So much has happened in the past month, yet I have been oddly reluctant to put it all into words.
In the month since I last wrote, I have dealt with grief in my own way (spring cleaning, tree planting, hanging out with my wonderful Dad, kayak buying) and now feel ready to return to the world.
I am looking ahead to a very attractive month of musical activities. B minor Mass this weekend with the Guelph Chamber Choir... probably my last concert on my Wolf baroque bassoon as I am getting a new A = 415 Scherer by Leslie Ross, ready in the middle of May. The Wolf is a beautiful, practically-plays-itself instrument that I have used for many recordings and concerts and I will be selling it in June.
On Monday, April 30, we are playing new works in a concert called Camera by the lovely jazz guitarist David Occhipinti for chamber group of clarinet, bassoon, string quartet, bass, percussion and soprano. Our concert will be the premieres for all of these works, followed by a recording the next day at Glenn Gould Studio at the CBC for release later in 2012.
This spring, I will have the pleasure of playing a few weeks with my comrades in the bassoon section of the TSO, always fun and challenging at the same time.
Guy and I have a recital on May 4 at the Gravenhurst Opera House for the Muskoka Concert Association, performing a new version of our Travel Book recital with lots of stories from our lives as touring soloists.
Then I fly to Berkeley to finalize the editing of my new Vivaldi Concerto CD with David Bowles of Swineshead Productions... still trying to decide if I will release 7 or 8 concerti... the C Minor gave me more trouble than I had planned yet there are some really delicious moments too.
From Berkeley, I go to L. A. to meet up with some musical friends and my web designer, the inimitable Shauna Kaendo.
From there I check in with New York and pick up the new Scherer from Leslie Ross... I always leave Leslie's company very inspired and this time I will also have a piece of her art in the form of a new baroque bassoon!
I fly back to Toronto and jump straight into another week with the Toronto Symphony.
From there, Guy and I will be recording our Canadian Concerto album this summer and playing our children's show Buzz and Crow along with a recital at the Oregon Bach Festival.
I hope to see you along the way at one of these events!
