Fearlessness is taking over

In the two years since I began to study Fearless Performance with Jeff Nelsen, I have had many, many opportunities to perform in front of people.  I have had a lot of time to put into practice all of the great things that I learned.  Have I been diligent about this?  Well, not as much as I would like.  But I've been trying to achieve Fearlessness every time I perform.

Everyone should be able to relate to the idea of working hard at something and getting close to your goal, but having many more near-misses than bulls eyes.  Sound familiar?

Like when I run, it would be ideal to feel great for the entire duration of the run, light as a feather, without breathlessness, a tight muscle, or a cramp.  Right?  In reality, I'd say that only about 15% of my runs feel like this...

I do a lot of this type of work, as I'm sure a lot of you do.  You know, projects that require tedious practice and maintenance.  Like running, or yoga, or cooking, or playing a musical instrument.  I have consistent opportunities to improve my performance success and satisfaction.  While there is usually something about the performance that I feel 100% positive about, the performances where everything lined up and I felt great are few and far between.  Call me a perfectionist(?)

I am a firm believer that you have to have faith in the process.  If you put in enough of the right type of work, you will achieve your goal.

I am happy to say that last night, I finally had one of my ideal performances.  No, I didn't play all of the right notes, but I was mentally and emotionally in the place that I have been aspiring towards for years. I didn't need anybody's approval.  In fact, if somebody that I trust had told me the performance was poor, I wouldn't even care.  I felt great.  I didn't care who was in the audience.  I got to express music on the spot without any distractions.  Everything was happening in real time.  I felt ready to walk on the stage every time, and I celebrated when I got off stage.

These are all things that I have been practicing, but rarely to they all line up at once.  I hope this is the beginning of the next chapter for me.  It's liberating, really.

I am thankful to Jeff for giving me the tools to get here.


If you put in enough of the right type of work, you will achieve your dream.

Commencing on Reflection

...err, I mean "Reflecting on Commencement."

Well, it’s here! Graduation Season, that is.  It’s the time of year when several of our friends, students, and/or family members are graduating from high school and college.  What an exciting time! 

As a professional musician, I have already played in (at least) twenty graduation ceremonies, with plenty more to come, I’m sure.  It is always an honor to be part of the musical ensemble that provides all of the audio “entertainment” for this important ceremony.

Yesterday I joined the Bemidji State Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Erika Svanoe, in their performance at the 2012 Commencement Ceremony at Bemidji State University.  We played a 45-minute concert before the ceremony (which included sight reading parts of Carmina Burana for me!), played Pomp & Circumstance for 25 minutes, accompanied a music student on the national anthem, watched the 90-minute ceremony, and then played some fun exit music by Alfred Reed.

Commencement was held at Bemidji's new Sanford Center, which is home turf for the
Bemidji Beavers Hockey Team.  They removed the ice rink for the commencement ceremony:)

During the actual ceremony part, I was moved -almost to tears- several times.  I wish I could say that this was a first, but it always gets me!  Everybody is so happy for everyone else and some students have worked very, very hard to graduate.  This particular ceremony was special for me because it was my first as a faculty member.  Not only was I happy for the students who walked across the stage, but I also took pride in their education, because I was part of it.  I knew exactly how hard they had all worked to be able to graduate, so the smiles on their faces were that much more meaningful. 

I had a lot of time to reflect during the ceremony (in between commencement addresses, of course), and I’d like to share some of my reflections with you:

1. In most collegiate music programs (and I can only speak to music programs because I don’t teach other areas), you really do have to work hard to earn your degree.  If you are currently a high school student considering a career in music, please know this: most people have to practice, study, practice, rehearse, and practice a LOT in college in order to initiate a successful career, let alone graduate.  If you are considering a degree in music, or you already are pursuing a degree in music, make sure that you are willing to devote most of your day to your studies!  If you’re anything like me, this is a much-welcomed academic situationJ  I love what I do, so I am so happy to spend all of my day playing, learning about, or teaching about music. 

2. When I saw the proud faces of the graduates, I knew that they had been preparing for this day for a long time.  They didn’t decide to buckle down last week and secure that high GPA.  My question to those of you who are in high school or a college music program (but have not graduated with your bachelor’s yet) is: Have you committed to music at the level that you need to graduate?  These graduates achieved success because they traveled on a path over the last 4 (or more) years in which they made good choices, maintained a regular practice/study regimen, and retained a balanced lifestyle.  Have you started this yet?  If not, what are you waiting for?

3. Ok, I will get down off my soapbox.  Another thing that I noticed was that almost every one of the 1,000+ graduates had somebody in the audience cheering them on.  Isn’t that amazing?  These students come from all over the (large) state of Minnesota and several surrounding states AND even from a few other countries!  And almost all of them had family in the crowd—even the international students!  I also have very supportive parents, and sometimes I forget how far they will go just to see me and show that they are proud of me.  If you have parents like this, make sure you thank them and let them know that you appreciate their support.  I surely wouldn’t have gotten this far without my parents!

4. At one point I noticed that amongst all of the graduates lined up to approach the stage, a middle-aged woman was in line, and she didn’t have the normal black robe on.  She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.  She was the last member of the group and the president soon illuminated who she was: in February, her son, who was a senior, had passed away in February 2012.  He would have graduated on Friday with his class.  She was there to accept his degree for him.  All of the administrators gave her a tearful hug and she dignifiedly walked off the stage with his degree. 

