After the party...

It's been a whirlwind couple of days. But let me just say, the show is over, and it was a success. Not a huge success (several unforeseen things went wrong, and several possibly foreseen things went wrong), but a success. We came, we played, we conquered!

Tomorrow is the last day in town for the Canadians. Ever since the show they've been out seeing the sights, and I've been frantically catching up on assignments that The String Revolution forced to the back burner.

I can't give a will blow by blow recap, but let's just say we've still got some work to do on this show. The first one was a great success due to many cosmic alliances, this one felt more like a forced homework assignment (which, admittedly, was my doing when I assigned it as my graduation project for Professional Music.). If I want it to work, I've got to make some changes.

Like hiring someone for advertising...and marketing...and promotion...and everything else that I suck at. I just want to be the creative one who seeks out new music to play and spread around the world, the one who figures out what would be fun to play for school children and brings it to them, bringing a wonder for strings along the way.

Anyway...details on the show day to follow! Peace out!

The Canadians Have Arrived!

I have been up since 7am this morning. But it's nothing compared to what Lea, Jeff and Reenie hae gone through in the past 33 hours.

33 hours ago I was talking to Lea on the phone before she headed off to the Victoria airport to fly to Seattle. The 10pm flight from SeaTac arrived at Boston Logan at 7:45 am East Coast time. I considered making a sign that said "Canadian Rock Stars," but then I'd have to carry it around with me on and off the T from home. At baggage claim, I stood watching all the passengers mill around to get their bags, keeping an eye out for three musicians with a viola, guitar and sax between them. I couldn't help how excited I felt. I remembered getting off the plane in Vancouver and wandering around outside the terminal waiting for Lea and Chelsea to pick me up, only to discover that they were at the wrong terminal. Hilarity ensued. The anticipation only made my happiness at seeing them grow. It was the same now in Boston - any minute they'd come walking down that hallway to begin the next chapter in The String Revolution!

Bags. Shuttle. Standing on the T. Drop things off at the apartment, then it was off to Trident for breakfast. Then...a nap. Everyone was tired and needed showers. Thank goodness I have two extra beds here in my room...for no apparent reason. Lea provided some appropriate Oli tunes for sleepytime music. It made me think of hymns and psalms and the fluidity of a master fiddler's bow.

Mom had sent more posters and postcards, so we plastered the Berklee campus with them before our slew of rehearsals at 4. After sitting in on a chamber recital (Yeah Eric Law!) and picking up the spare cello from Eden (and falling into a gaggle friends in the 150 lobby in the process) we were off to George's house to rehearse Fiddle Phil tunes. Lea picked them up in no time, and thanks to George's complete lack of sleep the previous night, we all had a ridiculously good time.

Then - BAM - to pavement for free coffee handouts. Ahh....sitting down in a booth with friends and some excellent expresso. Truly a moment to be treasured.

Up next, Ron Burgundy rehearsal with Emilio. Lea performed some show-don't-tell teaching magic and he picked up the chopping pattern in no time. Patrick M'Gonigle arrived just in time for dinner (which Reenie and Jeff whipped up - swirly pasta with alfredo sauce, onions, mushrooms, red peppers, and cooked tofu. Living with vegetarians is something I could get used to...) and to run through Nutwist, with Lea's added big bottom cello harmonies!! Amazing...it's just what we've been missing. Thank's to Emilio's multi-talented iPhone, we recorded Lea and me dueling over Nutwist and sent the recording to everyone so they could hear the cello part.

Then, an intense rehearsal over Spain. I wasn't going to let it sound as sloppy as last time. We drilled the phrasing of the melody, the timing, the chord changes in the introduction, the solos, all transitions...I think it's going to sound exponentially better this time around. Such a beautiful tune!!

Patrick stuck around a bit to jam on Doxy and gush over the new Chris Howes/Bily Contreras album, which he says has had more influence over his playing than any other album in his life. Dude. I gotta get me some of this. He was late to the hockey game with Trent...I hope the Canucks won.

BREAK TIME!!!

Then, Remember Blake rehearsal..a very sleepy and ethereal Remember Blake rehearsal, where everything felt like it was slowly coming together, like the threads of a cloth being pulled tight, closing up holes and loose parts, creating a whole seamless unit, securely and effortlessly. Yeah...the way rehearsals should be.

And now we're tired and I'm going to bed. Jeff has put his book away on the top bunk. Lea and Reenie are snuggling on the pull out bed. I'm going to put on my pjs and collapse in a bit. But damn, do we feel good. Things are coming together...the threads of our String Revolution tapestry are tightening...into something grand, I expect!

All's I know is, I still owe these guys some Pho. Oh yeah baby.

Peace

Sue

We're a hit with the kids!

Last Friday at 10:15, Ivonne Hernandez, Jeff Madry, Hannah Read, Kimberly Fraser and myself changed some lives.

