First LSO Concert and Meaningful Gifts

My first concert with the Lansing Symphony was a great success! I had so much fun performing with my colleagues and (in spite of the horrific ice storm that hit the area) we had an almost sold out hall to play for. I can't wait to get back there again in a couple of weeks. Next up we have Tchaikovsky's ballet suites from Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, the suite from Stravinsky's the Fairy's Kiss and Shostakovich's Cello Concerto in E-Flat Major. Hopefully I will also have another exciting concert with a different group to tell you all about soon...but more on that if it happens!

While in East Lansing I also participated with the Lansing Symphony's Mentorship Program. The holiday concert this season (as usual) was used as a side by side concert and talented high school students from all around Michigan auditioned in the hopes of being offered a spot performing with the symphony on three pieces during our concert. These students were also given their own rehearsal with the music director and select members of the symphony which included a sectional led by us. It was so much fun and I hope that next year I am able to help out as well!

Side by Side rehearsal

My family celebrates Christmas and the past couple days have been jam packed with all sorts of craziness and eating. Many of my friends celebrate this particular holiday as well so there have been gifts exchanged and still a few more to get out before January hits. I just wanted to take a minute to mention one gift in particular that I very much appreciated and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside receiving. My friend Chelsea hand wrote me a letter detailing how important our friendship is and how my professional presence through things such as this blog, facebook, my website, etc. have been inspiring to her not only because of how I'm trying to use them to my advantage in terms of my own promotion, but also because I am trying to use them as a forum to get the word out about other colleagues' or groups' projects in order to promote the larger musical community. We are all in this together and highlighting or helping the achievement of or success of other musicians is vital to and for all of us. I hope that I never loose sight of the importance of my musical compadres and the effect their work has on mine and also the way in which the world sees my art. Having said this I am going to link below to a couple of groups I think you should all take a look at!

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Classical Revolution Detroit - Bringing Classical Music to bars in the Detroit Area.
Il Segreto String Quartet - Exciting things to come in the Detroit Area!
One Found Sound - an unconducted chamber orchestra in the SF Bay Area.
Waffle Opera - Promoting young opera artists in the SF Bay Area.

Let it Snow...and Then Melt!

Yesterday it snowed like I personally haven't seen it snow in years (although living in a place where it doesn't snow might be a contributing factor to that). It made me realize that for those of us who celebrate Christmas time is short and I have no presents! Hopefully this week will afford me enough time (and money) to get a few small things for some of the people I care about.

This week I decided to apply for a position at the University of Connecticut. It's the perfect kind of job for me! The posting is for Associate Artist Professor of Woodwinds (in either flute, oboe, clarinet or bassoon) and if selected I would be teaching flute, coaching woodwind chamber, teaching a course on wind chamber music and also possibly teaching some kind of history course. I'm really hoping I can get my materials finalized this week and apply but they want recordings and I'm not certain that I have three contrasting recordings that are of the correct caliber for this type of job position. I have three that I'm planning to use but there's a mistake in one that I'm not certain will be forgiven by a committee. We shall see! I wonder if it's best to always just record fresh for things like this? Or (and this is the option I'm going to work on this summer) maybe I should just have a few recordings of some standards that are as good as I can get them and re-record them every year or two. Either way if I'm going to continue on this path I need to make sure I'm prepared for things like this!

Coming up this week I have my first Lansing Symphony Concert. I can't wait to have my first rehearsal on Saturday! Here's to a great week of music making.

Have a great week and until next time bye!!

Classical Revolution Detroit

Another month has begun! This month is particularly exciting for me because on the 22nd I have my first official concert as Piccoloist of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra!! My contract has been signed and I am gearing up to get practicing. It has been over a month since I've tooted the picc so...I had better get to work (since they did hire me to play it). I'm really hoping that with the beginning of my work in Lansing will also come a more steady assortment of gigs (especially given the last months dry spell). Cross your fingers for me!