Well it was certainly a wake up call.

Here we are, all so very happy and celebratory, and yet it is easy to forget how privileged we are to not only graduate from college, but to be alive!  We take it for granted that many of us live safe, comfortable lifestyles.  I for one, hope that I live to see 100, and might actually get a chance to do that!  I am very fortunate to be able to live this life with freedom, and I get to pursue a career in music too!  It was a wonderful lesson about cherishing life, all of the wonderful people that I know, and all of the great opportunities that I have.  

5. Since I played euphonium at the commencement ceremony, this meant that I got to play a lot more of the melody than I usually play! And yep, I played the melody on Pomp and Circumstance (which by the way, is way more exciting than the  bum-bum-bum-bum part if you ask me….).  How many times did I play that melody?  At least 30.  With each repeat I had the choice of how I was going to play that phrase: would I simply make sure I played the right notes at the right time, or would I make each note the most beautiful sound that has ever come out of my instrument?  Let me tell you, it was a much more enjoyable experience for me if I chose the latter.  It is not easy to play perfectly, but how will you ever achieve it if you don’t try?  I owe part of this inspiration to two of my teachers: Jeff Nelsen, who has taught me a lot about Fearless Performance, and Pete Ellefson, who has always upheld a high level of excellence in his playing and teaching.  

It was a wonderful reminder that music is only boring if we decide that it is.  If we choose to make each new phrase the most beautiful musical creation possible, I promise you won’t get bored, and your audience will surely appreciate it. 

6.  Well, I think that will be enough lessons for today.  Now…go practice!

AMFS Recordings Online

Thanks to my bass trombone friend Russ Zokaites, I have discovered that a number of recordings of performances from the Aspen Music Festival have been posted on Instant Encore. I can be heard playing principal trombone in several recordings of the Chamber Symphony from this past summer!

Check out the Bartok Violin Concerto with Gil Shaham, A Midsummer Night's Dream with Nicholas McGegan and Matthew Rhys, the Ravel Piano Concerto with Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Robert Spano, and Firebird.

Matthew Rhys and the ACS trombone section July 2011

Uplifting

Just experienced an isolated moment of happiness amidst my tiresome evening of lesson planning; I listened to and watched Glenn Gould play Bach's fugue from his Prelude and Fugue in E Major, BWV 878.  Both Glenn and Johann are pretty incredible if you ask me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mia9woisQZo&feature=related

Why I do what I do

The further I get in my study of music, and coincidentally, the farther I get from the classroom, the more I am realizing my love for music.  I am experiencing more frequent affirmations that I love what I do.  And these reminders aren't casual moments in my day.  They are feelings and pictures and sounds that are imprinted upon my memory.  In fact, as I think back over the past few months, I can bring myself back to these isolated moments, and they are just as clear to me as the day they happened.

"Sarah, you are being entirely too vague"

OK. Let's go back to Aspen, CO.  June 27, 2011.  The AMFS Convocation Ceremony.  All brass players are recruited/required to play the opening fanfare for the ceremony.  Luckily, the chosen piece is a sweet fanfare for brass choir by Strauss.

As we started playing, and the dynamic grew, and I put my horn up next to my friends, and I looked out upon the big, bright tent in Aspen, Colorado, I felt an overwhelmingly warm sense of happiness.  Content.  I almost cried.  I was in the place I loved, doing what I love, and playing some of the best music in the world with some great musicians and people.  I have a perfect picture of it in my mind.

It's the same feeling I got in Cadets when we all worked our hardest and played great music together.  Or when my relay swim team worked together to beat the school record.  I was doing what I really loved with great people.

In speaking with a stressed music student this week, I recommended that she find this in her own life.  I trusted that she was in music for a reason, and perhaps it would calm her down if she reconnected with her passion for music.  As an example, I recollected a time during my junior year at Ithaca College when I fell in love with Hellen Grimaud's recording of Beethoven's 4th piano concerto.  I listened to that recording all the time!! And I told the student how I began to live that music.  I knew it so well that I could breathe it in and feel it.  I learned the final movement and played it for a competition.  As I told her about it, I got chills.  I am getting chills right now.  I love that music so much.  I hope she found a way to connect herself with the music that she loves.

Today at BSU we heard from a panel of four alumni who shared with us their varied career paths.  One of them was responding to the question, "How do you relieve stress?" He referenced the same thing-the music.  Music as a stress reliever.  Because we love it, right?  I don't know if I would say that I use it to calm my nerves, but when I hear or play good music that I love-Bach, Mahler, Brahms, etc.-I can't think of anything else.  As he talked about this effect, I got chills again.  Nearly tears.  I do love music.  I am doing the right thing with my life.  And that makes me really happy.

The funny thing is that I have been noticing moments like this more and more often lately.  I don't know if I didn't notice it before because I was so intensely involved in my studies, or maybe because I wasn't smart enough to recognize really great music, who knows.  But it's happening now.  If this is the gift of education, I don't regret a penny of those student loans that I borrowed.  I am getting the feeling that my education and experiences are enriching my life much more noticeably and at an accelerating rate-and I'm only in my 20's! I can't imagine what is in store for me down the road.

Minnesota!

