I've decided to defer on Northwestern's offer of admission for a year in the hopes of hanging around in Austin for a little bit longer to freelance and teach. I'm hoping to expand the types of acceptable venues in which the bassoon can be played, and one of the ways I'm doing this is with my senior degree recital.
The recital will try to dispel preconceived notions about the limits of the bassoon by doing a couple of things that people have said could not be done, either explicitly or implicitly. The opening piece will feature classical guitar and bassoon, which if you've been reading my blog you know Thales and I have been doing for a few months now. BUT even at the last master class at which Thales and I performed, there were incredulous professional musicians sitting in the audience literally saying "it can't be done..."
right up until we did it.
So that's going to be the overall theme of this recital. It CAN be done and it SHALL. lol
The last piece on the program is composer Ben Stonaker's None More Black.
Ben was inspired by the Rolling Stones' song Paint it Black, and as its name implies there is a quote from the Stones which necessitated the similar name. Click here to see Paint it Black if you aren't already familiar with that song.
On a side note, rehearsals for None More Black start Wednesday and yes this is a rock'n'roll piece. ;) *yay!*
Besides all of that, the recital will be given with the advertised function of being a benefit concert for the Austin Humane Society. Readers of this blog are familiar with my infatuation with our furry friends, and it struck me that I could actually do something to help them with my music! I am VERY excited to be raising money for the AHS, so please come to my recital and donate for all the puppies and kitties that are saved and need homes! There will be food afterwards and I would love to meet you!
As to my future in Austin, I am very excited to be moving out of the dorms and into a real apartment! I will be playing with Thales a bit, branching out into other venues of performance in smaller settings, some possible orchestral involvement, and doing a lot of teaching.
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| Above is a picture my student's mom took of the lesson we had outside in the beautiful spring weather! Such a joy to be outside right now! |
Also, Thales' dad came to one of our performances at the Blanton and took some video and photos! What a dad!! See some of those below.
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| peeking at the music |
Click HERE for the video! In the video we do a lot of talking in an effort to better reach our audience. The people were very receptive and enthusiastic. Many of them came to thank us afterwards and a few of them asked if they could hire us to play at house parties and other events, to which we answered YES OF COURSE PLEASE HIRE US. :D One guy even tipped us $20 at the end, so Thales and I went to enjoy some well needed lunch afterwards! Woot!!
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| Thales and I LOVE playing for people in intimate settings! Special thanks to Thales' dad and the wonderful Evan Leslie who coordinated this event and gave us the opportunity to perform!! |
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