My life in Tallahassee

2009-02-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

In the next 10 days I have four auditions and a wedding to attend.

In other news, I was officially admitted to my top choice for a doctoral institution yesterday. I'm still taking the other auditions because I haven't heard anything about an assistantship yet.

This school's undergraduate woodwind skills class is taught by one person, and it is generally taught by a multiple woodwind specialist. They don't currently have one in the degree program.. make your own conclusion. I'm optimistic.

2009-02-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

I like comfy, black, leather couches. A lot. Any school that's willing to place them in their lounge for student use has got my vote.

2009-02-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm leaving for Texas in just under seven hours. It's going to be a 13-hour drive to Dallas. I'm used to long day trips so this shouldn't be too difficult. At least I'll have the sun at my back the entire way. I'll bring Karajan's Beethoven collection to keep me company.

As I was preparing my clothes tonight I once again realized I good I used to have it with my last girlfriend. Any time we'd go on a trip she would pack for the both of us a few days in advance. I'm a last-minute sort of guy when it comes to these things so as I was putting my shirts and pants together, matching the ties, socks, and shoes for the four-day trip, I thought about our past.

Hopefully I'll find someone that good to me again. I guess you don't really appreciate it until it's gone.

I'll make sure to take lots of pictures.

2009-02-01T18:56:00.001-08:00

I'm gonna make it. I think I'm going to get everything up to speed by the time of the first audition. I'm leaving for Texas on Wednesday at the latest. The audition is on Saturday, but I'd like to spend a few days at the audition site so that my reeds will adjust.

The past two months I've really only been concerned with getting everything technically perfect, at performance tempo, and with the correct dynamics.. other than that, these pieces are still pretty flat. I'm glad that this first school is my 'safety' school. I'm also glad that I have a week and a half between the first and second auditions. That will give me the time to put my stamp on the interpretation of each of these six works. It'll also give me a chance to polish some flute and clarinet excerpts for Eastman on the 27th.

It's going to be a 13 hour drive and I'll be there for four days, so I need to find someone to look after and feed my two cats. Any volunteers?

Ibert - check
Feld - check

Tomasi - 5
McAllister - 5

Lauba - 6
Albright - 6

Ticks to go: 22
Days until the first audition: 6
Ticks needed per day: 3.67

I could get used to this

2009-01-31T18:42:00.001-08:00

I fixed a friend's piccolo today. It was my first piccolo, but it was so much easier to work on than the flutes I've been tweaking these past six months. I don't understand what the big deal is with fixing piccolos. I think the combination of shellac-seated pads, and cork bumpers and silencers makes it a fairly straight-forward woodwind to repair. They seem much friendlier than clarinets or oboes.

My point: Bring me your piccolo if it needs some work. I really enjoy working on them.

Ibert - check
Feld - check

Tomasi - 5
McAllister - 5

Lauba - 9
Albright - 9

Ticks to go: 28
Days until the first auditon: 7
Ticks needed per day: 4.0

2009-01-30T18:23:00.001-08:00

Well, I have less than one week until I make the first trip out to audition for my doctorate. I'll probably leave next Tuesday, but I still need to confirm whether or not I can stay with an old friend from Indiana who currently goes to school there.

I'll make sure to take lots of pictures.

The saxophone and clarinet pieces are becoming much more challenging now that I'm getting their tempos up. The Albright Sonata is starting to get a little wild, especially in the 4th movement. My double-tonguing on saxophone gives out around 140 bpm, and the movement needs to be at 168. I guess I'll have to water down those sections for the first audition... maybe all of them.

Things are looking up for next year... I really wish I hadn't screwed things up so badly with Lauren last year. You live and learn, I guess. I wish I had a do-over. I'd do anything for another chance with her, but I doubt I'll ever get that opportunity.

Ibert - check
Feld - check

Tomasi - 6
McAllister - 6

Lauba - 11
Albright - 12

Ticks to go: 35
Days until the first audition: 8
Ticks needed per day: 4.38

Cork Palm Key Risers

2009-01-29T19:28:00.000-08:00

I put cork palm key risers on my alto today and I like to think I did a pretty professional looking job on it. I used 1/32" sheet cork, contact cement, a razor blade, sand paper, and Sally Hansen's 'Hard as Nails', a clear coat nail polish that protects the surface of the cork.

In order to do this you need to:

1. Apply a layer of contact cement on each of the palm keys and two layers of contact cement to each pre-cut sheet of cork. Using two coats of contact cement on the cork is idea because cork is a poreous material, and in order to have uniform layer of contact cement the first coat is used as a primer.

2. Let the contact cement dry for 15 minutes and then apply the cork to the palm keys.

3. At this point take the razor blade and, using the metal surface of the palm key as your guide, trim the cork to the size of the key.

4. Once the cork is trimmed to size, sand the edge of the cork to remove any excess contact cement that may have oozed out the side.

5. Apply two layers of contact cement to the exposed side of the cork on the palm keys, repeating steps 2 through 4 until the desired palm key height is achieved.

6. Once the desired palm key height is achieved, apply a few coats of clean nail polish in order to seal and protect the surface of the cork.

With a little practice you'll have professional looking cork palm key risers.

Ibert - check
Feld - check

Tomasi - 7
McAllister - 7

Lauba - 13
Albright - 15

Ticks to go: 42
Days until the first audition: 9
Ticks needed per day: 4.67

2009-01-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

I got an e-mail today from the admissions coordinator at Eastman saying that the clarinet and flute professors would like to hear me audition. Could this be a good thing? I'm applying for a DMA in Saxophone at this school. Since they don't have a doctoral multiple woodwinds program, I can only assume that perhaps I might be in consideration for the woodwind skills class for undergraduate music education majors... That would be pretty sweet. I hope I can back it up with a decent saxophone audition.

Ibert - check
Feld - check

Tomasi - 8
McAllister - 9

Lauba - 15
Albright - 15

Ticks to go: 47
Days until the first audition: 10
Ticks needed per day: 4.7

2009-01-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

I've been surfing the web a little more often than usual lately. Recently I started looking up some of my old friends from Indiana University. Many of them have professional websites outlining all of their professional accomplishments since leaving. Several of them never got their DMA, yet they're all pretty successful.

Maybe it's time to take the plunge and move to New York. It's definitely time to hire a professional web designer to put a site together for me.

Ibert - Full speed!
Feld - Full speed!

Tomasi - 11
McAllister - 11

Lauba - 20
Albright - 19

Ticks to go: 61
Days until the first audition: 12
Ticks needed per day: 5.08

2009-01-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

I went to the emergency room about a month and a half ago because of severe stomach pain that was affecting my breathing. They ran a lot of tests on me, but eventually the pain went away and they weren't able to find anything wrong with me.

This afternoon I had pasta with alfredo sauce for lunch; the very same thing that I had for lunch the day I went to the emergency room. I haven't had the alfredo sauce since that day..

About 30 minutes after lunch I started getting HORRIBLE stomach pains. They're starting to subside, but I'm pretty positive now that this alfredo sauce has been tainted in some way. It's in the trash now.

Problem solved.

2009-01-25T18:58:00.001-08:00

I found out this afternoon that some close friends from the past are applying to some of the same schools that I am. This is a very nice feeling. I might have a couple potential roommates lined up before the auditions even take place! Very cool.

Ibert - 1
Feld - 1

Tomasi - 13
McAllister - 13

Lauba - 20
Albright - 20

Ticks to go: 68
Days until the first audition: 13
Ticks needed per day: 5.23

2009-01-24T20:57:00.000-08:00

I wasn't invited to a DMA audition at Indiana, so I won't ever move back to Bloomington. What a shame... I practice as much as I do because I feel as if I have something to prove to myself, and auditioning at Indiana was going to be a part of that process. At the very least, I wanted to show my old professors in Bloomington how hard I have worked since 2005.

I really wish Indiana had had someone in their doctoral multiple woodwinds program while I was there, because I'd like to know exactly what their expectations are. I thought I was ready...