I moved to Minnesota 5 weeks ago. My mom came to Aspen and helped me drive the 1200 miles in as short a time as we could. We almost made it in one day, but common sense took over (aka my Mom talked some sense into me) and we spent the night in a hotel.

My last few concerts in Aspen were so much fun! I played Stravinsky's Pulcinella with the Chamber Orchestra, Hugh Wolf conducting. The "Duetto" movement that featured trombone and double bass was so much fun! My sound went really far in the tent. It wasn't hard to play the solo super loud, which is what Stravinsky calls for. (ff)

The final concert in August 19 was also a ton of fun. Leonard Slatkin came in and conducted an all-Shotstakovich program, concluding with the his ninth symphony. I enjoyed my sweet 2-note solo that recurs throughout the first movement of the work. What a cool piece! It's the perfect length, and it has a little bit of everything in it.

So anyway, now I live in Minnesota! The position that I interviewed for in June worked out! It is a one-year position at Bemidji State University. I teach low brass and music theory. It is certainly keeping me busy, and I love it!

And no, its not snowing yet in Minnesota. All of our friends and family could not resist telling us that Minnesota will be cold. And yes, Bill moved with me. Bill, Charlie and I are a happy little family living in a big house in Bemidji.

Back at it!

Hooray, I am back in Aspen! It is so great to be here again!

It is especially good to be here because I can finally stay in one place for a while! The past 6 weeks have been super busy!

May 9-13 touring Indiana with the commencement brass quintet
May 16-19 touring the Northeast with Mirari Brass
May 29 Memphis audition
June 5 drop off Charlie and Bill at Brownstown and South Bend:(
June 6-12 Pokorny Seminar in Redlands, CA
June 13-18 Rehearse and record with Mirari in Terre Haute and Bloomington
June 19-21 Interview in northern Minnesota
June 22 Arrive in Aspen!

Whew! I'm tired just looking at that! It was so nice to get around the country a bit, so I can't complain. I even got to visit the beach in LA! I think the last time I saw the Pacific Ocean was in 2004 when the Cadets had a free day in San Fransisco.

As soon as I arrived in Aspen, I wanted to hike Mt. Sopris. It is a 12,000+ ft. mountain that rises out of Carbondale, CO. I drove past it on my way here. Unfortunately, I don't see much hiking in my future:(

In March, I visited an orthopedic under the recommendation of my first physical therapist. He said "Huh, it's strange that your hamstring still hurts after this long (6 months)" After an x-ray and an MRI, he determined that it was indeed a strained muscle in the hamstring, and sent me to a different physical therapist. I worked with her until early June, and I have been calling her once in a while since then to check in. I'm slowly getting back into running and other activities, but I can't do much without causing soreness in my leg. ARGH! It's very difficult to be out in Aspen without being able to hike like I want to. On the other hand, maybe this is an opportunity for me to really focus on my practice and my studies. Now I certainly have the time to practice a lot. What a nice thing to be able to say!

I joined the Aspen Rec Center for a month. They have a pool, a hot tub, a weight room, a sauna, and a lawn on which to sunbathe. Oh, and free yoga classes! Instead of hiking, I will be taking advantage of this place for the next month!

Just a taste

I would like to highlight an experience I had tonight, because I think it is really important to remember and reflect on this one!!

A little bit of background:

For Pete's Orchestra Rep class (9-11pm, Tuesdays) we have had a mock audition scheduled for tonight for a long time. Pete sent out an email yesterday about the mock audition. This is how it started:

"I have received 3 lists for tomorrow night. Either you are not interested or not prepared"

I am preparing the list for the Memphis second trombone audition. And when I say "preparing," I mean, I have bound the music and I have practiced the tougher spots. But in no way have I begun as thorough a routine as I should. I am letting the end of the semester get to me. This is senioritis at its best, folks. I have been in school since pre-kindergarten at age 4. That was 24 years ago. It is ingrained in my veins to lose care, control, and all common sense at this point in the year.

OK, enough excuses.

So I decided to take this opportunity to perform for people, even though I didn't feel prepared. Pete picked some obscure selections from the list, and the excerpts he picked ended up lasting for about 15 minutes per person, which is about 10 minutes longer than the typical first round audition. I have to admit that I had the advantage in the situation because I went last. I was able to hear all of the students before me, and I made notes about things to remember to play-a full length quarter note on beat one, correct rhythm in the Ride, etc. BUT I also sat without playing for over an hour, which can be considered a disadvantage by some. Not by me. I am deciding not to worry about that anymore. Starting now.

So I played. And I thought it went well! Yes, I played a few wrong notes. But I think I could count them on one hand. (And I remember exactly where they are!) I was hearing the orchestra in my mind all of the time. When I missed a note is probably when I couldn't hear the orchestra. But tonight I forgot my recorder at home, so I am not going to be able to tell if the perception of success was in my mind, or if it came across to the audience. If I had recorded, I could go back later and compare my playing to the ideal version in my mind.

So here I am, "I think that was good, I feel good...and in fact, my chops aren't completely spent as I thought they would be! Am I imagining it? After 5 years in this rep class, did I finally have a solid performance that I can celebrate?" Isn't it funny? The difference between my perception of how I played and the reality of how I played has been great enough several times in the past that I don't know if I can believe that I did a good job!

