Today's Coffee: Earl Grey Supreme

I guess I could title the posts differently, since I don't drink coffee anymore - but I won't. :)

 Our big project (as if we didn't have enough going on) was the build a sprinkler. We love spending time outside, but I've already started slowing down a little bit with Baby #2 - so it's harder for me to keep with W. We thought that a fun, big sprinkler would help me out on these hot days. 

And for less than $17 - we're pretty sure it will!

First, we purchased:

-4- 10' 1/2 inch pvc pipe

-3- 1/2 inch pvc caps

-2- 1/2 inch pvc T's

-2- 1/2 inc pvc elbows

- pvc cement

- pvc male connection

- female hose adaptor

Next, we sawed 3 of the 10' pipes down to 5', and the fourth pipe in 2 1/2' pieces (for the legs)

We then drilled holes, quite sporadically, in the side and top pieces. Next, we hooked it all together and cemented the joints together. Then, we waited for the longest 15 minutes ever -- try envisioning a 2 1/2 year old waiting to see what such a contraption would do. 

Ta Da! What fun! 

Well, I never finished talking about Oberlin. It ended really well. I performed really well on the Biber recital. I think everything the teachers were saying to us about relaxing and breathing really sunk it. I've already found myself listening to music and thinking about performance/pedagogy differently since I've been back. Thomas and I have talked about learning some pieces and performing them together, and we hope to get more involved in the early music scene here in Nashville, as well as make it better! 

My chamber ensemble for week 2. We performed Purcell's Pavane and Chacony in G Minor. 

The last night we were there we went to a party at Catharina Meints' house. She has a spectacular abode - very modern and interesting architecture, but also a large collection of different gambas. Some are shown in the picture below. The house was beautiful and we spent most of the evening just wandering and inquiring about different aspects of the house. It really was crazy!

After Oberlin ended - we flew to Nashville, hopped in our car and drove down to Destin, Florida. I was hoping for this vacation that would consist of 4 or 5 hours a day, sitting in a beach chair, half sunken in the wet sand because I chose to put it too close to the surf, under an umbrella and read as many books as possible. Well, it rained 4 of the 6 days we were there. We had a ton of fun with my parents, but I would have enjoyed a bit more sunshine, and less torrential downpour.

18 weeks pregnant

W loves spaghetti!

And last of all: my garden! Here I am holding the first 2 cucumbers and 3 carrots we harvested! They tasted great too!

And this picture is my haul from the farmer's market today. I love the farmer's market. So much. I'm excited to be making Chocolate Strawberry Pavlova and Chocolate Blackberry Pavlova for small group tomorrow night. The blackberries are huge! And 2 different types of kale: Scottish Blue and Russian Kale. We are planning on whipping up some green smoothies for these hot summer mornings. 

Overall, the summer has been pretty great! I go in for my 20 week ultrasound on Monday. We are not planning on finding out if our little one is a boy or girl, but just in case we can't stand it, we will have the technician write it down and stick it in an envelop... in case we want to have a gender reveal party. Also, things are moving in a good direction with our house. Lord willing, we will close on July 25. Prayers appreciated!

In Christ,

Julie

Today's Coffee: Irish Breakfast Tea (and an Arnold Palmer after lunch)

The pictures above and below are from Chalk Walk. They passed out chalk and the whole community got involved with their art! The one below won overall. It was so neat to see everyone being artistic - although barely any music students (if any) got involved -- we have a lot on our plate already!

So, it's been a long 10 days so far. After hearing the faculty concert on Friday night - can I just say that they are all amazing? They play so elegantly, and yet, there is a raw factor to the sound (with the gut strings and all). I have learned so much these past few days. For the first time, in a long time, (maybe ever?) I feel that I am finally doing something that I really really love. I'm hoping that I've found my musical niche. It's been a strange feeling - even as I play in masterclass and am critiqued crazily over my bow stroke or phrasing, I enjoy it. It doesn't bother me, because I want so much to get better. It's an interesting feeling. I still get insanely nervous before performing, but I'm starting to feel really confident in what I'm doing and let the instrument work for me. But I digress - the faculty concert was amazing! Just the exposure to composers that I'm not familiar with : Schmelzer, Bonocini, Ariosti, Schenck and others - there is so much gorgeous and amazing music out there! 

Saturday was our first student recital. I think it went well. It was under 4 hours long - so, it was shorter than expected. :) Some of the groups were phenomenal! 

Then Sunday arrived, and T got here. It's so nice to have him here - not just because I now don't have to play with a stranger as my harpsichordist - but I missed him so much! And don't even get me started on W - he's such a trooper as he is now hanging out with the Wilson Family. 

I performed in masterclass on Tuesday, the Biber Sonata 12. I learned a lot - that basically, I play a little too refined and could just throw the bow around more. I'm doing a lot of thinking and applying about intonation. Each scale is different. And leading tones... not so much. All the #s should be played a little flatter, and all the flats a little sharper. We always talk about the character of the key that we are playing in. The composer chose the key for a reason, and so we always discuss what that feeling is and how we can portray that accurately through the music. There have been so many bow circles this week as well. I always warm-up by just doing bow circles on the up bow and down bow. It's tedious work (did I mention I love it though?!) but it really helps! Also, in modern violin, we are taught to control the sound via bow, right arm, vibrato, etc. But now we are focusing a lot on not controlling the sound, but letting the instrument speak. It's a lot harder than it sounds. Oh goodness, and not being tense. I don't know why it's not talked (like... seriously talked about and worked on daily) about in masterclass/lessons/orchestra. Musicians are so tense, and that hinders the sound as well. There are several techniques you can do, but the best (and yet, very hard to do) is to play with your mouth open. If our mouths are closed, we tend not to breathe as much (which is bad) and so we constrict muscles in our face, neck, shoulders and arms. 

(You're probably bored with what I've been learning, right? It's hard to tell because I am excited about it all!)

My violin and a gamba, resting. :)

Anyways, I perform the Biber Sonata tomorrow for the whole BPI crew. I'm nervous, but I feel like I've done the best I can in the 7 days I've had the music. On Friday, the student orchestra will play some Muffat, then Saturday we will all perform our ensembles. I'm now playing in a group of 3 violins, cello and harpsichord. We are playing Purcell's Pavane and Chacony in g minor. We will also perform with our dance class. We will have live musicians as we perform several of the dances we have learned. 

I miss W so much! This is how you do summer!

And then, we fly back to Nashville, only to get in our car and drive to Florida for most needed vacation of my life. Being 17 weeks pregnant in a dorm room in 90 degree (YES - IT REALLY IS THAT HOT HERE!) weather and doing 12 hour days of Baroque music calls for some serious laying on the beach time. 

Gambas and viols and violins for sale. 

I miss this little guy so much! Such great hair!