Scratch that, I KNOW I was ready. I sent them a CD with graduate level repertoire on four instruments. If they don't want me back, that's their choice.

A fresh start in a new city might be the best thing for me... People that do doctorates in Bloomington tend to stay there for a long time after graduating, if they ever finish.

.....

I now have three schools that I would really like to end up at, and two more that I applied to but don't think I could ever afford to attend, even with an assistantship.

The first of the three is a dream school that I've always wanted to go to. I could only go there if I had an assistantship, which probably won't happen, so I'm not exactly getting my hopes up.

The other two schools both have outstanding programs; one is a conducting audition, and the other is a multiple woodwinds audition. I'm optimistic that I'll be accepted to both because of the preparation I've put in. The big question is whether I want to pursue conducting to round out my musicianship, or become a true multiple woodwind specialist. I'm pretty sure that I can continue my development as a woodwind specialist even if I go to the conducting school, but I'm also pretty confident that I can take conducting lessons at the woodwinds school..

It's also a difficult decision because one of the schools is close to home, and the other one is nearly two thousand miles from my family, which I haven't really seen in almost a decade.

Regardless of what happens with these auditions, I'm going to keep intensely preparing for them for the next month. Once they're over... who knows..

Ibert - 2
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 14
McAllister - 14

Lauba - 21
Albright - 21

Ticks to go: 74
Days until the first audition: 14
Ticks needed per day: 5.28

2009-01-23T17:45:00.001-08:00

Ibert - 2
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 15
McAllister - 15

Lauba - 22
Albright - 22

Ticks needed: 78
Days until the first audition: 15
Ticks needed per day: 5.2

2009-01-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

Ibert - 2
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 16
McAllister - 16

Lauba - 23
Albright - 23

Ticks to go: 82
Days until the first audition: 16
Ticks needed per day: 5.13

2009-01-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

Ibert - 2
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 18
McAllister - 18

Lauba - 25
Albright - 25

Mozart - 38

Ticks to go: 128
Days until the first audition: 18
Ticks needed per day: 7.11

2009-01-19T17:49:00.000-08:00

I might do the unthinkable and rent a plastic, student-model instrument from Music Masters tomorrow. It better have a Left F.

Ibert - 2
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 20
McAllister - 20

Lauba - 26
Albright - 27

Mozart - 38

Ticks to go: 135
Days until the first audition: 19
Ticks needed per day: 7.1

2009-01-18T17:03:00.000-08:00

So yea... it's hard to practice oboe when you don't have oboe reeds... it's also difficult to buy any oboe reeds (or the tools you need to make them) without any money. My financial aid has not been distributed yet. I'm sort of in a bind. The first audition is less than 3 weeks away. I'll be ready.

On a side note.. I need to do something about my body's PH levels. For years I've known that I have incredibly acidic skin. It's so acidic that it only takes a few months for my hands to turn a silver-plated key almost completely black. I believe that the acidity of my skin doesn't lie within normal levels, and I think it might have an underlying cause in my endocrine system. I've also read that a low PH level in your body can easily lead to an increased risk of cancer. Tomorrow I plan on going to CVS to buy some litmus paper to test the PH of my skin and saliva.

Ibert - 3
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 21
McAllister - 21

Lauba - 28
Albright - 29

Mozart - 38

Ticks to go: 142
Days until the first audition: 20
Ticks needed per day: 7.1

2009-01-16T16:50:00.001-08:00

I found out today that I didn't get the job fixing musical instruments. From what the owner told me, the decision had nothing to do with my ability to fix these instruments. In fact, he said that he thought I did a very nice job overhauling the flute on Tuesday. He said that he decided not to hire me because business is a little slow, and he didn't want to take any work away from the employees currently working at the store. I guess that's life.

I think I'm going to start purchasing used student model instruments on Ebay to overhaul them, with the intention of selling them to beginning students this fall. Maybe one used student model instrument every 3 - 4 weeks.