The past week has been a bit crazy with the holiday and all. My parents were in charge of Thanksgiving this year and since I am currently residing at their address I was needed to help get things ready. As our kitchen has been under construction for the past month this turned out to be a bigger job than I expected! We needed to make sure the kitchen was ready to be used given all the food it needed to produce, that the house was relatively more childproof than normal (with children ranging from 10 months to 10 years old coming by) and that it met my mothers higher than normal standards of cleanliness. I am proud to say that much to the entire family's delight we got the place into tip top shape and dinner went off without a hitch. There weren't even any arguments this year (which is quite a feat for a large Polish family)! The best part of all this? We have so much left over food that no one will have to worry about making a large meal for a few weeks...and then of course it's Christmas so we're pretty much set for the next month. But enough of the boring stuff and onto the real meat of this blog.

On this past Tuesday I taught all my lessons, drove home, got into my pj's, put on family guy and went to check my facebook messages. I had a blue notification from my very first flute teacher, Carol, and if there is one thing I am grateful for since I've moved home it is her. She is the one who recommended me for the Livonia Symphony gig and once again came to my rescue this past week. The message said simply "Flute mob tonight for Classical Revolution Detroit...be spontaneous!" Had she not sent me that message I never would have flung myself out of bed, into respectable clothes and drove down to the Cadieux Cafe to have a delightful evening of sight reading and beer. We performed as a flute mob (there were 9 of us...made for a very interested interpretation of some Nutcracker and Bizet), I got to play a solo (Enesco with Carol's husband Doug) and I also met a ton of great and fun musicians who live in the area. I can't wait until the next one! These kind of things are so important for helping to build the value of classical music within the community and also (specifically for someone like me) for networking with other freelance musicians. For more information on Classical Revolution Detroit I will post a link to their facebook page right above the pictures below:

www.facebook.com/clasrevdetroit

Part of the Flute mob

Mozart quintet happenin

Mozart Quintet (the intimate bar space made this piece really come to life)

My mind is starting to churn out some very interesting ideas that the upcoming week will most likely see me starting work on so sometime in the near future I may post more than my once a week to keep you all updated on things as they start to happen. Peace!!

Canadia Y'all!

I really got a gig!! This coming Friday I'm so excited to be joining the Livonia Symphony Orchestra (MI) as Second Flute for their "Winter Fantasy" fundraiser! It'll be a ton of Holiday themed music to start getting us all in the festive mood for the coming season. It's great to have finally been called for something and hopefully I will be able to get in some good networking while I'm there as I really need to start getting work playing my instrument soon so that I can actually start to plan getting my own place. Cross your fingers for me!

For ticket information: www.livoniasymphony.com

Having grown up in the Metro Detroit Area, I am no stranger to Canada or the idea that it is every 18 year olds dream that they will spend their 19th birthday across the river living the "adult" life privileged to Canadians of the same age. My 19th, however, was spent in East Lansing so I was unable to make this trip or to attend several of my friends' since I sadly did not have a car to get myself to Detroit for the procession. I was overjoyed therefor when my best friend Olivia's younger brother invited me to his birthday weekend! We spent Friday night over in Windsor and I must tell you I had an absolute blast. River front hotel view (and the Detroit skyline is really something to behold), dinner at Caesar's and then dancing at Tequila Bobs. I haven't been able to go out dancing in months and for me that was the highlight of the trip. I love being on the dance floor surrounded by friends letting loose. Hopefully I can make the trip again sometime soon. 

On the headjoint front I currently have on loan two heavy walled tsubasa headjoints from Muramatsu America and I must say I am mildly in love with one of them. I may have finally found what I am looking for! It has depth, warmth, evenness across all registers, amazingly clear articulation and I'm fairly certain I have never worked so little to play so quiet! With it also being in my price range (something I'm ecstatic to report) I can't wait to play it for a few people and see if they agree. Considering I have applied to an audition in February and summer festival recordings are due soon I really hope that I can find what I'm looking for with enough time to really learn how to use it properly so I can achieve the success I so dream of. Wish me luck y'all!!

Go Green Go White!!

This week marks a few personal goals that I have been meaning to achieve for myself.  First, I officially started to really work out at Planet Fitness (including a meeting with a trainer who helped me to come with with a personalized workout), I selected all of my rep for summer festivals and I made meetings with two different people to try some headjoints (which I've been needing to do for weeks).

Starting college a few years ago also marked my official "retirement" from dance and I have done nothing but regret this ever since.  Now that I am out of school I would LOVE to get back involved (especially with tap/ballet) but more than anything else I miss feeling good like I did when I was dancing six nights a week.  Just too much jiggles now!  Joining Planet Fitness was cheap, easy and I have a friend whose going to workout with me twice a week so we can keep ourselves motivated towards our goals.  Hopefully I am able to finally start feeling good about the way I look and just in general more from here on out.

I have selected my rep for summer festivals!!......of course now I need to really hammer down which ones I'm applying to.  I know that I am going to try and apply to Music Academy (since Tim teaches there and I miss him) and also Brevard but beyond that I just don't know what festivals I want to spend the money applying to knowing I may not get accepted.  Each festival costs between 50 and 100 dollars to simply apply for and I just can't afford to apply for more than 4 at those prices!  Still on my list for consideration are NRO, NOI, Chautauqua and Spoleto.  Hopefully I can narrow it down more by the end of the week.

My search for a headjoint has been a hard one so far!  Even though I know I need to change my setup if I'm going to win a job in the future the cost I'm facing right now on just this one section of my flute is making my VERY poor head spin.  I'm hoping I can stay under $2500 (and that's with a tiny loan from my parents) but it just may not be possible.  We shall see...but considering I just sent in my application for a repayment plan on my student loans my finances are about to become tighter than ever...I need a job!

Not much happened this week so this blog is a bit short and all over the place but I have exciting things happening in the next few weeks that I'll want to talk about so stay tuned!!  Just to leave you with something a bit more colorful I did go to East Lansing to tailgate and watch some of the MSU/UofM football game so here are a few pics:

My Cousin Lori and I at the tailgate

Dr. Chersea Muffin is my fave!!

Me and the boo duck facin'...I look special yes lol

AKT and DSO

This past week has been a much more productive one than most for me. I finally got myself into a solid practice schedule (although if a part-time ever DOES gets back to me I'll have to re-work it), I applied for a gym membership (which I hope to actually use), and I attended a couple great performances this weekend! I hear too often that there is not enough "culture" in MI and more specifically in the "downriver" area where I live and this is so far from the truth.

I will admit that sometimes you really need to look hard for it, but if you do  you will find so many little gems and a few big 'ol rubies around the area I live. One of the "little gems" is a theatre company known as the AKT Theatre Project. My very good friend Angie Kane is the Artistic Director and owner of this wonderful little company and I am always pleasantly surprised at the quality of performance that her group is able to put forth knowing that many of her productions also include or are majority made up of students from high school through college. This past Friday I attended the "Turn of the Screw" which is a one act play based off the novel of the same name and is written for only two actors. It was great! The actors bios were extensive and the performances from both backed up everything they had to say about themselves within. Angie usually directs but as she just started work with the Purple Rose theatre she brought in her friend Adriane Galea who really knew how to use the unique theatre space to get the most out of the emotional content of the play. Overall I give it 4 stars and a job well done!  ****

Read a review of Turn of the Screw

Actors Bailey Boudreau and Rachel Dalton
Turn of the Screw, 2013

Last night I went to see the Detroit Symphony Orchestra perform a huge concert. The program; Overture to the Flying Dutchman - Wagner, Benjamin Britten's first Piano Concerto (soloist Benjamin Grosvernor), Oceanides - Sibelius and ending with the great La Mer - Claude Debussy. Teddy Abrahms tried to lead the orchestra through this great music but I must admit they seemed a bit lack luster under his baton during everything but the Piano Concerto which I had never heard before. I don't know a ton of Britten but the more I hear the more I love it! The concerto's first movement is something I cannot wait to get a good recording of! Sharon Sparrow soared during the first half as Principal Flute and really blew me away during the Britten (which had some exceptionally tricky sounding passages) and David Buck (newly appointed Principal Flute) sounded immaculate during La Mer. He has some especially soft passages that were so exquisite I will be surprised if they don't tenure him (if they haven't already). Jeff Zook always makes me smile when he gets the last piccolo say and he did not disappoint in the waltz movement of the piano concerto where he had the final flourish and he soured over the orchestra in the last movement of La Mer adding perfectly to the oceanic effect the orchestra was portraying.

