Hangover

No one warned me that once my test was done I would feel as though I got run over by a truck! Immediately following my three hours of torture I was very hyper from the residual adrenaline rush. But yesterday I woke up feeling awful. Today I feel only slightly better. I do want to thank my body for not breaking down until after my test. But still, it did take my by surprise.

I didn't get to play until 10 PM last night but I did put in 45 minutes. It wasn't a highly structured practice. I just played some tunes from the new books I bought from Last Resort Music. As I mentioned before my clarinetist friend (Rufi)is interested in starting some ensembles. So I bought two sets of books from that site. The first was a book for oboe/clarinet duets. And the second was a set for trio: oboe/clarinet/bassoon. I bought the intermediate edition for that one. It wasn't until I received the books that I realized that the pressure is really on me since I have the leading voice in all the pieces. That's kind of sucky since I've only been playing for 5 months. In retrospect I should have bought the first part for clarinet and made myself the second part, but it just didn't make sense in terms of instrument ranges and sound. They're both rusty so hopefully it will all even itself out. But now I am a bit worried.

The good news is that my flutist friend is also interested. So I will pick up some quartet music and then she can have the main lines. If only we could find a French horn player. I loooove quintet music. I joined the Amateur Chamber Music Players organization so I do have a directory of musicians in the area. But the French hornists are few and far between and all of them rated themselves at least a "B" which makes me think they will not want to play with our crazy little group. But I'll see how things go and once we start moving along maybe I'll try to invite someone else in. I really want to play Faure's Pavane. I found an arrangement for it for woodwind quintet.

I'm meeting with Rufi at noon on Saturday to exchange music (he bought some trio stuff) and play from my duet book. I can't wait. I'm so excited. During my dark hours of non-stop studying my upcoming meeting with my old friend to play classical music was what kept me going. Now that it's actually happening I couldn't be more excited.

I didn't get as tired last night after playing for 45 minutes. I think I might have been biting before. I was very careful not to do it last night and sure enough my embouchure felt better. I need to go back to basics again.

I started a new reed last night too. I tied it up while watching "House". I *think* it was a pretty good tie. But then again by the time I scrape them they all end up leaking. ARG!

So tomorrow I have another rehearsal. Well, I think I'm actually just going to go watch. My sax teacher is the musical director of a band that rehearses at the United Nations building. I'll find out more about it tomorrow. He's been telling me to go with my sax for months now but I never had time. We spoke yesterday and he invited me again so my husband and I are both going. My husband might actually get a chance to play piano there. I am debating whether or not to take the sax. The other day I tried playing it and I sounded like hell and I am confused about the fingerings on it now. Plus, I don't think I want to mess around with my still developing oboe embouchure. Maybe I'll take them both. I do want him to see the oboe. He teaches oboe as well as sax and back in January I had called him because I had a dream that no one wanted to teach me the oboe but that he was willing to. So he had said back then that he can help me with it. I really want a second opinion so that I can feel more confident about how I'm doing. Tomorrow I hope to set something up so that I can see him at least once a month. Additionally, he's involved with the Harbor conservatory so maybe he can find more places for me to play oboe. :-D

By the way, I am so done with this job. It's kind of sad actually. As bad as the last week was, it was still better than coming here and wasting my days away. The only reason the studying was bad was because I was so behind. But normally school is not quite that tortuous. I'm starting to feel that I might not even bother asking for leave from here. I don't think I want to come back. Well, maybe if they let me do it part-time. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.