Windmills and Fridges

Visited the wonderful composer Michael Colgrass and his beautiful wife Ulla in their lakeside condo this morning.  Talking about life choices.
Ulla said that if I imagine what I want in life, it will appear.  She meant true, concentrated, active imagination that commits to every detail and connection with the desired results. Michael said that life is like a fridge... if you just open the door and stare in it, you cannot see what you want, yet if you close it and think for a moment (or notice your coffee on the counter), when you open the fridge again, you will see the carton of milk right in front of you.  Interestingly, when I raced home after our visit to grab my phone before heading to the university, my own fridge was broken again (heating merrily) so I transferred everything into Guy’s fridge. Then the Toronto Symphony called to ask if I would come and play the third bassoon part for Strauss’ Don Quixote as their bassoonist was ill, oh and that the concert was at 6:30.  I said yes.

Met Cecilia at the University and played through our Vivaldi Concerti (Rv 480 and 495).

Met my students briefly and told them I would be back to the Conservatory after the concert.

Then ran to Roy Thomson Hall, changed, slapped on makeup, got out my screwdriver and put on my whisper key lock; I always take it off for concerti and solo stuff but always need it for the soft, low second or third parts with I play with the TSO.  Then Michael Sweeney and I played through the Strauss to identify the road map, then we played it... soloists were fantastic (Joseph Johnson, Teng Li, Jonathan Crow) and I didn’t get lost (woohoo).
Then I beetled up to the Conservatory to teach an ardent young player who keenly wants to play in orchestras for a living and wanted advice on how to navigate all the mountains of work that has to be done in addition to pursuing music.  I had a lot to say.

Home late... day starts early tomorrow with teaching... and maybe playing with the symphony again, and maybe, just maybe, playing through my concerti before nightfall.