Two doctoral schools confirmed audition dates for me this afternoon. One of them will be on March 2nd, and the next (and most likely last) audition will be on March 7th. The first audition is supposedly on February 7th, but I have not heard anything from that school yet. I've also got 3 more schools on top of that which I have not heard anything from... I check my mailbox 2 or 3 times a day.

Practicing went well today. I passed my quota, which is always nice.

Ibert - 3
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 23
McAllister - 23

Lauba - 29
Albright - 37

Mozart - 38

Ticks to go: 155
Days until the first audition: 22
Ticks needed per day: 7.05

2009-01-15T18:36:00.001-08:00

I'll be a happy man when I get each piece within 30 beats per minute of the performance tempo. I spent the day working exclusively on Albright and Mozart. My chops are killing me.

Flute:

Ibert - 3
Feld - 2

Clarinet:

Tomasi - 24
McAllister - 25

Saxophone:

Lauba - 30
Albright - 40

Oboe:

Mozart - 40

Ticks to go: 164
Days until the first audition: 23
Ticks needed per day: 7.13

2009-01-14T16:20:00.001-08:00

Over the past month I've spent a lot of time thinking about my future. I'm starting to doubt whether or not I want to pursue a DMA right away. I'm going to take each of the auditions next month, but I think I would much rather move to New York for a while.

Specifically, I'd like to:

- Apply for secondary school teaching positions in New York City. I have at least 24 credits in the the biological and physical sciences from undergrad, so I could teach biology, physics or chemistry in addition to music.. that kind of flexibility would help me land a job in the city.

- Buy a 3 bedroom house in Elmont, a suburb about 10 miles east of Manhattan. It needs to have a large, livable basement. I'm pretty sure that my parents would help me with the down-payment.. I'm very fortunate to have such supportive parents.

- Rent out the individual bedrooms. I'd have three roommates in a house that I own. The rent that I collect from them would be more than enough money to pay a monthly mortgage. It would also give me the flexibility to renovate the house, installing new appliances and any other improvements the house may need.

- Spend several nights a week getting involved with the local music scene. I'd like to take lessons with a famous multiple woodwind specialist in the area. Hopefully it would eventually lead to substitute gigs on nights and weekends.

- If after two or three years I find that I can support myself as a union musician in the city, then I would go back to school, taking auditions at Manhattan, Julliard, NYU, or Columbia... performance at MSM and Julliard, or a Ph.D at NYU or Columbia.

- If I don't find that I can support myself through performing after a few years, I would only apply for the Ph.D programs.

I'm pretty sure that this is going to be my Plan B if I don't get an assistantship to a prestigious doctoral institution two months from now....

This is a view of Teachers College at Columbia University. It looks like an absolutely amazing place. I don't know if I'd have a chance at getting in with a 3.7, but it's worth a shot.

Ibert - 3
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 24
McAllister - 25

Lauba - 30
Albright - 44

Mozart - 44

Ticks to go: 172
Days until the first audition: 24
Ticks needed per day: 7.17

2009-01-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

Ibert - 3
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 24
McAllister - 25

Lauba - 30
Albright - 49

Mozart - 51

Ticks to go: 184
Days until the first audition: 26
Ticks needed per day: 7.08

2009-01-11T17:04:00.001-08:00

I spent my last few dollars on groceries today... bummer... but I have a job interview for a musical instrument repair position Tuesday morning. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this one will pan out. It would be fantastic if this job paid a lot of money, but I'm more interested in continuing the development of my skills in this field.

I registered for graduation today!

It was a good day for practice today, too. I more than made up for my laziness yesterday.

Ibert - 3
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 25
McAllister - 26

Lauba - 30
Albright - 54

Saint-Saens - 60

Ticks today: 12
Ticks to go: 200
Days until the first audition: 27
Ticks needed per day: 7.41

2009-01-10T18:34:00.000-08:00

Today was a pretty lazy day. When you don't eat breakfast until after noon, you know you're not going to accomplish much. While watching CNN this afternoon I decided to write down something they were discussing. It's a list of ten things you need to remember in order to keep your job in this poor economy:

1. Create Success
2. Set Short-term Goals
3. Watch your Attitude
4. Keep your network Active
5. Update your Skills
6. Take on More
7. Forget about your Work-Life Balance
8. Take a Hard Look at your Finances
9. Never Badmouth Anyone
10. Remember that you are a Product

I'm not sure if I agree with all of them, especially #7. Most of them, however, do make a lot of sense.

