Double Marathon

Not many individuals have run one marathon and even fewer two in the same day.  It's difficult to even imagine what that would be like.  BUT, last night we were witness to a most spectacular performance of the complete Bach Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin by Gil Shaham in Aspen.  It was a long recital lasting about three hours with two intermissions.

The performance at Harris Hall was sold out so Mr. Shaham opened his morning rehearsal to music festival and school faculty and students.  At one of the intermissions I spoke with Julie the house manager.  She said that during the rehearsal he played through the entire set pausing only a couple of times to tune.  Hence the DOUBLE marathon reference.

Jamuna and Maya followed along in their copies of the music and RAN backstage after the performance for autographs and photos.  We had listened to Mr. Shaham play the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor last week and after waiting and waiting in line backstage we eventually got kicked out because the second half of the show was starting.  A lot of folks felt they didn't have to wait in line like us mortals, cutting ahead and taking their time chatting.  Ain't nobody got time for that!

We've had a string of busy days and evenings.  This morning we are going to ride bikes into town and sit down for breakfast at the bakery on Main Street (Main Street Bakery).

Birthday Girl

 We celebrated Jamuna's 16th birthday in Aspen on July 8th.  Here are some photos of the evening.  She wanted to have dinner at Asie - so we did.  We enjoyed an array of food items selected by the manager Frank who is really good at pretending that he remembers us year after year.  Rather than struggle with selecting from the menu we just ask Frank to surprise us.  He does a nice job of selecting appetizers and entrees that are easily shared around the big table, but the biggest surprise comes at the conclusion of the night (and I don't mean dessert).

Speaking of dessert, we had a nice cake made especially for Jamuna by the gang at Main Street Bakery.

After dinner we went "home" to open a few presents which included a book (The Andromeda Strain), a triathlon outfit, a cool water bottle, and....... and electric violin!  And..... an amplifier!

UPDATE:  Prema is back in Rapid and hard at work to support our lavish lifestyle in Aspen.  She is feeling a bit better every day but still feeling the effects of Newton's Laws of Motion.

We (B-Squad and the Portlandia Abrahams) tried to take a gondola ride this afternoon but a big thunderstorm rolled in.  Instead of having lunch on the top of the mountain we sat in the grass by the miniature golf course.  Homemade bread (thanks to Caroline), salami, cheese, Nutella, and fruit was enjoyed by all.  We barely beat the rain.

Cray Day

Yes I know it's been a week or so since the last post and yes there is a lot to document.  Starting with the most recent I will work in reverse chronologic order and hopefully fill in all the blanks.

Yesterday was cray (cra?, kray?, crazy!).  The day started off like any other typical day in Aspen.  An easy start at the house which is full of family. Prema's brother Matthew and his wife Christine are here from Tucson with their son Benjamin.  Benny (Benji, Ben, etc.) was up and at it and seemed willing to stay with Ammachey and Appachen while Matt and Chris rode bikes into town with Prema and me.  We wound up at one of our favorite places, Main Street Bakery, which is a bakery located right on Main Street.  We arrived uneventfully and met up with Prema's other younger brother Jacob and his wife Caroline and their kids Lily, Simon and Anna (Shmana, banana, etc.).

After a nice breakfast we mounted our trusty bikes and headed back to the rental house.  It was on this journey home that the day went cray.

Prema was leading the procession and I was bringing up the rear, about a minute behind.  As I approached a now infamous location I saw Matt standing astride his bike but I couldn't see Prema.  As I slowed to a stop my heart nearly stopped as I saw Prema on the ground, whimpering with blood dripping from her jaw.  (Spoiler: everything is OK, in the big picture).

Long story short:  apparently the post you see here jumped out into her lane resulting in a direct collision.  It remains unclear exactly what happened but after a minute of uncertainty we called 9-1-1.  Many passersby stopped to offer assistance but it was just a few minutes before a policeman (Richie) arrived and a few later the ambulance and a couple of deputies.  While the paramedics were attending to Prema I made sure no blood had splattered onto my bike and then secured our bikes to the offensive post.  Matt and Chris continued on home and I got to ride in an ambulance!

We went to Aspen Valley Hospital for evaluation.  We were in the ER for about four hours and after some scans, x-rays, IVs, blood tests, ultrasound, Dermabond/steri-stripping, and more, we were happy to learn that no serious injuries were sustained.  Right now Prema is enduring jaw, chest wall, and left wrist pain like a champ.  I wish I could have taken the fall for her though I doubt I would handle it all so well.

