Friday At Last!

I thought this day would never come! All week it seemed like Friday was just the day after never. But finally, it's here. It's here and it's glorious... well, actually there's nothing really glorious about it except that it's adjacent to the weekend, but that's enough for me.

This week seemed so long. I know I probably say that about every week, but what'cha gonna do brother? (Hmm let's pretend that I didn't quote Hulk Hogan.) I still had the usual rehearsal, class, teaching, work schedule that I always had, but this week felt more rushed. Perhaps it's because the Rachel Train Express got its second injury.

On Wednesday, I get off the bus, and head to my car when I notice that it's lopsided. As I come around the drivers side I see that one of my tires gave up and died. Not just a little droopy, no, pttthhhht. Dead. So I put on the spare and head home to call tire shops. Fortunately I got right into one (even though I pass about 5 other tire shops on the way there). I wait like a worried mother in a hospital wondering if they'll have to amputate, or if it just needs a patch. They come back with a piece of metal the size of my finger that they had pulled out of the dying tire. What!?! How could I not hear that harpoon through my tire?!?

Anyway, that emergency cut into my dinner hour, with a mere 7 minutes left to find something and eat. Burger King was across the street. I got the chicken fries. They were out of honey. I don't recommend them if you don't have a vat of honey. Lesson learned.

Blithesome Bolcom

People, get your calendars out! Vocal Essence is performing the Grammy Award winning Songs of Innocence and Experience with the MN Chorale, the MN Boys Choir, and 14 soloists at Orchestra Hall April 28-29 (Sat, Sun). Click here to buy your seat! This is going to be a concert like no other. Over 400 performers are going to mob on stage to participate in the Illuminating Bolcom festival. What a change and special privilege to honor a composer who's... alive!

Last night William Bolcom came to our rehearsal to speak about the piece, and share some of his history. I did not know that he was the first person to perform a concert at the Walker with his pal William Albright. Philip predicted that Bolcom will be in the history book of American music when this time passes. His work is innovative, and it encompasses all the aspects of American music. This work is a prime example. I know I'm going to be doing a bit of research about it. It's always more enjoyable having knowledge about the work you're hearing/performing. I'm very excited about this one. A great way to finish off the season... and maybe my tenure with Vocal Essence.

So come one, come all to Orchestra Hall, it will be a treat like no other. The stage is going to take days to build, and the performers have already started rehearsing. There will be mobs of people, lights, music, history, and projected pictures. You don't want to miss it!

Perfect Spring Day

You know those days when you turn on the radio and at that point they play the exact perfect thing? That happened today. On my drive home, I rolled down all the windows, turned on NPR, and am greeted by sun and a Beethoven piano sonata. To me nothing goes better together than spring air and a piano sonata (having it be Beethoven is just icing on the cake). Not peas and carrots, not a horse and carraige, or not like ramma lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong.

And then what do I hear on my drive home from rehearsal at night? Oh yes, a Mozart violin concerto. Perfect spring night listening.

This season is off to the perfect start.

Hopelessly Homeless in Saint Paul

Ah, the homeless again. Well, if I really thought they were homeless, I wouldn't be annoyed with them. But it's clear that the "homeless" that I've run into since starting my job in Saint Paul are well fed, groomed, and have nicer clothes than half of the employees pounding the pavement.

So, this morning I'm blindly walking to work (no coffee apparently impairs my vision, blast my memory for letting me forget my ONLY travel mug!) and a chubby man bundled in what I can only describe as lumber jack clothes says, "excuse me, but by chance do you have a dollar to spare for some coffee"? I semi-emerge from my comatose state, and look at this dark Levi wearing man who looks like he challenged himself to see how many flannels he could fit under his newer looking brown wood chopping jacket. And all in a split second my mind flashes about how coffee surely can't be bought for a dollar, at the 'bou it's at least $82, do I have my Caribou gift card with me?, how could I forget my mug?, do I even have any cash because I would like to get a wrap for lunch, why don't places in St. P take plastic? maybe I have a five? nope, bought a Dew and Mike & Ikes the other day, do I have any change? do I want to dig in my wallet only to find that I only have 17 cents and at that moment realize that I'm poorer than the lumber jack standing on the corner?

So, I shrugged and said, "nope, sorry".

I must have looked threatening, because he quickly said "oh, sorry to disturb you, you have a good day". Have a good day? Maybe he works in customer service...

Oh the homeless. They're something else.