before and was below freezing, but if you decide to go to a school it really shouldn't be based on the weather. So I tried to block out the weather from my decision. Later it snowed another 3 inches just to test my principals.








It was much better indoors. The bassoon professor, Dr. John Hunt was so much fun! He's really tall and has a great sense of humor. He had a lot of constructive advice as to my approach to the bassoon and making music. His pupils say he is "picky", but I say that "picky" is what makes a good professor. The reeds were so dry there that they became thin as paper, and Mr. Hunt had all kinds of solutions which were interesting.


Moving on to New York City, Manhattan, Mannes, and Juilliard.






I honestly don't know why they call it the big apple. Any clues? It's not red, or shiny, or round.

Anywho the sights were marvelous and slightly less cold. It got up to a high of 54 degrees and stayed decent while we were there. The funny thing was that the weather turned foul just after we left. lol!

I saw many things while I was there and I grew in my comprehension of music and how to approach it. It's interesting how much one's mentality can change about something with each new piece of information that one gleans.

Anyways, one thing we saw was the Twin Towers, or lack thereof. You can actually see the crater left behind by their absence.





That was depressing and so was Staten Island (if you have the chance, do not go there)



Slightly less depressing was the Statue of Liberty.






It is incredibly regal and breathtaking as she reaches for the sky with a torch that has meant so much hope to immigrants coming across the seas in the hope of becoming Americans.

It's really quite moving. It's the story of people who wanted freedom, a fair chance at success without handouts, and were willing to work as hard as it took to make it. I know that story definitely applied to my ancestors. I saw a museum on Ellis Island that demonstrated the horrible things that immigrants had to go through in order to enter the United States. It wasn't a quick trip across the Atlantic, it took forever! When they got there they were imprisoned, tested, poked, stripped of all human dignity and their clothes. And if that wasn't bad enough, not all of them were allowed to enter! They had to take that miserable trip back home for reasons of being "mentally retarded", "unhealthy", "poor" or "violent". A lot of these reasons were bogus, and based on unscientific/superstitious tests. I'm glad it's 2008.

Ahhh. America the melting pot. The place where those who sought freedom and a fair chance at success could go if they got past Ellis Island. My ancestors somehow managed to get across and even after the indignities that they underwent, wanted to assimilate to the American culture. They wanted it so badly that they did everything they could to learn English. If they hadn't I would speak: Swedish, Gaelic, French (I mean fluently), Dutch, and many other things- that is if those people had been willing to marry someone they couldn't communicate with. Come to think of it, I might not even exist if it were not for the melting-pot-ness of America, which would otherwise be rank with small divisions of people refusing to learn to communicate with each other. What confusion that would cause. Could a nation undergo such division?

Another amazing view was Grant's Tomb.

Outside:







Inside:







It was HUGE and I mean massive. There was an upstairs and a downstairs and the upstairs was a small museum. What you see is just the ceiling, everything is made of marble, and it is so quiet and imposing that it makes you stop for a minute to catch your breath.

It's interesting that a man who fought in such a controversial war ended up with such a big tomb. I mean the Civil war split the nation in half as far as politics go and yet this man, who was on the winning side, has the biggest tomb ever with the exception of the pyramids.


The thing about New York is that there are way too many people packed into a very small area. Good news is that you can go on foot to most places and take the subway to others. It is not a driving culture.
The streets are packed anyway so there isn't much incentive to drive. We only missed one of our engagements due to public transportation so overall it worked well as an experiment. The subway is a little complicated though. You need a map. And there is no cell phone reception under-ground, so if you need to contact somebody, it's dashed difficult-nigh impossible unless you come above ground.

Only one more audition to go!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

#29

So, you might have notice my fancy blog title. Yes I'm learning. Click on it for a pic I took in the plane. (btw. the legroom was actually quite good, I was just bored. :D)

So I'm back from San Francisco and what a trip it was!

I've been on more public transit than ever before.

Did you know that SF is a haven for pastries and other baked goods?

Everyone is super polite.

Too many people.

I love China Town!

Alcatraz has it's own swim team that "Swims for it's life"

Cable cars are too cold to ride.

Watch your step, or you might find yourself on a quick trip to the wrong end of town.

What idiot invented a machine that spews nickles? Give me quarters at least!!! you need 30 of the blasted things just to get a muni ticket. Can you imagine standing with a long line behind you as you carfully put 30 nickles into a tiny opening at the top of the gate?

