viol-knit-ist

2 of the four seasons...

Gather around for an interesting tale.....I was scheduled to play the "Autumn" concerto as the soloist with the EKU String Orchestra in a performance of all of the 4 Seasons at Berea College last evening.  We had our dress rehearsal on Sunday evening (7:30-10)...I played well, the orchestra was great, no problem there.  The issue was with the soloist for "Spring".  It became increasingly apparent that he may not be able to perform his concerto on the concert.   The director put me on notice that I might have to step in and learn/perform the "Spring" concerto on very short notice. 

Fast forward to Monday morning around 10:30am.  I got a call from the director saying, "You're on for Spring....run through rehearsal in Richmond at 5pm."  So I had from 10:30-4:00 or so (for travel) to learn/practice this 3 movement concerto to have it ready to be played with orchestra.  Cancelled everything and practiced for 5 hours straight.  Went to EKU to rehearse/Berea for the concert and it went fantastically but I am completely fried.

Just a day in the life.....never know what it's going to be like! :o)

i met the yarn harlot!

last saturday, stephanie pearl-mcphee (aka the yarn harlot) was in lexington ky at joseph-beth booksellers talking about and signing her new book.

it was so awesome to hear her speak...she is very funny in person, just like on her blog.  she signed books afterwards and she held my wee tiny sock that i knit during the talk and i held her tour sock! 

i also was on her blog on monday! 

it was lots of fun to meet her and to see/meet some other local knitters!  it made me realize that i really need some knitting girls, though.  i wish i had more time to go to the local stitch n bitch meetings but they are always when i'm busy (which is all the time). however, it will going to go on the "things to do improve my life" list!

a little knitting

hey!  it's only taken me 2 months to post again!

it's been a long winter so far here in ky...not a lot of snow, but a lot of dreary, crappy weather.  it's actually sunny today!!

lots of performances this semester...highlights being the KMEA All-Collegiate Orchestra (I won concertmaster) playing Mahler 1 at the Kentucky Center in Louisville, EKU Orchestra playing "Sleeping Beauty" with the Lexington Ballet Theatre, and EKU Orch playing Sibelius 2.

some COMPLETED knitting:
organic cotton man's scarf!!!!

noro kuryeon mistake rib scarf

one "Monkey" sock

oh yeah, and  Emily at Yarn Miracle is doing the wee tiny sock swap again!!

ok...so i'm not good at this blog thing

i'm good at reading blogs (about knitting mostly)...but not at keeping my own.  there was about a 2 year period that i kept a journal (around 1992)...but since then, not so much.

well, what have i been busy doing any way?  well........since you asked....

SCHOOL...graduate school, that is.  MM in violin performance (expected completion date: Dec 08) and a MAT (master of arts in teaching)--by May 09. 

here i am as concertmaster of the EKU symphony

i am working on:
brahms violin concerto
vivaldi "autumn" to be played with the EKU string orchestra in april
recital pieces: bach a minor sonata (unaccompanied)
brahms a major sonata
franck violin sonata
various other orchestral and chamber works

i'm studying with peter mchugh, retired university of louisville prof, former concertmaster of the l.o., has played in l.a. (academy awards, movie soundtracks, etc).  he's amazing...he will kick your butt if you're not up to snuff, but when he says you sound good, you know you do.

at this point (after 13 credit hours--1 summer and 1 semester), i have a 4.0 and hope to continue on that trend!  i will perform my graduate recital in fall 08 and hope to participate (and win!) the concerto competition in spring 09 (brahms of course).

of course, i am still teaching privately, at asbury and centre colleges, at eku (as part of my graduate assistantship), at h.a.s.p., playing with lpo, not as much with rso because of school, gigging, etc. 

and trying to knit...for/over the holidays i knit:
an ivory mistake rib scarf for mom (burly spun)
a sage mistake rib scarf for sarah (rowan big wool)
a pink mistake rib scarf for stacey (rowan big wool)
a cabled (!) ear warmer for mom (alpaca blend from michael's)
a pink mistake rib scarf for me! (lion brand romance + crystal palace party ribbon yarn)
a toboggan hat (black yukon)
2 feather and fan scarves (debbie bliss pure silk, one rose, one blue)
a mason-dixon dishcloth
i will complete an organic cotton man's scarf...i really will.  soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
and trying to have a "life"...but need to work a little harder on that!
<3 you guys...thanks for reading, and i will really try to keep this up a little better...

wintergreen

greetings!

the music festival @ wintergreen is in full swing and i'm enjoying the conductor, christopher zimmerman very much!!  we rehearsed and performed an amazing concert of elgar's "introduction and allegro" for string orchestra, sibelius' "symphony no. 3" and dvorak's "new world symphony"

i heard from a source that he might be a conducting candidate for the lex phil in 08-09...let's hope so!  check out his website.

check this out: i think it looks kinda cool...it is from typogenerators

if i can only figure out how to post it on here on the sidebar or somewhere....

happy blues

here is a video on youtube of the HASP concert the other night!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egd6QrOsXGc

this is the intermediate class...they have on sunglasses, are playing with drums & electric bass (players from EKU) and are totally groovin'!

they are great kids...all of them!

performances!

wow!  what a crazy spring!  and i'm about as good at blogging as i am at keeping a diary (not at all!)...  i wanted to share some pics of my studio recital (May 20) and the Heritage Area String Program concert (May 22).

Here's the studio:

HASP intermediate class ready to rock on "happy blues'

HASP advanced beginners

HASP beginners

i'm so proud of all of them!!

now...hopefully i'll get some knitting in here before camp starts........

weatherpixie

weather in lexington! =)  cold! (today at least!)

april snow showers?

so it was 80 degrees on tuesday and yesterday it snowed...not just flurries but a full on snow!  weird... the poor flowering trees and flowers got nipped!  i brought my plants in on wednesday night and they are still inside!! 

today is my one day "off" and i'm trying to spend it doing things i like and not doing things i feel like i "have to" do.  i'm knitting a pair of socks with berroco "ultra alpaca" in fern following the "knitting pure and simple beginner socks" pattern. i will post a pic soon! =)

also on the needles:
a fuzzy scarf for stacey

a baby blanket in encore chunky for baby alex jasinski (such a cutie!!)

look where I've been!

these are all of the states i've been too (21 in all). 

do it yourself @ http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedstates