News from the process

So my determination to update this site at a regular basis did not hold on for long. Let me therefore limit me to mention a few of the things that have been going on in my life these last few weeks.

End January my mother came to visit me. I had forgotten that having visitors takes energy so that did take me by surprise. However I really am glad that she came. We had a great time seeing London and it was good having a break from school.

Soon enough that took up my time again. By now my academic classes beging to really demand attention. The end-of-the-year projects can not longer be treated in a calm fashion - so it is off the British Library to do reading and lots of time at the desk searching around for information.

In other news I now have three ensembles that I can call established. I have spent some considerable time managing bookings for concerts. Right now most concerts come through Trinity. The school has aprogram of "off-campus" concerts where you sign up with your group. If anything comes up you then receive an email. In addition I have been contacting some churches directly about lunchtime recitals and all together I have a few bookings for the spring. In addition there are the orchestra projects run by Trinity, ensemble projects and the od gig that I get offered.

One special event was the debut of my violin duo which I run with my friend from Oberlin Sarah Titterington. We call it Oberlin Duo! The debut took place in a pub called The White Heart and it was lots of fun. Our repertoire of baroque violin duets worked really well in the setting to the surprise of everyone there. We got a really god response. The event was run by two students from Trinity. The idea was to bring classical music to a new audiences and on the program was improv. rock, wind quintet and us - very varied indeed.

Now it is only to keep things up. My other ensembles are a violin and cello duo called Duo Chorde and a trio with gambe and harpsichord that is yet nameless. We will solve that though!

To my wonderful friends

So I was thinking for a while about what to write on my blog. Realizing that I have made some very special friends I want to dedicate an entry to them.

My friends tend to fall into the two categories of music-friends and "other friends". However since coming to London the categories have started to merge. In the picture you see my two wonderful housemates Karen and Melissa. Without them I would not have been able to pull through the fall and settle in so well. We live in close quarters at no. 15. I am going to miss them a lot when/if they leave. Melissa is a flutist and having another musician in the house has been fantastic. Thank you Karen and Melissa for your kindness to me!

Outside the house I have made friends at my school - Trinity College of Music - and through old friends from the States. That way I have met my non-music friends Lizzy (picture), Hope and Melanie (and forgive me if I spell your names wrong!) It is something special to have friends who are really interested in what you do without being music students. You also understand why I have chose to live in a house connected to a church and be active in the christian life.

At Trinity a lot of my friendships grow out of chamber music. I a way rehearsing is the most refined form of social interaction. You have to retain you personality while also adapting to a wide variety of people. I enjoy all my groups from my trio with Asako and Jenny where we play mainly French music to my duo with Amelie where we experiment with performance practise issues.

Outside school I am also starting to meet musicians my age. Most important at this point however is my collaboration with my old friend from Oberlin Sarah Titterington. We just had our first performance as a duo. We have known each other for a long time and since we have studied with the same teachers it made sense that our styles would match somehow. It is also fantastic to have someone around who you have known for that long when you move to a new place.

Thanks to all the above people and others I have not mentioned my life in London has been much more pleasant that it would otherwise have been. It is mainly due to you that I have retained a positive attitude and I just want to thank you all. Special thank to David Breitman whom I met a short while ago when he was in London. It is a very special thing when a former teacher cares about your progress and musical development.

The Spring semester is now ahead. The options and possibilities are many - now it is just to see which ones work out!