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.