WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO CASEY??
And as usual, it's hard for me to answer that question myself. But I could tell you what I've been up to.
A recital. The Dvorak concerto was memorized... mostly. But I had several memory slips and I've always hated this piece. So it's a deadly combo. I didn't play it well, though Ribeiro seemed somehow convinced that I kept very good control through the whole thing. Still scared to hear the recording, though I think I should, because maybe it's not as bad as I think it is. The D Major Prokofiev sonata, on the other hand, HO-LY CRAP. I love this piece so much. Ever since I heard Kim play it last year in studio class, I knew it would be one of my favorite pieces that I would be destined to play. And I got mega compliments on it.
After my recital, I realized everything I had been putting off until I was done with my recital suddenly needed to get done. Three days later, I played in another recital - a performance of the Schubert clarinet octet. VERY cool, and I got to work with Rodolfo and get to know him a little better. For those of you far away from Evanston, Rodolfo is a guy in my studio from Portugal (shocking... they're all over the place) who talks so fast in a Portuguese accent that he's used to about 50 people a day on average squinting their eyes at him, exasperatingly spitting out the word "WHAT??" I have been in the habit of just looking at him when I pass him in the hall and saying something to the effect of "Slow it down, Rodolfo." He's got a good sense of humor about it.
Gave a presentation on Ivan Galamian (my teacher's famed instructor) in my history of pedagogy class with Caroline. This guy was amazing, and made great advances in the world of violin technique. I think he and I would get along terrifically, given our similar philosophies. He passed away the year I was born. Someday, I hope to find my way to what's left of his inspiring energy and sit down to chat with him for a while.
On Saturday, I finished my pedagogy notebook (10 minutes before the library closed. I rock.) and played in my last NUSO concert of the year. Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante with a kickass cellist named Anna and Rachmaninoff's 2nd Symphony. I think Nick summed up the story of hearing this symphony the best: "For the first 20 minutes, I thought this was the greatest piece I'd ever heard. After that, I thought, 'This piece needs to end.'"
I then hopped a plane early the next morning for St. Louis, hopped in a car with my sister and my niece and headed down to Knoxville (weird, yes) to see my parents' new place. Sure, they've got sewer problems and need to get used to urban living, but the house is really great, and I'm realizing what a great family I have all over again. My sister and I sure are different people, but there are a few things that make me realize we still come from the same gene pool. We've ordered the same meals unintentionally - twice, now - we both happened to fall in love with guys named Tom (just coincidence, but still), and creating our own personal style is something quite important to both of us. She's the only sister I got, and she's ultra mega cool. I guess my opinion hasn't changed since I was four and would sneak into my sister's room to play with her pom poms while she was on the pom squad in highschool. I want to be me, but I want to be her, too, to some extent.
*sigh* Feeling fuzzy. Go call your mother, she worries.
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