I also finished reading a novel today and decided to watch the movie. The thought of collecting rare books has also piqued my interest lately. I had no idea that a 1st Edition/1st Printing of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in hardcover was worth nearly $50,000. Evidently only 500 were released, and 300 of those were given to libraries. It's amazing to think that something published 12 years ago and sold for $20 could be worth so much. I bought my copy in 1997, but it was the 10th printing of the 1st edition, which isn't worth anywhere near as much.

Ibert - 3
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 26
McAllister - 27

Lauba - 31
Albright - 63

Saint-Saens - 60

Ticks to g0: 212
Days until the first audition: 28
Ticks needed per day: 7.57

I might give up on Saint-Saens... my bassoon playing is pretty awful at the moment.

2009-01-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy going to the vet. She's twenty-something, blonde, tall, and beautiful. If only my cat was as enthusiastic about the trip as I am. Max behaved so badly that she decided to give him the 3-year Rabies vaccine instead of the 1-year vaccine... see you in another three years, I guess!

Ibert - 3
Feld - 2

Tomasi - 27
McAllister - 29

Lauba - 32
Albright - 65

Saint-Saens - 60

Ticks to go: 218
Days until the first audition: 29
Ticks needed per day: 7.52

2009-01-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

I brushed the dust off of my bassoon today. As soon as I make myself a couple reeds I'll give her some attention.

Lots of good news today. Here's hoping it continues.

Ibert - 3
Feld - 3

Tomasi - 28
McAllister - 31

Lauba - 34
Albright - 69

Saint-Saens - 60

Ticks to go: 228
Days until the first audition: 30
Ticks needed per day: 7.6

2009-01-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

Got an e-mail from one prospective doctoral school today. Evidently, they never received my pre-screening CD. I think I accidentally sent it to the saxophone professor, rather than the office of music admissions... oops... Ended up making a drive out to FedEx this afternoon to overnight another CD.

I spent the rest of the day practicing. I had to quit around 6:30 this afternoon. My lower lip is a little sore and I don't want to over-do it. I'm afraid that if I do too much one day, I might not be able to recover overnight and be forced to take a day off. I simply don't have the time for a day off this month. I'm behind schedule.

Ibert - 3
Feld - 3

Tomasi - 29
McAllister - 33

Lauba - 36
Albright - 73

Saint-Saens - 60

Ticks to go: 237
Days until the first audition: 31
Ticks needed per day: 7.64

I was able to knock off 8 today... Unfortunately, it took almost six hours. I need to get more efficient at this.

2009-01-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

First day of class today! I had no classes, so the extended break continues!

I basically just sat in my apartment and practiced all day. Big shock, eh? I think I've logged about six hours of saxophone so far this afternoon.

The Albright Sonata, a piece that I pulled out for the first time in a year for this audition, is a little scarier than I thought it would be. Yikes...

Ibert - 3
Feld - 3

Tomasi - 29
McAllister - 35

Lauba - 38!!
Albright - 77 (ughhhh....)

Saint-Saens - 60

33 DAYS!!!!

2009-01-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

Ibert - 3
Feld - 3

Tomasi - 29
McAllister - 35

Lauba - 45
Albright - 40

Total: 155

First audition: Saturday, February 7th (34 days)

Ticks per day: 4.56

I've been spending several hours a day on Lauba.. It takes about an hour and a half for me to pass off one 'tick'. I figure in another day or so I'll be able to give equal time to Albright... Once I get those down to 35 I'll start spending some serious time on clarinet again.. gotta start brushing up on flute in the next couple days, too.. Ibert and Feld aren't going to play themselves... Bassoon.... god help me.

Oh, and Happy New Year!

