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