SF is a place for everyone. The incredibly lazy to the filthy rich. There are so many different characters that I now question my own sanity.

SF looks better overcast, which is good because that's how it usually is.

A quick shout out to Angelito at the Hyatt hotel. Stay cool!

Colors everywhere.

If you get the chance, some of the best jewelry you will ever buy comes from the little stands on each corner. Don't forget to haggle!

Everything goes up not out.

The Golden Gate is actually Red.

That's San Fran.


"So how did the audtition go?" you say.

"I think it went well." I respond.

First I had a lesson with the principal bassoonist of the SF Symphony, Stephen Paulson. I played etude no. 11 from Milde Etudes Op. 26, Mozart B flat Bassoon Concerto, and Ode to a Toad by Ray Pizzi. He really liked Ode to a Toad and I enjoyed playing it so it was a fun lesson. :D
So for the audition I played Telemann and Scheherazade.

It was fun and a good experience but I'm glad to be home.

Next stop: New York

Catch ya next time!
Katie


Just a fun little story here;

So it's after my lesson with Stephen Paulson and my mom and I are walking back to our hotel. On the way, we meet a homeless guy on the street corner making candleholders and other miscellaneous items out of copper wire. I saw he had made images of a few musical instruments, so I asked him if he could make a bassoon. He informed that he could and I offered to show him one so he could look at it as he made his design. Well we stood there in breezy 40-ish degree weather at night as he made the copper bassoon. While we were standing there mom pulled out Ode to a Toad so I picked up the bassoon and started playing on the street corner. It attracted a small crowd that listened until the light turned green on the corner. I got a few mystified stares, but no one stays put for long in busy SF.

See the copper bassoon!

As you can tell there is a treble clef on the left and a bass clef on the right and a bassoon in the middle standing up. And he only used pliers. Way to go David!

Friday, February 15, 2008

#28

So a lot of stuff has been happening, and I've been to busy to blog it. I should be getting ready for tomorrow as is. So to keep it short:
SDYS did a Side-by-Side rehearsal with the San Diego Symphony, which was awesome. I'm sorry I didn't announce this before so that y'all could come but it totally slipped my mind.

Anyways the Side by Side was incredible. I got to sit next to my awesome teacher Valentin Martchev and he even let me play some of the solos. It was so exciting! However, even better, I think I made him proud in front of all his colleagues, except for that bit at the end where I couldn't tell what the conductor was doing and got a little off from the strings. Other than that is was a smashing performance! :D

Last item:

I have my first audition coming up soon (scary ;). The other day I got my finger caught in the beater while I was trying to insert the mixers into the sprockets. Little did I know that the stupid thing was on and bent my finger backwards for about 8 seconds. Not long enough to break, sprain, rip, pop, or tear anything but still long enough to cause serious pain and anxiety.
I had to drop all the sports I was involved with to protect my fingers and now I am being attacked by kitchen tools. *sigh* Since then, mom has banned me from the kitchen. This is the second beater incident. The first time the beater attacked me was when I was mixing dough with it, when suddenly it grabbed a stray wisp of my hair and before you knew it was holding 75 percent of the hair on my head in a vice grip- dough and all!

Ok I really should go now; I will tell you how it all goes when I return. Wish me luck!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Well, I had my lesson with Mr. Beene who is a really nice guy, and a great teacher.
Colburn itself is amazing! It's convenient, clean, asthetically pleasing, and the people are lovely! I thinks it is definitely an awesome place. And it's right across from Disney Hall.
Highly cool.

Note;
I am just loving more and more every day this reed he made for me! It's crazy amazing!

More next week, the parents are cracking down on bedtime... lol.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

#27

So it looks like I may get my first student soon! So far a couple of people have actually contacted me, but one of them thought I lived in Long Beach, so that didn't work out. The other hung up on me when she found out that I was in High School...

-Still in the scramble to apply to colleges. It gets more hectic every day!
Here's the list. If anyone would like to put in a good word for me at any of these schools, I would be much obliged!

Colburn School of Music
Eastman School of Music
Mannes the New School for Music
Manhattan School of Music
San Francisco Conservatory
Juilliard School of Music

You know what this means... practice practice practice!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

#26

Go see my sissy's blog!

She's a grammar crazy person, I have to be very cautious about what I say around her, lest she should find fault. ;)
But not to give you the wrong impression, she's really nice and funny so enjoy! :D



Ok, just needed to add this clip from the web, it's San Diego Youth Symphony with it's end of the year present to Jeff Edmons Artistic Director (0ur conductor) near the end of last year. I remember this happening exactly but I was seated in the back of the room and this angle is from the side.

