Notes from Abroad

I have been keeping a daily written journal for the last six months.  By nature, I am an incorrigible archivist and have two trunks full of diaries from most of my life… minus several years of my early twenties when I thought that it would be cathartic to excise the torrid accounts of my many boyfriends… I regret losing those silly stories now.  Not sure where my prudish moment of bookburning came from; surely I wasn’t planning to run for public office?

Back to the present, the physical pleasure of putting pen to paper is undeniable.  Fighting the inevitable doubts, I have resolved to find the quotidian details of my life fascinating.  And the truth is, anybody’s diary will always reflect a common reality, a glimpse into the times of everyone alive at this moment.

I’ve succeeded in writing every day, and the written diary has momentarily eclipsed my blog.  Life has been wonderfully interesting for me these last few months.  I have performed 5 concerti and several recitals that included the Berio Sequenza XII and I am preparing to premiere two more concerti that have been written for me and give two new recitals with friends. I have given four masterclasses to inspiring students at universities beyond my own borders and the new year holds 3 more concerto premieres and more regular concerti and a recital tour with Guy and more masterclasses.  I have been intensely involved in negotiating life with my roster of a dozen wonderful students in Toronto, with great support, intelligence and comprehension from the administrators at the University of Toronto and still optimistically working  for the same from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music (learning experiences all!)… enjoying the students tremendously (even when I am yelling pieces of wisdom such as …. Be…. MUSICAL!!!)  along with spending some time with my old rockstar father up north. 

I was thinking that if reincarnation were a reality, then I wish to return as a bassoonist; if heaven is a reality, I will to be a golden cherub playing the bassoon; if a genie comes out of a bottle with an offer of 3 wishes, I respectfully request:   1.  to be a bassoonist  2.   the courage and the chops to play really well in any and all styles of music and 3.  to always help my family, both immediate and musical.