And then I got my answer. As we were leaving class, Pete said it. "Good job, Sarah."

It is a hard-earned comment. I was relieved that I wasn't the only one who thought it went well. Not only that, but he is my teacher. He tells the truth, I look up to him, and he wouldn't say it if he didn't mean it. Whew! My victories with trombone are few and far between. It was so gratifying to hear the affirmation from him.

And then I walked out into the hallway and I felt different. I walked a little slower, I wasn't in a hurry. I felt lighter. And I noticed the feeling, and I thought, "Well, this is new, I like this! This must be what it feels like to be completely satisfied with my art. Is this how it feels to have a job?" I was completely happy with my playing.

Now whether it's over self-criticism, or actual shortcomings, I haven't felt like that very much in the past six years since I got serious about the trombone. I can't really remember the last time. So I wanted to remember this one. I felt happy, no worries, no doubts. It was great!! Now that I know what this feels like, maybe I can aim for it more accurately. And I need to get to this place more often, where I accomplished what I set out to do.

Ready....go!

Another day... another day?

It seemed like a normal day...I searched for a practice room for 20 minutes, found one, got called away for a quick meeting with Tom (faithfully leaving my instrument in a room alone), came back 12 minutes later to the middle of a piano lesson happening in my room, tried searching a different building for a room only to find a friend practicing in the hallway out of desperation--!! NO ROOMS at the Jacobs School of Music--is the moral of the story. I swear, it must be once a day that another practice room gets a lock and key for a new visiting professor's office, and we lose another space for 18 hours of practice per day.

ANYWAY

So I was really desperate at this point, and proceeded outside to secure my 3PM warm up, even though it was only 48 degrees outside (a seemingly warm spring day in Southern Indiana). All I wanted was an uninterrupted 20 minutes to play some slurs and long tones. Turns out, I managed to reach 4 and a half minutes before nature's practice room surrendered its peace and serenity to society's expected reaction: stares, hollers and calls, and today, a photographer. At first, it was not welcomed. PLEASE. Please, let me play a few whole notes by myself, I thought. But I realized that I could seize this opportunity to play the best crescendos and long tones for this stranger behind the camera. EMBRACE (right?) After a while, he introduced himself, and he seemed to be a nice guy, no ill intentions. OK, I am willing to be a subject of an art project, I thought. After all, I claim to be creating art with every note, right? As he snatched photos, trombone players began to congregate. Jeff appeared from behind a tree-literally- and then Joe. After a while, we were conversing with the photographer, and even suggesting shots that would work with our peculiar setting (three trombones, two giants, a short girl, and a forest).

The moral of the story? I'll let you decide. But somehow, Ryan and Jeff and the outdoors convinced me to let go of practice room anger, and embrace, well everything. The trombone, the trees, sound, music, ...


http://www.ryandorgan.com/2011/03/03/a-strange-place/

An Awakening

...for my blog, that is.

Hello again! While this blog started as a way to track and monitor my fitness and musical plans for last summer, there is no reason it should end! After all, my goals keep changing, and I keep reaching further as I reach and surpass my old goals! I would love to give an in-depth story about my life since Aspen 2010, but maybe I'll do that another time. In the meantime, here is a brief rundown:

Sept 12: Cherry Loop Half Marathon
October 2: Whitetail Trail Half Marathon
October 10: Chicago Marathon
October 30: Pittsburgh Opera Audition
November 21: Glimmerglass Opera Audition
Thanksgiving in Schenectady with family:):):)
December 4: Tecumseh Trail Marathon
December 5: RSO Concert
Christmas and New Year's with family in Schenectady:)

Sadly, my grandmother passed away on New Year's Eve, 2010. It was a tough time, but she was very strong, as usual, and she was surrounded by supportive family all of the way through her 5-week battle in the hospital. While I was sad, I was also warmed by the love and support of my family. Rest in peace, Grammy.

This semester, I am studying with Jeff Nelsen, and it has been a fantastic experience so far! (Shout-out to Steve Fissel, who was my teacher last semester-Thanks for everything, Steve!) More to come later on things I am learning from Jeff.

As you can see above, I was a little ambitious with my running pursuits last fall, and regretfully, I am paying for it now. I developed a very minor ache in my left hamstring while I was racing and training in October, and it just never went away! I stopped running after the race on December 4th, and then I saw a doctor a few weeks later, who told me to stop doing anything that hurt my hamstring, i.e. swimming biking, running and maybe even walking! This semester, I started Physical Therapy for my hamstring, and we have been strengthening the other muscles in my leg, like my hips, glutes, and quads. Progress has been minimal, but at times there is a glimmer of hope. I really have to trust my therapist that I will come out better in the end!

Right now I am sitting in the Cleveland airport, en route to Baltimore for an Air Force Audition in DC tomorrow. The weather is not looking so good! Visibility is about 200 feet out of this window next to me:(

More news later!

6 Miles and Black Cloud

Great news! I ran!

Up until Thursday, as you may recall, I have encountered every hurdle in my runs out here; I've gotten cramps, out of breath,...well I guess that's it, but it has happened every time I try to run! I attribute it to the altitude and to my avoidance of running (due to the cramps, I know, it's a never-ending downward spiral). I FINALLY got past that wall on Thursday, but it took some persistence. Here is a summary of my trip, in outline form.