I had gotten in touch with Megan Winters, the string teacher at the Easton Public Schools, and asked to come in with some string players to represent The String Revolution. I wasn't able to get players from the show to come in, but Kimberly and the rest volunteered their time to rehearse a set and perform for students. We performed two sets of tunes and arrangements - one for elementary and middle school string players, another for the high school class who brought their instruments and joined us in an arrangement of Cluck Old Hen. It was fantastic! The kids were clapping along and cheering madly.

Everyone did a solo piece as well as the group songs:

Ivonne did Le Reel du Pendu and gave a quick lesson in seated stepdancing,

Kimberly Played a set of Cape Breton and Scottish tunes,

Hannah sang 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love' with backup,

Jeff played an original Bach+Irish style Menuet he composed,

I played Single Ladies for Strings in C.

It was a great success! I admit I got a little nervous playing for the high school kids, who weren't as responsive as the littler ones. Megan thought it was wonderful and thanked us profusely for coming in. I was just happy to be able to play for students! I saw some of them really enjoyed hearing all our different vibes.

The educational portion of String Revolution is about ADDING to the already established string programs, I have to remind myself. Melissa sent back my grant draft and edited that portion of it to sound friendlier. I can't afford to ruffle any feathers in the string education world, nor do I want to. I'm just not sure how to say it right. Now that I have a better draft I can send it out to folks. I heard back from Dr. Shewan in Williamsville, and they don't have the budget for a String Rev show at the moment. We're going to have to work something out.

Is String Revolution just the live performance of all these things? Is it more an intellectual movement? Is it a collection of styles and bands and players and people making their own way? In my mind it exists as a network between everyone who loves playing strings, and uses their instruments to branch out stylistically from what they imagine the 'norm' is. Melissa said it nicely in my rewrite -

"Educationally, we want to use our music to inspire young string players to play any music they love. Traditionally schools offer string players only classical music. We want to offer many more options to blossoming performers. The show is all about exposing the potential music-making abilities of dedicated, passionate string players, whether it's hits from the radio or historical folk from deep in the fiddle repertoire."

So, performance wise, it's adding new and different to the wonderful things already being done. Teaching wise, it's about encouraging those who love to play their instruments to play way they love - no matter what it is! Yes, play your Mendelssohn quartets! Yes, play baroque table music! And yes, if you want to, you can take apart Billie Jean and put it back together in string orchestra

Days till The Revolution: 3. AHHH!!!!! IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME!!!

Can't Sleep...

I can't sleep.  I have to be awake in 3 hours anyway.  So I should be productive, right?  Or just try to go to bed?  Is my brain even working right?

One task I need to force myself to complete is to send a postcard poster to every department head at Berklee, including the President.  That's a long list.  I was able to get a post on Campus Cruiser, so I hope that goes through.  

Today I got a few more responses from performers about their rehearsal availability - looks like this weekend is rehearsal free (not many people can come, and I don't blame them.  I forgot weekends were for NOT practicing and taking time off.)  so I'm going to use it to drill the tunes so far into my head they'll never come out as long as I live.  Yay!!  I keep reminding myself - it's a fun show.  It's not the be all end all of your career.  Make it good, make it enjoyable, make it a performance people are going to want to come to, time and again.

Tasks left:

Notify major news stations about show via email, link them to Youtube news clip.  Hopefully we can get an interview or some coverage.  DOG THEM (within reason).

Post flyers ALL OVER BERKLEE.  Still need to get posters up!

Deliver postcards to Berklee department chairs.  Where's that list??

Lea has a cello for the show!  Yay thanks Eden!!!  And I just sent her the latest recording of one of Phil's tunes.  That guy sure can write awesome happy fiddle music.

Peace y'all, gonna get more work done! Yeah life!!!!

Sue

--
SueBuzz

Violinist, Musician, Educator, Arranger
Warrior of the String Revolution
Birdsinthewoods.com

CRAZY

Gah. Planning this thing is driving me nuts...not only do I micromanage every detail, but I can't let myself trust people to learn parts themselves. I don't need to hold everyone's hand when they practice!

Last weekend saw the first rehearsals for SR Boston. Lots of people couldn't make it. It was...ok, I guess. But it revealed to me how underprepared I was, personally. So many things I wanted to have at my fingertips - extra charts, cds of the tunes, videos on data discsk ready to hand out in nice neat little goody bags - weren't there. It takes a lot more to put this together than telling everyone to be in one place at one time. It takes mental discipline like no other. Good thing I'm in training by doing this show...

This weekend will be more rehearsals. I intend on being fully prepared. Hopefully I can look past the frustration of things not being the way I want them when I want them, and I can remember that I'm playing this show because the music freakin' rocks. It's gorgeous.

I gotta remember to pick up tickets at Passim tonight... Call me for tickets to the show!! hehehe...

Peace out

Sue