This year's resolution... Whenever a friend asks me to hang out or go to a party, I'm not going to come up with some lame excuse about having to practice. The resolution is to find a balance in my life, to actually start having some fun. I need to take myself less seriously and have a good time.

2008-12-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

This is my "To-Go" list (in beats per minute):

Flute:

Ibert - Concerto - 3 bpm
Feld - Sonate - 3 bpm

Clarinet:

McAllister - X - 41 bpm
Tomasi - Concerto - 30 bpm

Saxophone:

Lauba - Steady Study on the Boogie - 59 bpm
Albright - Sonata - 38 bpm

Bassoon:

Tansman - Sonatine - 54 bpm
Saint-Saens - Sonata - 62 bpm

Days until the first audition: 43

2008-12-29T13:49:00.000-08:00

Ughhh, I passed up on another Cruise ship gig this afternoon... If it paid more than $30,000 a year I'd consider putting off school. I'd also take it in a heartbeat if I knew I could make money by fixing instruments and making double reeds in addition to the gig.

I'm going to make it a priority this year to learn how to do each of these things. I need to be able to support myself in the arts without relying on other people's generosity.

2008-12-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

This has been a very sad week. Yesterday afternoon I received an e-mail from the daughter one of my private teachers saying that he has passed away...

Although I have only studied with him for a short period of time - about six months - I feel as if I have lost one of my best friends. He owned and operated a musical instrument repair business for nearly 30 years, and agreed to take me on as an apprentice over the summer. I feel very fortunate to have studied with him. I feel as I have learned so much in the process. He was a genuine person, and one of the nicest people I have ever met.

Ten days ago we went out for margaritas after working on a saxophone all afternoon, during which we talked about ways of expanding the business in Tallahassee. Now the business is closing it's doors... I wish I could help keep it alive, but I'm just not experienced enough to even attempt that sort of pursuit.

I have no idea how he died. I hope he went peacefully in his sleep. I'm not certain, but I think he was only 59 years old. It's such a sad time. Rest in peace, my friend.

2008-12-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

I really wish I was up in Connecticut for the holidays. I haven't seen snow in years!

2008-12-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

I Am Legend probably isn't the best movie to watch when you're alone and haven't seen anyone you know in a week. At least I still have my cats to keep me company.

2008-12-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

My life has been a roller coaster lately. I've passed through all of it unscathed so far. Thank god. Just a few more twists and turns until I can get off this ride... No more roller coasters for me, that's for sure.

2008-12-11T12:57:00.001-08:00

I've been waiting for an important e-mail at my computer all afternoon, often refreshing the Inbox several times an hour. I should probably go out and buy a Blackberry (aka: Crack-berry) later this month. Maybe it'll break this addiction I've had for my laptop lately.

2008-12-10T19:32:00.001-08:00

Tonight as I was walking up to the Shelter to volunteer I ran into a homeless family outside of the building. One of the children was a sixth-grade girl, and she was playing a clarinet! She was pretty good, and seemed really excited to be playing!

I was so happy to see this!

I talked to her for a few minutes, and then went inside to start my shift. Each night I sit at a desk and help one of the staff members check people in for five hours. I'm simply amazed at how many people live at the Leon County Shelter. On any given night there are about 160 men and 60 women/families in the building. Unfortunately, due to limited space - about 80 beds, several people sleep on mats on the floor of the dining area at night. It's incredibly tight in there, too. Some nights 10 - 20 of the men have to sleep outside after they've checked in simply because there is no room to sleep on the floor of the facility.

About two hours into tonight's shift I approached the mother of the girl who was playing clarinet outside and offered to give her free clarinet lessons once a week for the rest of the year. I figured that if the family was staying at a shelter, they definitely didn't have the funds to hire a private teacher. At the same time, I really wanted to give her the opportunity to have some quality instruction on her instrument at a young age.

I really hope her mother calls me to schedule a weekly time. It would mean a lot to me.

2008-12-08T16:22:00.001-08:00

I can get through Steady Study on the Boogie without stopping now. It's 20 pages of multiphonics, circular breathing, slap tonguing, and flutter tonguing on saxophone. Too bad it's 96 bpm under tempo at the moment. I'll get there.

