Orchestra Rehearsals #3 and #4

Concert this weekend - boy that was quick. I really need more time to work on this stuff! Our guest performer this concert is a trio who will be playing the Beethoven Triple Concerto in C with us. They came to rehearse with us last night. The cello part is both beautiful and maniacal. I hope one day I can get to a level where not only can I play something like that...but to hold it together well enough to play it for an audience. Watching the cellist yesterday made me realize that I will never get "tired" of studying this instrument. I have so far to go and there's enough learning here to last through the rest of my life.

I am feeling a bit more comfortable at rehearsals now....I decided to hold off on the wine for now and instead, started practicing for the rehearsals :) Still not as relaxed as I need to be..but hopefully that will get better with time.

One thing I never understood though...why do the weakest players sit in the back of a section? When you sit towards the back,

1. It's harder to see the conductor
2. You can't hear your section
3. Bowings and fingerings travel back to you last so you constantly have one eye on the front of the section to ensure correct bowing...

Don't the weaker players just get weaker?

Little white lie

I called my teacher this morning...

Me: "Hi D, I forgot I had to work tomorrow morning...so I need to cancel our lesson tomorrow. Probably best to cancel for the week..is it alright if I just see you next week?"

D: {pause}..."ok...you need some time to practice so you have something to show me next week?"

Me: {hahahahaa} "Yah, that too"

Doh! Busted.

Orchestra Rehearsal #2

Last night, there were some more new members to the orchestra. I now have a stand partner who is a sophomore in high school. The string section is a bit small so I suppose there must have been some heavy recruiting efforts last week to fill it up.

Stand partner, C, is really nice and seemingly quiet...until she pulled out her cello and exploded with some runs from Saint-Saens A minor concerto to warm up. WOW. I recognized what she played because I gave that movement a go for a couple of weeks before deciding that I was not ready for it. This girl is GOOD. She'd only been playing for 5 years. In fact, it later came out that some of the students who joined the orchestra last night were students who did not make the big youth orchestra in town. I can only imagine what kind of nuts are in this youth orchestra if she didn't make it. Scary!

Now the cello section is really good...2 high school students (both really good!), 2 veterans from the orchestra and.....me. Unfortunately, I can barely keep up. My teacher says that I am really lucky to play with people far better than I am but I feel really uncomfortable with this group right now. We all know what lack of relaxation does for cello tone........ :(

Maybe I need to have a glass of wine before each rehearsal ;)