Teddy Abrahms with soloist Benjamin Grosvenor after his performance of Benjamin Britten's First Piano Concerto this Saturday (10-26-13)

I'm so hopeful that now my audition hell is over for a few months that I can continue to really focus on living here now and seeing more great performances. There are so many other concerts coming up that I would like to attend and hope to see! Hopefully I also get called for a gig sometime soon (fingers crossed) and as my first official concert as Piccoloist with the Lansing Symphony comes nearer I am getting more and more excited to really start my job with them! After seeing Detroit last night my thirst for a full time orchestral position is re-vitalized and I can't wait for my next audition to come around. Bring it on!

High School Orchestra as a Springboard for Musical Inspiration

I must say that as of late inspiration has been a little hard to come by and I've been in a bit of a rut. I'm going to put part of the blame on the fact that I spent the greater part of last week getting over strep throat (a torture I have now suffered twice in one year) but I realized that the other part of the blame must be put on the lack of live music in my life at the moment. Now part of this does have to do with being home in Detroit but in reality the majority of the reason for me not attending concerts is that I've been so focused on the auditions I've been taking and I am not really making enough money to shell out even $40/$50 a week to see a performance or two. In other words, it's my own fault. This past Tuesday, however, I broke it up a bit and attended my friend Matt's high school orchestra concert and let me tell you that the inspiration has been flowing this week!

Matt is the new Director of Orchestras at North Farmington High School here in grand 'ole Michigan and he had invited me to his first concert to get my opinion on how his groups sounded and just to generally support his new job appointment. Now, some musicians would think that going to a high school concert would be absolute torture but I must admit that they always excite me! I have such fond memories of my time in the band at Roosevelt High School growing up and also of my time with the Detroit Civic Youth Ensembles and seeing a group of young people on stage playing and making music together always reminds me of how much fun my friends (most of whom are not professional musicians) and I would have. Getting to school early just to hang out, gossiping about that one clarinet player who was secretly dating the last chair trombonist, spending every waking moment we could together after school and the list goes on. Seeing Matt's students building those kinds of bonds through performance on stage at his concert was wonderful and on top of it all they sounded great!

Matt and I circa 2010

Matt brought up a good point at the concert that I would like to leave you all with. The reason to fight for the continuation of music in the public school system is because the goal of these ensembles is not necessarily to produce the next Yo-Yo Ma or Emanuel Pahud but to encourage the development of well rounded and generally good hearted individuals. Too often we take for granted what these teachers and students are banding together to create within their classrooms and within each other. I encourage you to support your local public school music program. Go see a concert or help with a fundraiser. Many of those kids will thrive in a musical environment where they feel creatively able to come out of their shells and grow into stunning individuals and the idea that this could be taken away is heartbreaking to me.

P.S. After taking 5 auditions in under 2 months I decided to meet up with my friend Heather for some well needed relaxation and mimosa-filled brunching...the picture below is accurate when describing us after 10 min of having our food in front of us:

Blogging is something that, while I'm not totally new to it, I am not very seasoned at so bear with me as I learn this new interweb art!

I felt it very appropriate to start my blog off by sharing with you my exciting news...I FINALLY WON A JOB!!

This season I will be joining the Lansing Symphony Orchestra as their 3rd Flute/Piccolo player.  Having done my BM at Michigan State University (which is where the LSO performs many concerts) it feels great to be back and it is also an extreme honor for me to be sitting in a section with my former Professor, Richard Sherman (whom is the Principal Flautist of the Lansing Symphony).

If you're in the Metro-Detroit area and are interested in our concerts (there is a really great season lined up) please check out the LSO's website at: http://lansingsymphony.org/ or if you'd like more details as to the concerts that I will specifically be playing on check out my website (brandonlepage.com).  Season highlights include: both the Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty Suites, Beethoven's 8th Symphony, Mozart's Requiem, Bernstien's Symphonic Suite from West Side Story and more!!