Quite a week - and it's not over yet...

It has been a really great week here at the RNCM filled with euphonium's and practice rooms. Right now, it is about 9:30p on Friday night and I just got back from a practice session. I thought that I would be the only winner who was practicing on a Friday evening, but the place was jam-packed with people! It is so nice being surrounded by others "like me."

I leave for the US on Wednesday afternoon and I get in on Wednesday afternoon. Strange, with the time change it takes 14 hours to get here from the US, and only 2 hours to get back. That is so weird. Anyway, I fly from Manchester to Philadelphia and then catch a quick flight from Philly to Providence, RI. Wish me luck on my auditions - my two excerpts seem to be getting better, so we'll hope for the best.

I had my first lesson with David Thorton today, who is the principal euphonium in the Black Dyke Brass Band. It was nice to run these excerpts by someone who plays these for a living. It was nice seeing him struggle a little, reminding me that he is "human."

I had a nice suprise this week. For those tuba players who read this, Mel Culbertson is an interim teacher here at the RNCM since Jim Gourlay left to go run a music school up in Scotland. He comes down once every-other-week, and I get to have a lesson with him on Sunday. So, this week I got lessons with Steven Mead, David Thorton, and Mel Culberson. I don't usually brag - but that is pretty darn cool. ;)

We were spoiled last week with only a few inches of rain, but this week the "typical" Manchester weather definitely came out to play. Every morning it was raining, every afternoon it rained, and usually rained in the evening too. You just get used to being wet after a while. Oh well... worse things, I guess - at least its not Atlanta where the clothes would be sticking to you from the humidity...

This coming week will be filled with more practice and then venturing back to the US for my auditions. I am going to go in there and play musically - not carefully at all - just go for the gold. I'm not expecting anything - I'm just going to play. But I do know this - - - whatever I practice on the 17th (day after last audition) it is going to feel great, because I am ready to not be practicing these excerpts. All the best! Take care!