1. Awake at 8am, very small breakfast of water and approx. 22 goldfish crackers. Checking weather and convincing myself that I can run today
2. 9am, drive to Conundrum Trailhead for a trail run
3. 9:30am, arrive at trailhead and wait for the sudden rainfall to stop, temp is 55F
4. 9:35am rain lightens, fellow hiker at the parking lot yells to me to get out my car
5. 9:37am, dodging mud puddles and rocks on my first true trail run in Aspen
6. 9:47am, thunder heard overhead, I decide to stick it out
7. 9:48am, lightening spotted overhead, I decide to turn around if I see more
8. 9:49am, more lightening, I turn around
9. 9:50am, rain and hail. Goody!
10. 10am, arrive back at car. Perhaps I ran about a mile?
11. 10:05am drive to Aspen airport to wait out the rain and get much needed gas for my car. This run isn't over!
12. 10:30am Arrive at Rio Grand trail, unpaved portion at the end of Cemetery Lane. Sit in car to wait for the rain to stop.
13. 10:40am Running!
14. 11:15am Rain again, not stopping this time!
14. 11:55am back at the car, 6 miles in the bank! No cramps:)

So there you have it. That is how mu Thursday went down. I am grateful to have the time and resources to finally achieve a "long" run in Aspen. I attribute my success to a very small breakfast, the early morning, and pure determination. I'm so glad it finally worked! Now I can seriously get ready for my half marathon on September 12!

The next day I left open for a hike up Colorado's tallest mountain, Mt. Elbert. At 14,443 feet it offers 360-degree views of the Collegiate and Snowmass wilderness regions around Aspen and Leadville near Independence Pass. In the lower 48 states, it is second in height only to California's Mt. Whitney, which stands at 14,505 feet tall. Bryan and I got a perfect day of weather for the hike-not a cloud in the sky!! We left Marolt at 4:30AM, drove across Independence Pass, found the trailhead, and started hiking at 5:50AM, just when the sun was rising. The Black Cloud trail is considered the most difficult of the three trails that ascend the mountain, so naturally we wanted to do that one. It rises over 5,000 ft. in about 5 miles. Let me tell you, it was steep!!! In the first mile, I was seriously regretting my 6 mile run on Thursday and wondering if I was going to make it up the mountain. In my hiking this summer, I have learned to keep my mouth shut when it comes to personal doubts I have in my mind. Unless I am in danger, I will only raise concern and give merit to other hikers' doubts if I share my own. Bryan buys into this too, so we are almost always confessing our fears and doubts to each other once we reach the top:)

After a bunch of rest stops to catch our breath, lots of cold wind, and many false summits, we made it to the top 5 hours after we started. The visibility and the view was SO great from the top that we stayed up there for almost an hour!! It was a popular hike, so we had plenty of company. On the way down, we didn't need to stop as much so we got to our car in about 3 hours. It was a FANTASTIC hike, and a great day. I am so glad that I was able to do it. Check out my Aspen photo album on facebook for lots of good pictures from the hike.

http://www.summitpost.org/route/166522/black-cloud-trail.html

Dudley lessons

I have completed my 3 hours of lessons with Chris, and I have a lot of reflection to do! I played minimally in lessons; I did more absorbing and thinking than playing. I am grateful for these lessons with Chris because it is very much just what I needed. When we talked about books covering the mental approach to playing in brass lit. this spring, I knew that I needed to be more in touch with my inner monologue, including my ability to control and/or free my thoughts. Chris touched on a lot of this in my lessons and master class. Now as long as I continue to work with it, I will make progress in the way that I want. Thanks, Chris!

I'm back!

My dear readers, I am so sorry for the long delay. You can be assured that the lack of blog posts has been due to the fact that I've been real busy-and having a great time!! Here is a photo-blog of the past few weeks:


July 16, 2010
Chamber Orchestra Concert with Julia Fischer, violin
Khachaturian Violin Concerto
Brahms 4



July 17, 2010
Komen 5k Race for the Cure



July 17, 2010
Music on the Mountain
Trombone Octet & Quartet Concert



July 20, 2010
American Lake


The next few photos are from our hike to Electric Pass on July 22. Russ and I started hiking at 6am. We summitted around 9am, but not before we ran into cold wind and rain, severe enough to make us both consider turning around early. But we persevered and made it to the top of the pass. I was so happy we did!








At the top!


Russ and I


And then Bill arrived! Even though he was acclimating, he let me take him hiking every day that he was here!

On Sunday July 25 we went to the Grottos Day Use Area, which had a bunch of trails, rock formations, and a creek throughout. Also, ice caves!



The water was a little cold for feet-dipping, but we did it anyway

On Monday we visited the Maroon Bells, a very popular spot for a nice day hike. We ran into a lot of people there!


On Tuesday we explored Hunter Creek/Smuggler Mountain area. This hike a was more flat than the others and we got to soak in the nice meadows and quiet forest, as it wasn't nearly as heavily-traveled by tourists.


And on his last day here, Bill decided he was up to climbing Mount Aspen! I had already done this one, so I knew what he was in for. It is an ascent of about 3,000 ft in a relatively short trail. He wanted to know what we were all talking about when we mentioned the Ute trail, so we started there:


Bill on top of the Ute


And then we continued all the way to the top! We maintained a steady and practical pace, took water breaks, and wore sunscreen. It was really rewarding to get to the top with Bill. Plus we avoided spending the $48 to ride the gondola up!

