I feel like a mythical, improbable creature, leaping from meteor to meteor, solid ground under my feet but somehow the universe always flying past more quickly than I can perceive. No super powers that I know of yet nonetheless surreal.
New experiences keep rushing up to meet me and I embrace all of them with terror and happiness.
I have just finished my second day of adjudicating the Kiwanis Festival of Greater Toronto. I have heard some very moving performances from wind players ranging in ages of 11 - 21. I am surrounded by pure-hearted people putting themselves to the test and it is incredible. Today I heard 20 flute soloists, 2 brass ensembles and two woodwind duos... yesterday I heard 31 woodwind soloists (flute, saxophone, clarinet and one each of bassoon and oboe). The week will continue with woodwinds and brass and it is amazing. I have to be up at 5 a.m. and I get home late. The competition finishes by 5 p.m. most nights, then I go on to hear university auditions, teach/coach or pick up my son from choir. I practise late at night and get up early to arrive at the Festival venue (a resonant church) in time to play for awhile before the competition begins. This continues all week. Sometimes the kids and parents talk to me afterwards and I always learn something that I did not know before.
This weekend, my students start their spring recitals and next week, Guy and I will be playing concerti with the new Rose Orchestra.
Then I will also be revising the Bassoon Syllabus for the Royal Conservatory of Music and plan on reading through reams of repertoire and creating an outline for the revisions. And I will be preparing orchestra auditions... somehow I think it would be fun to try to fit a symphony schedule around my touring/teaching/recording schedule.
My elderly Mom is in the hospital tonight with complications from her cancer and at the same time, my elderly Dad has had good news about his cancer... I worry about them all the time but they tell me not to. Life is fascinating and I always feels 25 jumps behind. Yet I am completely grateful. Four times this week, when I return late at night, I have a note from to of the very young bassoonists I have met on my travels across Canada doing recitals with Guy. It is better than dessert to read their fresh joyful commitment... it reminds me of being young again and I wish I could pass on every last good thing that I know so that they can not waste one drop of their valuable time.
OK, I have to wash my face and make a reed now.
Nadina
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