Today was chock full of trombone playing. The morning started out with another warm-up led by a guest faculty member. This one was less about a relaxed start to the day as it was about maximizing flexibility and ease of playing across the partials. This one was valuable because this has always been a weaker point in my playing. I can hit the notes as I need to, but ease of playing across them has always been less easy.
After this, we split into our small participant choirs. Our group, under the direction of Dr. Pollard, is doing very well and I am excited to work with him.
Lunch was enjoyable, again. Not as fun as the Dim Sum, but still good and exactly what I need for the afternoon's activities.
Our CSU rehearsal went well, everyone hitting their marks consistently with a level of teamwork that has been missing since we arrived, due to our exhaustion.
The first afternoon performance was the O/C trombone quartet. The name stands for "open to close". All of the members live in Tokyo. Their group precision was amazing. They played with such a high level of awareness of each other that I had trouble figuring out who played what part merely by listening. Each member had solo lines throughout and displayed their individual skills, which were considerable. It was inspiring just how connected these people were.
The evening concert was a series of concerti by the staff members at the conference, showcasing their respective skills. This was a satisfying concert, especially considering how well Dr. Palmer did on The Grondahl Concerto.
Our concert is Saturday, and I could not be more excited or ready.
No comments:
Post a Comment