From the Top of Aspen Mountain, July 28

Then we rode the gondola down, ate at NY Pizza AND Paradise Bakery, and went home to take a nap! Later that night I played on an Eric Nathan piece at the beginning of an orchestra concert. We went to Little Annie's for dinner with a few low brass kids, and came back to Harris Hall to hear the American Brass Quintet give a concert. I was really glad that we got to hear that concert because it was fantastic!!! Bill really enjoyed it too.

Yesterday we drove to Denver to catch Bill's flight. Since we knew it was going to be a long driving day, we planned a few fun stops in Denver: the Tattered Cover Book Store and the REI flagship store! We both had our respective fun at each place. I LOVED the REI store. I wanted to buy one of everything!

I said goodbye to Bill :( and got back to Aspen around 10:30 last night. Now I have 3 more weeks to climb, play, practice, and run! I'm really excited for Chris Dudley (principal trombone with Baltimore) to get here so I can study with him and play in orchestra with him on the Respighi concert!

Aspen Mountain

I went on a really great early hike this morning! I was limited since I had to work in the office at 11am, and luckily I found a few friends who didn't mind getting up early! I woke up at 6, left Marolt at 6:30 and we were hiking by 6:55. Ironically, we took the route that starts with the Ute Trail, so it was a hard climb from the beginning! I was carrying about 5 bottles of water since Russ's backpack broke, so I felt slower than normal. We got up the Ute in about 40 minutes, took a breather and then continued up the trail.

Top of the Ute


We saw a lot of skiing signs, trail and lifts. It's clearly a mountain made for skiing!

We were climbing altitude fast, and soon we could see a large part of the surrounding mountains, including Independence Pass.


It always looked like we were *almost* there since you couldn't see the top of the Gondola until you got to the top. Oh, the Gondola is a fancy ski lift that people have to pay to ride up the mountain.
BUT if you hike up the mountain, you don't have to pay to go down! This quickly became our plan as we got more tired ascending the mountain...and as the time crept closer to 9:30.

We got a full hour to soak in the sights at the top of the mountain, which became a full 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. It was GLORIOUS!



Since tourists and other wealthy people ride to the top all the time, there was a really nice restaurant and cash bar up there, complete with nice restrooms and water fountains--a rare thing to have at the top of a mountain:) We rode the Gondola down (which is really strange-to put in 2 hours of solid hiking and then get back into town in only 15 minutes!), walked to our car, got a breakfast burrito from Johnny Macguire's, and got back to Marolt by 10:50. I took a REAL quick shower and got to the office just in time for my shift. And here I am now, in the office!

The Gondola Ride:


This week I am playing Brahms 4 with the Chamber Symphony. I'm really looking forward to it because it's a really good group! Also I have performed Brahms 1-3, and this will complete my cycle.

I'm running a Komen 5k Race for the Cure on Saturday morning in Aspen! If you'd like to sponsor me (literally a few bucks would be great!), go to my fundraising page!

http://events.komenaspen.org/site/TR/Race/General?px=1006208&pg=personal&fr_id=1030

I have a modest goal of $30. Chip in if you can! It's for a great cause!

Update: Since I have such generous friends and family, I have raised my goal twice: first to $50 and now to $100. Thank you for all of your support!

Plugging Along

This morning marked my fourth ascent up the Ute Trail! We're not racing up the mountain or anything, but our time was the quickest yet today: 35 minutes. It's a really good workout, mostly for my lungs apparently, because I'm not sore afterward. Running, on the other hand, has been really rough. I just cannot catch my breath, even for a 30 minute run. I guess I will have to work my way up to it. I'll try again tomorrow morning.

So far, I'd say I am on track with my goals for the summer. I'm practicing a lot every day, playing lots of different types of music with various groups, and getting better at the trombone! Plus I am biking, hiking, or running almost every day! The cool thing about being at Aspen is I don't have to make myself do any of those things. The program is designed so I have multiple musical outlets, and I am surrounded by great players and great teachers all the time. Plus when you look out the door and see Aspen Mountain, how could you resist climbing it? :)

Last night a combination of luck and persistence got me a free ticket to see Gil Shaham and Lynn Harrell play Brahms! It was a "special event" in Harris Hall, which means that since the hall is pretty small, they don't open it up to students. If I wanted to go, I would have to buy a ticket for $65 or wait in line before the concert and hope that the box office would give me a leftover ticket. My friends who worked box office hooked me up and gave me a ticket just before the show started. It was fantastic! Gil played the violin sonata no. 2 and Lynn played the cello sonata no. 2, then they played a piano trio together. All Brahms, all written in 1886. Here is a bit about Gil from www.pittsburghsymphony.org:

Violinist Gil Shaham is internationally recognized by audiences and critics alike as one of today’s most virtuosic and engaging classical artists. He is sought after throughout the world for concerto appearances with celebrated orchestras and conductors, as well as for recital and ensemble appearances on the great concert stages and at the most prestigious festivals.