Watch Jeff Edmons open his end-of-the-year present!

So hilarious!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

#25

Yes, I admit it; this is stolen from a chain email. But it's so funny! It's about people who just forgot to put on their thinking caps before they left the house that morning. :D


IDIOT SIGHTING:
We had to have the garage door repaired. The Sears repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a "large" enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said and that we had the largest one Sears made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower. He shook his head said, "Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower." I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4. He said, "NO, it's not." Four is larger than two."

IDIOT SIGHTING:
My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the clerk a $5 bill. Our total was $4.25, so I also handed her a quarter. She said, "you gave me too much money." I said, "Yes I know, but this way you can just give me a dollar bill back." She sighed and went to get the manager who asked me to repeat my request. I did so, and he handed me back the quarter, and said, "We're sorry but they could not do that kind of thing." The clerk then proceeded to give me back $1 and 75 cents in change.Do not confuse the clerks at McD's.

IDIOT SIGHTING :
I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the DEER CROSSING sign on our road. The reason: "Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore."

IDIOT SIGHTING IN FOOD SERVICE:
My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for "minimal lettuce." He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg lettuce.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?" To which I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?" He smiled knowingly and nodded," That's why we ask."

IDIOT SIGHTING:
The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, "What on earth are blind people doing driving?!"

IDIOT SIGHTING :
At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker. She was leaving the company due to "downsizing." Our manager commented cheerfully, "This is fun. We should do this more often." Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and for the sake of her life, couldn't understand why her system would not turn on.

IDIOT SIGHTING :
When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver’s side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. "Hey," I announced to the technician, "its open!" His reply, "I know. I already got that side."

STAY ALERT! They walk among us... ;)

I don't know if these things actually happened or were just figments of someone's over-active imagination, but they're still funny!


And now for something completely different...

In my great search for colleges to which I should apply, I stumbled upon a bassoon professor at Indiana University named Arthur Weisberg, who is Senior Lecturer of Music (Bassoon) at the Jacobs School of Music. Anyways I was impressed with his new invention. "What is this invention?" you ask. Well I will tell you.

It is a new way to avoid a problem that has plagued bassoons for years. Can you guess what it is? Correct.

It is the Whisper Key! The butt of every bassoon joke in SDYS. And for good reason. This tiny key gives bassoonists no end of grief. Just the other day I went to play an orchestral excerpt, only to find all the notes cracking like there was an air leak in the instrument (not cool). Well it turned out to be the whisper key. again.
But! With Mr. Weisberg’s new invention, he can significantly reduce the amount of trouble bassoonists have to deal with on a daily basis!
Click here for the Web page.

Either it is the future of bassoons, or it will create a new wave of musical thought amongst bassoonists.

That's it! Peace out!

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

#24

Happy New Year!!!

So it has been a while since I blogged anything, but it has been that busy!

Anyways, just to have a little fun; here's one great phenomenon that swept 2007.

Click here for the phenomenon.

Ahh yes, nothing like a dramatic little rat to liven up your day! Ok, it was a prairie dog... gerbil... chipmunk... oh whattheheck! It's still a rat! ;)

Ha ha, so what do I have to say on bassoons you ask? Well that's a good question. Let's talk about the Brown Ribbon fund. Donate only one dollar to the brown ribbon fund and you'll be helping a college bound high school student in their efforts to begin their musical career.
This is a really good use of your money, as it goes directly the the person who needs it with no middle man. I strongly suggest you donate to this fund because it's a great way to kick off the New Year!
What will you be doing to make a difference?

Ha ha. Figure it out yet? It's a joke, because I'm the student. Get it? haha. BUT you can still send money! Don't let my tasteless joke deter you from a worthy cause... OK it's late already yet so soon! I am fatigued and need to swab out my bassoon. Happy New Year to everyone!

K. out.

(On a little English note, did you know that the word Faggot is not only a noun with many meanings (chief of which is Bassoon), but also a verb? In old English it meant "to work really hard (imp.; to the point of exhaustion)" usually on something like homework. It's more of a mental fatigue than physical. So an example would be; "Julie fagged over her German studies.... consequently she became all fagged out." It can be used both ways. This brought to you by the Brown Ribbon fund, making education possible for the next generation. ;)