IrishOboe

Aber du verstehst sehr gut Deutsch.  NOT!  So, I’m doing my best not to panic but take this as one more of God’s blessings, only this time in disguise.  I’d love to write more about the terribly exciting things that have been happing, but this is consuming me for the moment: it turns out that I’m in a concert on Tuesday.  Surprise!

So, I said I wanted to learn to improvise and they said “Sure! Come try out this improvisation workshop we have.”  I came and made a fool of myself but had fun.  Then I was asked to play during dance class.  Sure, why not?  It’ll be fun to see how the dances fit.  Then I noticed the costumes and realized that these dancers are performing on Tuesday as part of the “Improvisation and Dance Fest” that I planned to go to as an observer and dancer.  Do they expect me to play an instrument I haven’t really practiced in two years on less than a weeks notice?  Apparently so.  Somewhere in the mass of German spoken during the hours of classes I’ve been to it was made clear that these friendly “workshops” are actually preparation for accompanying a dance performance.  I wasn’t totally clueless, some pieces have been played in mass and with the dancers during my Renaissance dance class (where I was of course dancing and the good Schola musicians were playing), but somehow these little pieces we read through once are for solo dances that will be performed.  The Renaissance dances have plenty of musicians, but in these Baroque pieces I’m not just one of the gang.  I’m not sure how many of us there are, but either it’s violin, harpsichord and me, or just harpsichord and me.  Nothing is going to cover me up and if I don’t play, the melody disappears.  Joy!  Well, as Nadia (herself a fine Baroque oboist but she’s dancing so she can’t play) said, “There’s no time like the present.”  Right, so, guess who’s spending some quality time with the Baroque oboe?  Does anyone know how to get in touch with the reed fairy?  Oh well, I’ll do what I can do!  If the dozen or so real Baroque oboe players aren’t available then they’ll just have to deal with what they’ve got.  Rehearsal today was terrible (reed was squeaking and dropping the high register!!), but I guess that’s good because it can’t get much worse!!!  GANBARIMASU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S.  I had a wonderful lesson with the Baroque oboe teacher this morning.  She really helped my breathing, which has always been a problem for me.  I discovered so many new things, but I don’t have a chance to put them into effect before I must produce!  That’s always the problem at a conservatory.