As we are now approaching the half-way point at the Round Top Orchestra festival, I found it was time to give an update on what has been going on here. (Also, it happens that my internet is actually working right now *cross fingers*)
Round Top....Oh Round Top. This area never ceases to surprise me with its peculiarities. The campus is full of strange things: sculptures of faces, seashell covered ceilings, elfish pictures, botanical gardens, ornate fixtures and locked doors that lead to who knows where....
The food is quite good, so that makes meal time ever more exciting (and I’m always so hungry!) However, this cafeteria would have no place in New York. Fried fried fried things are coupled with butter soaked everything, and the vegetarian options consist of either tofu or a veggie burger. Pork quesadillas for dinner? Let's just plop a veggie burger on a tortilla and say it's like the same. There is a lovely bumper sticker posted in the kitchen which says "Save a cow, eat a vegetarian"....Last I checked, there were plenty of cows in Round Top.
Coffee...well, let's not talk about it. I usually just tell myself "It could be worse..." The nearest Starbucks is 30min away...Are you coming to a concert? Please deliver!
The orchestra is getting better, especially as we get to know each other better. In the first week I had a lot of fun playing the name game: "Oh you go to Eastman/Rice/UT/etc? Do you know ____?" And as usual between musicians, it only takes one degree of separation to have a mutual friend.
We come from a wide range of places and it's very interesting working with a new conductor each week. Needless to say, it seems that the cafeteria conversations almost always inevitably touch on imitating the conductor/praising him/complaining about him. It seems like every musician has something to say about that person on the podium. I really hope that conductors also get together sometimes and get to rant about "those musicians..."
Tonight is "Ladies' night" at the only bar in town. I've gone the past two weeks as a designated driver. It's usually a lot of fun, loud talking and dancing around the jukebox. This night I decided to stay in. I'm pretty tired from these days of 4 hours of Mahler 9 rehearsals and I am enjoying the peace and quiet of my room. I'm also looking forward to going home this weekend with a couple of friends--a chance to get away from the bugs, from the dirt, from the drama of new festival-relationships and the craziness of musicians after a Saturday concert.
If you’re nearby and not too busy, please come to a concert! The next two weekends have 3pm orchestra concerts, with chamber concerts at 7:30pm. I’m playing in two quartets on the July 9th concert at 7:30pm. The closing concert is on July 16th at 7:30pm, and there’s a big reception afterwards (free food/wine, anyone?)! The schedule with program information can be found here: http://festivalhill.org/schedule-of-events/2011-summer-festival/
So that's about how things "roll" here in Round Top, just like that one time at music camp...
Love,
Violamad
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