Mr. Shaham’s 2006-07 season highlights include appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony, Houston Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and U.S. tours with both the Chicago Symphony and Orpheus. In addition to recital tours in Europe and Japan he will appear abroad with the orchestras of Berlin, Copenhagen and Moscow, and with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their 70th Anniversary concerts.

Mr. Shaham was born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, in 1971. He moved with his parents to Israel where at the age of 7 he began violin studies with Samuel Bernstein of the Rubin Academy of Music and granted annual scholarships by the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. In 1981, while studying with Haim Taub in Jerusalem, he made debuts with the Jerusalem Symphony and the Israel Philharmonic. That same year he began his studies with Dorothy DeLay and Jens Ellerman at Aspen. In 1982, after taking first prize in Israel’s Claremont Competition, he became a scholarship student at Juilliard, where he has worked with Ms. DeLay and Hyo Kang. He has also studied at Columbia University.

I actually omitted about 3 paragraphs from his bio since it's so long...there's much more online about him, especially on Youtube. There's a lot online about Lynn Harrell too. It was cool/weird to be part of the exclusive crowd that had subscription tickets to the concert. Everybody is so wealthy! It's an older, retired crowd with lots of money in their pockets. I'm not used to it! I'm accustomed to lots and lots of poor college students occupying every concert hall and restaurant that I'm in. If it weren't for the people of Aspen, this festival wouldn't be possible, so I'm really glad that they support the music as much as they do!

I've been working parking crew every few days, and I am looking forward to my first paycheck tomorrow! Once I cash the check, I'll be able to go out without feeling the guilt of using my credit card. Can't wait!

Lessons with Per are going really well. I'm learning a lot.

Week 1, complete

Wow, what a busy week! The Aspen Music Festival has a LOT of stuff going on all the time--it's amazing! There are concerts everyday, many of them with world class conductors and/or performers. I played in the 4th of July band this weekend. It's a free concert for the community, so the crowd was huge, and very excited to celebrate their country! They were literally cheering on their feet at least three times during the concert! (We played a bunch of marches and other patriotic tunes.) We only had two rehearsals, which was nice. This week I am playing in the Contemporary Ensemble. We are playing "Khorovod" by Julian Anderson, performance at 4:30 on Saturday. It's a tricky part.

I got placed in a brass trio with two great musicians; Xavier on horn and Rachel on trumpet. Our coach is Kevin Cobb and we have coachings every Saturday. I think it will be a fun group! We have trios picked out by Beethoven, Nelhybel, and Sanders. We will play a fanfare at intermission on one of the Festival Orchestra concerts, and perform on the "Brass Bash" later in July.

Also taking Warren Deck's section master class, which has already proven to be fantastic! He will coach us on low brass section excerpts from the orchestral repertoire every week. This week I am playing 1st on Bruckner 8.

Apparently Bill Clinton was at the Festival Orchestra Concert last night! I didn't see him, but there was a sighting.

Happy Birthday, Bill!
(Kloppenburg, not Clinton)

Recent hikes

We went on two great hikes this week. The first (Tuesday) was called "Difficult Trail" (although not that difficult). It followed Difficult Creek, and started on Difficult Lane (not making this up).





JJ, Bryan, Russ and Xavier, my hiking buddies!


Lots of pretty flowers on this trail...



This morning Bryan and I went up the Ute again--38 minutes! Next time will be even quicker. I'm glad I brought my camera, because we saw a rainbow at the top!



Downtown Aspen (above and below)




Can you see the rainbow?





Clearly, I wasn't the photographer here...just imagine my eyes open, and the picture is complete:) (I <3 Ithaca!)

Just when I was getting comfortable...

...I have to leave:( I am flying to Portland for Casey's wedding tomorrow! The only reason I am regretful about the trip is because I will need to get acclimated again when I return. Oh well, it's worth it--Casey's getting married!

It's amazing how much can happen in the course of one or two days around here. Everything is new and good--I wish every day of my life were like this! Yesterday I went for my first run in Aspen in the AM. It was fine, I just felt a bit winded. The 8AM weather was perfect for running-crisp, warm, and sunny. Later on yesterday I was bored, so I went for a bike ride! I really enjoy my bike-it's more of a road bike than I have ever had before. I moves really well with me, as long as I keep my balance:) I explored the rio grande trail so I could know my surroundings a bit more, got lost at least 5 times, saw some amazing millionaires' houses, saw a few river surfers , and somehow ended up downtown, where I lost the trail and made my way back home. It was a great ride, and I hope to have many more. I'll take my camera next time.

This morning some RA buddies and I went for a quick hike up the Ute Trail. It was tough! It was like the steep part from normal hikes, but it lasted for the entire hike. The hardest part was that I couldn't get enough oxygen, so my heart was beating really fast and I couldn't catch my breath. But other than that, it was great! The view from the top was beautiful. I think people get to the point where they can ascend the trail in about 30 minutes, and get back down in even less. It's a great morning "jaunt" that I will be doing more often.

I visited a Rec Center today with some other RAs. It's only a mile from my dorm and it has a pool, a lazy river, a hot tub, a climbing wall, an ice rink, free weights, and a cardio room. I thought it sounded like a fun idea because I could take advantage of the pool and the climbing wall. Unfortunately, the membership fee is pretty steep, so unless the RAs can register as a family, I don't think I'll be joining. I know, I have enough activities to keep me busy anyway;)

Tomorrow I will meet Erin and Jack & Jeri in Arvada before I head to the airport. Maine, here I come!

