7/3/12

I am not sure where to begin. I have been in this beautiful country for several days and I am still adjusting to all that living in a new country brings, in addition to the wonderful and challenging musical experience I'm having. Put simply, this festival is different. It it different in the overall feeling and there is an overwhelming sense that we are all here to share music and all of the attributes it has to offer with a community much larger than just a typical audience. We have not yet had any performances but I know that it will be received in a different and more appreciative way in terms of the connection between people and this larger thing we have chosen to become a part of. Spanish. The language is everywhere. Roughly seventy percent of the people participating in the festival speak fluently. My knowledge of this language is very limited but it is really exciting picking up new words and phrases every day. My section mates, who are all very nice and incredibly talented, consist of one American girl, and three boys who are all Spanish speaking. Only one of the guys speaks some English. Our bilingual coach and mentor for our residency in La Serena is Javier Gandara, third horn in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Our experience with him has been really special because of his friendliness, skills as a section coach and generosity with his time. Because our section consists of both English and Spanish speaking members, most things in the beginning were said in both languages but as we progress, less and less is said in English but I am still able to understand because of context. My brain and ears are working in a new way that doesn't allow for down time. Sectionals are engaging because of the language challenge in addition to working on all of the musical details. Put simply, this section rocks. I feel so lucky to be playing with a group of people that are so talented. We respond and adjust quickly and sound like we've been playing together much longer than we have. I had a chance to practice some of my limited Spanish phrases today in a sectional that I helped coach for a local youth orchestra. With the help of two of my section mates and one bilingual youth orchestra hornist, we had a productive morning filled with horn nerdiness and some challenging but fun communication experiences. It was really special for me to begin the session with a warm up routine that was so familiar to me and my past learning experiences that I could share with these young players. I play, you play. There was a constant flow of communication that required no words. I have so much more to share, including some silly fun stories, but I just wanted to share a small taste of my time here so far. We are very busy!! More to come!