2008-12-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

I doubt anyone really cares, but I've been practicing more than I've been sleeping lately... I'm not trying to brag. It's quite the opposite, actually. Don't get me wrong.. I enjoy my work, and I've always been optimistic that it will get me somewhere at some point in my life.

Lately I've been practicing to pass the time. Six hours of practice... that's six hours that I don't have to sit around waiting for someone to call, six hours closer to the day that I can leave Florida for winter break. It's another six hours closer to the doctoral auditions that I've had on my mind since 2005. It's time that I've dedicated to my future.

It's also time that I've spent away from friends. Many of the people that I've met in the past year probably feel that this is all there is to know about me. I'd like to change that. I'm trying to reach out more, mostly to people whom I never really got a chance to know here in Tallahasse, whom I greatly admire in one way or another. As a musician, friend, or in any number of ways. There are several people here who I wish I had gotten to know better last year.

P.S. Red wine, cheese, and a good book is a fantastic way to end your night.

2008-12-05T15:46:00.000-08:00

Sometime later this week I'm going to scan a page of the music I'm trying to learn for my DMA auditions in February and post it on here. It's pretty daunting.. I'm not sure that I'll be able to pull it off.

2008-12-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

I decided today that from now on I'm not going to be afraid to go after what I want in life anymore. It's better to know that you tried and failed, than to wonder what might have been for the rest of your life. Who knows... I might not fail.

2008-12-03T15:51:00.001-08:00

I got some very positive feedback from a potential DMA school today. I'm not giving any details. Let's just say that it's very good news.

2008-12-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

Most of the transcripts are out now too. Relatively painless process so far.

2008-12-01T16:38:00.001-08:00

The applications are done, and not a moment too soon. Unfortunately, I had to take the day off from practicing in order to get everything mailed out on time.

2008-11-29T12:01:00.000-08:00

No matter how much less expensive it may be than cable, don't ever sign up for Dish network, or any satellite television service. Here at Campus Edge we don't really have that option. Satellite TV is included in the rent.

When it rains, the signal goes out. If you're at home and it starts pouring and you have to cancel your plans, wouldn't it be nice to be able to sit back and watch the game on CBS?

The FSU vs UF game is on in 30 minutes, and I don't have TV.

Maybe there will be a rain delay and the game will start a little later.

2008-11-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

I got into a minor car accident a few weeks ago. I'm perfectly fine, but my 2008 Hyundai Sonata has some cosmetic damage to the left side! I'm not in the best financial situation right now, so I don't have the money to get it fixed.

Here's a picture of it.

2008-11-25T19:53:00.001-08:00

These past few months I've been studying woodwind instrument repair.

I thought it might be interesting to post a picture of the flute overhaul that I'm in the process of completing.

This is the second overhaul that I've done, and the first one that I'll be doing on my own. The first one took nearly a month because everything was new to me. This one has been coming along a little faster, but I find myself getting hung up every now and then due to a lack of tools.

What you're looking at is a partially disassembled flute with new pads and corks. The next step is the most time consuming, and involves shimming each pad to give it a good seat.

I can't shim pads without a feeler, and I can't make a feeler without scotch tape, so I'm stuck at the moment!

So much to learn, but so rewarding, and completely worth the investment of time and money.

2008-11-25T10:53:00.000-08:00

Question: How can you tell whether or not an oboe player has ever been to your apartment?

Answer: Just take a look at the legs on your tables. You'll find thread everywhere!

On a side note. I really need to vacuum. Lauren took the vacuum cleaner when she moved out.

2008-11-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

I think I've finally decided on the solo repertoire for my doctoral auditions this February:

Flute:

Ibert - Concerto
Feld - Sonata

Clarinet:

Tomasi - Concerto
McAllister - X

Saxophone:

Lauba - Steady Study on the Boogie
Elias - Pythicos Nomos

Bassoon:

Tansman - Sonatine
Saint-Saens - Sonata

I have to admit, though, that not having a place to sit makes practicing a little complicated at times.