Back in the US of A

So it has been quite a while since I contributed to this blog. So long in fact that I am now doing so from on American soil. Now that I am lucid and back on a normal sleep schedule it will be easier to write.

Last time I posted it was from Temuco. Charming place but not much to see. The next stop was Concepcion which is actually north of Temuco. I wish I could say something about it but we were there for less than 24 hours. We showed up, checked into the hotel, changed and walked across the square to the hall for a soundcheck and then a concert. The next morning we were up early (again) for a quick breakfast before hitting the road for a long bus ride. We were off to Puerto Varas which is near Frutillar, our final stop and the site of our last residency. Wow. What a beautiful place! It was like no other part of Chile I had ever seen before. Lush green pastures with grazing cattle, expansive lakes and volcanos, yes volcanos, protruding sporadically from the landscape. It looked more like Switzerland than South America.

And then there was the hall.....Modern with great acoustics and basically just beautiful. One of the nicest halls I've ever seen or played in by far. We played two full orchestra concerts and one chamber concert which was an educational concert for some local youths. We were well received each time and it was generally a lot of fun. Also, a cool little side note: we were invited to the hall to watch the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics in London on a big projector screen. That was pretty memorable. And, Sarah Chang hung out with us after her last peformance with us. Our cultural day took us to the volcano, some rapids and Lago Todo Los Santos, only a few hours from the border with Argentina. The weather could have been nicer but it was still beautiful. The color was a greenish blue tuquoise that I have never seen before and wont soon forget.

Of course the last concert and after party/dinner was emotional for many of the musicians but it still was a lot of fun. The voyage back to the US was not particularly enjoyable but oh well. Lets just say that despite delays, re-routes and vias issues everyone made it back ok.

I guess this would be as good as any a time to conclude. This is where I tell everyone what I've learned, the profound insights I've gained, how I'll remember this for the rest of my life, etc. etc. That is all true. In one month I've compiled a large amount of memories, experiences, insights and freindships that will last a lifetime. The cliche holds truer than ever. Music is an universal language. We were 85 strangers plucked from twenty or so countries, brought together to play some of the greatest music ever written. Despite language barriers and cultural oddities we were able to do amazing things in one month. Now everyone disappears back into the world returning from whence they came but, like me, forever changed.

I guess I'll end with some favorites. Favorite concert: The first concert in La Serena, and the first concert in Santiago. Favorite audience: La Serena concert. Most memorable performance: Brahms 4 in Valparaiso. Best hotel: Santiago. Best party: Colombian Independence Day. Favorite place: Valparaiso, always but a couple others came close. Thats all for now. Thanks for following and I hope you enjoyed reading. Please check out the YOA Facebook page (there is a link on one of the first posts). There are a lot of pictures there from the tour and more information on the organization. Mucha Ropa. EAL