Brody and Brahms

I am done with auditions for graduate school. Let me tell you how awesome this is!!! No more stress, no more losing sleep over what ifs, no more buts, no more practicing 7 hours a day on one piece. Yes, my recital is in April, but I have played this rep literally across the country, so it will be a piece of cake. My recital is April 10 at 3:30P in the Madsen Recital Hall at BYU. This is my rep list:

Bach Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor BWV 1008
--Sarabande

--Menuet I

--Menuet II

--Gigue

Fuchs Sonata Pastorale

--II. Pastorale

Taylor Pulse Aria & Achoo Lullaby for electronic tape and amplified viola

Brahms Sonate in E-flat, Op. 120 No. 2 (whole thing)

Vieuxtemps Elegie, op. 130

I am really excited for my recital. I am very prepared and it will be fun to just perform rather than being nervous about how things will go because I am not prepared as I could be...aka last year and the Walton.

So let's talk about graduate auditions in order.

San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) was a really nice place. I flew in on a Saturday and stayed with Joe McCall (Chris's grandmother). We just watched the olympics all night. It is fun to watch intense programings with her!! I had a lesson with Paul Hersch on Sunday. It was a great experience. Even though he teaches both piano and viola I think that he would be a great teacher to study under. His ideas are not aimed towards technique and the like, it is all about the musical language of a piece and what it is trying to say to the performer/listener. This sounds like the easy way out, but there is no other way to explain it. We meshed pretty well I think. The facilities at SFCM are quite new and very nice. The practice rooms have wonderful windows and a thermostat control in each one (these are two things that BYU is lacking in very heavily). My audition was on Monday (Feb 15). While Sandra and I were driving there, we saw an accident happen two cars in front of us. It was really intense I must say. A linen truck ran the red light going who knows how fast, smashed into this small silver honda and the car would have flown into the building had it not been for the car next to that. When we drove by, all I saw was the lady sitting with her head tilted to the side and her hair covering the face. I still do not know if she was hurt or not or even if she died! I must say, I am glad this was at 8:30A with my audition at noon. I was shaken pretty bad. The audition went well. I played Walton II, the Sarabande and the first mvt of Brahms. Pretty standard. The weather was really nice. Fog in the morning and sunshine in the afternoon. I love the area that SFCM is in as well.

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). I absolutely loved this school. So much. From when Anna picked me up in Kentucky at the airport (yes Kentucky...) I knew that this place felt right. The school is marvelous and everyone is so nice. So so nice. I went to Transmigration at CCM which is a series of eight student produced, written and directed plays. They were all good, of course. Some better then others, but I really enjoyed seeing all 8 of them over the course of three days. My audition went well here too. I played the Fuchs, Walton II, Sarabande and Pulse Aria. Cathy Caroll is such a nice lady, very similar to Dr. Bigelow in a way. The program that they have at CCM, especially in Viola, seems rather stellar and right up my alley. I wish I could have had a lesson with her, but I generally do not like lessons when I have an audition because then it makes me nervous in the audition because I try to incorporate things they say etc etc... oh well. We shall see what happens. I could on and on and rave about this school, the heated parking garage, the cheaper living, the nice layout etc...but I will spare you. It was also nice to run into Jessica as well form SOAP as well to see Anna again and make new friends!Mannes was an interesting experience. I do not want to say to much because the school is still on my list of where to go. Let me just say that I was surprised by the reception, especially after coming from SFCM and CCM. What can I expect it is NYC? I brought Chris with me because these auditions had piano accompanient. I am glad that he was there with me, let me just say that. It was also nice to visit Austyn, Dustin and Brody. Brody is an interesting kid...CRAZY at times for sure. Chris and I went to the New York Phil when Andras Schiff played Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 (man there is a lot of Brahms in my life...). It was spectacular. I learned a lot from the performance and the "flawless" orchestral playing. I will never forget hearing those violins so together and so perfectly refined. Such a stark difference to what I am used to.

We shall see what comes of these auditions. Hopefully it is positive!! Now I just get to move onto my recital, graduation then working at Disney World. Hoorah! Should be very exciting. I am sad that I cannot do CLOC as well for a second summer (especially with the season they have), but beggars cannot be choosers. I will enjoy my time at Disney World, especially since I have wanted to work there since I was four and first stepped foot onto the boat that travels across the lagoon. Never forget it!