Day 2

I got a bike today!

So apparently there's this guy (named Chris?) who works for the festival. He fixes up about 200 bikes and makes them ready to ride. As student RAs, we went to his tent today, picked out a bike, and signed it out for the summer! For free! I got a sweet road bike. We rode downtown to get student IDs. It was so nice to ride around in the sun and look up at the mountains.

It turns out there are a few other runners on the RA staff; Meredith is training for a marathon and Brightin has run 3 marathons: Philly, Boston and another one. She was actually in Ithaca the same time as me, studying at Cornell and running on their track and cross country team! I will hopefully go for a run with her soon.

Playing is feeling better, touched on William Tell and La Gazza Ladra today. I also spoke with Michael Powell and John Rojak about a possible playing opportuntiy with NRO in a few weeks. It was exciting to chat with them; it definitely got me pumped for the festival to start next week!

So far, I am having a blast!

One busy week!

Wow, what a whirlwind of a crazy week! I have been all over North America this week, and I am happy to be in one place for a little while (but not for long!)

The Women’s Brass competition was over quickly, but it was definitely a good experience. I wasn’t completely happy with how I played, mostly because the pianist and I weren’t together on two separate occasions, but I recorded it and I was really happy with the improvements I had made; not to mention that I replicated them in the performance, namely intonation, clarity of style, and overall consistency. The preliminary round was behind a screen, which was a new experience for me: to play a solo with piano without a visible audience. But hey, it meant that I could tap my foot without anyone noticing, so that’s a plus☺ So once I resolved that my performance wouldn’t win me first place, I started packing up, hoping that Mary and I could hit the road on Tuesday afternoon. Unexpectedly, I won second place!! I was pretty surprised and delighted! The prize money will cancel out the entrance fee I had to pay to compete, and I can put the placement on my resume. Hooray! Now I need to enter more competitions…

After a long trip home, and a late arrival in Bloomington, I spent the next two days resting and getting ready for my next big trip. It was tough to pack for two months in Colorado, especially since I didn’t know what to expect in terms of weather. But I did my best and brought way too much stuff. ☺ I drove for about 12 hours on Friday, which included a 60 minute shopping break in Target, and spent the night in Salina, Kansas. Let me tell you, a hotel room has never been so rewarding! I scored a king size bed, threw my stuff wherever I wanted, and watched TV in bed. Needless to say, I slept real well that night.


Proof I drove Kansas.

Saturday morning I hit the treadmill for 30 minutes first thing to make sure my legs were still functioning after the car ride. They were. Boy, did that treadmill feel strange though. I haven’t run on one of those in years. I was sure I would fall while I was looking at myself in the mirror. (Its not every day I get to see myself running!) Well I didn’t fall, but I did experience a minor disaster a little while later: I locked my keys in my trunk. 30 minutes and 60 bucks later, I was back on track, although a bit behind schedule.

The drive to Denver wasn’t too bad because a night of rest separated me from the other half of Kansas (as Bill and I found out back in March, driving the entire length of Kansas in one day is not for the faint of heart!). Plus I had lunch with Erin to look forward to! I met her at Cheesecake Factory (a family favorite) and we had a great time sitting on the terrace in downtown Denver. What a cool city! I could definitely live there.

After my visit with Erin, only one thing stood between Aspen and I: the Rocky Mountains. As I set out on my final leg, a little red flag went up in my mind. I had been hearing an intermittent rumbling engine sound since just before Denver, and it was back. That combined with my car’s sudden inability to accelerate normally up hills made me worried, because I knew I had a bunch of “hills” ahead! I filled my gas tank and called Dad, who advised that I get it looked at. So I took my car to Wal-Mart (thank goodness they were still open at 6pm on a Saturday night!), and the guys that helped me there were great! To make a long story short, I was completely out of oil and they suspected that my car was having trouble adjusting to the altitude change. (To which I said “Well, I feel fine!” and J.D. said, “your car’s computer isn’t as advanced as yours!”) They fed my car 3 quarts of oil and I was on my way. Luckily the noise was gone. I crawled into Aspen at 10pm (mountain time), and I was ready to pass out! The residence director gave me my key and showed me to my place. Soon after, my roommate arrived. Her name is Kathleen and she is a flute player from Virginia. We spent a little while getting to know each other and unpacking before we turned it in. I was soooooo tired!


This is the outside of our dorms

This morning we met the other Res Life staff and loaded pillows/blankets into the students' rooms. Following that, we took a tour of Aspen. It's so amazing! It's a cozy little town set in a beautiful landscape. I was overwhelmed. Plus the campus, dorms, and performance hall are spread out within Apsen. I'm going to have to learn how to get everywhere myself. Here are some pics that I took on a walk this afternoon with Kathleen.






After taking two days off and ascending in altitude, my playing is a bit out of whack today. This RA staff is great: they all need time to practice, so it is built into the schedule. We all need to practice during the day, so we do! It wasn't feeling too great to play much today, so I didn't. I take the advice of Peter Ellefson: "take your time getting back to the horn." No problem, Pete!

Because of the altitude, I also have to wait a few days to run :( The walk was enough for today. It wiped me out!

Sorry for the gap between posts! I will do my best to update more often!