As Volaire's Pangloss would suggests, the events of the day could not have been any different as they were the best of possible events.  Of course he is cra!  BTW, we had just seen the opera Candide the night before.  But we did meet a bunch a really nice people during the ordeal and are happy that we will all carry on.

Moving on...

Last night I stayed home with Prema while others attended what I was told was a beautiful performance by Daniel Hope and the Aspen Festival Orchestra at the Benedict Music Tent.  We are fans of Mr. Hope having seen him in years past here in Aspen and especially since we saw him a few nights ago at Harris Concert Hall where he performed Max Richter's remix of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.  That was way cool.  Here is a shot of Mr. Hope with Jamuna, Maya and Lily.

Almost complete.

I have several days of catching up to do but today I must post a happy birthday note to Jamuna.  She and Abe are scheduled to arrive in about an hour.  We will celebrate with dinner at Asie (her choice) then a little bit of cake and some presents back at the rental house.

Prema and Maya arrived safely and right on time yesterday along with Prema's folks.

I arrived on Saturday with our essential stuff.  The bikes are unloaded and have already been put to good use.  Yesterday morning I rode into town for a breakfast snack with good friend Charlie who is living just down the street.  Took a longer "exercise" ride yesterday afternoon (never underestimate the impact of high elevation, whew), and this morning Prema and I rode into town and back (about 5 miles round trip).


Almost forgot that I rode into town Saturday evening to meet up with my favorite bearded brother-in-law (I don't think Jacob or Matthew are sporting beards), his son Mathew and Simon's friend Angie.  She's practically family and we love her.  They are flanked by very dear friend Mary and Freddie who live down valley in Carbondale, CO.  I had forgotten that Simon and gang had arrived a few days previously but when I got the call I hopped on the bike and met them at the Aspen Grill by the gondola.   It was a lovely night.

I will catch up with some other photos and info soon along with some pics of the evenings festivities.

BLYAP Week One Wrap

It hard to believe we've been here in Ottawa for a week.  The students have been very busy with concertos, sonatas, show pieces, technical studies and conducting class.  The weekend allows the kids to unwind a bit.  On Saturday (after morning practice time) they took an excursion to Lawrence, KS, to see a movie, have lunch on the lawn but the theater, then roam around town for a while.

 Here is Maya's conducting class with Mr. Barg, Dustin, Rachel and Kelsea.  I only attended one of the classes but it was very interesting.

Note to self:  Remember Survival Delay.

On Friday Mr. Lewis gives a lecture called something like "Name That Person".  Most of the images are of musicians or composers but not all, and many of them are out of context or unusual in some way.  Mr. Lewis presents information about the person and the kids have to figure out who it is.  It's a lot of fun.

Here's a random shot of Maya and Kelsea from the Thursday night lecture on violin technique presented by Bryan Hall.  I'm not sure exactly what they were doing here but Kelsea is keeping a close eye on Maya's technique.

Here is an ID card of Maya at the movie, and below are some of the kids having lunch.  It was a very nice day though the wind gusts were over 20 mph.

Dorm Life

To catch up a bit...

Maya and I are in Ottawa, Kansas for the Brian Lewis Young Artist Program.  She is one of 12 young violinists from around the country selected to participate in this intensive, solo performance-oriented program.  Each of the kids has four or five hours of one-on-one interaction with top-notch teachers or collaborative pianists every day.  More details to follow.

This is Maya's third year at BLYAP but the first year of living in the dormitory with most of the other kids.  She and I are sharing a suite but she has her own room.  I believe the images below clearly demonstrate that she still has a lot to learn about dorm living but I'm committed to working through the process with her.  No problem.





This is Maya's room:

This is my room:

Sight Reading

I feel as if I'm repeating myself but I never cease to be amazed when these youngsters can play a complicated duet (or anything else) having never seen the music before. How do they do that?

And I found another penny in the laundry room so all told it has been a pretty great day. 

Achieving Goals

One of the really special things about spending one-on-one time with one's children is the opportunity it provides for making connections, setting examples, and talking about the important things in life that often get dismissed during the more hectic times.  I suppose that is why I like being here in Ottawa with Maya even though I miss the rest of the family and feel unsettled when we are scattered across the country.

A few days ago we were talking about the value of setting goals for oneself.  They don't always have to be magnificent goals that may never be attainable, though that is OK.  Some goals can be more modest and serve as a way to pull yourself along and as each milestone is reached just look ahead to the next.  We discussed the importance of staying focused on the goal(s) one sets, keeping your head down and continually moving forward, keeping your "eye on the prize".  I think you get the idea.

So for example, one goal we set was to find as much money on the ground as possible.  It started with just a penny on the sidewalk by Cherry Berry in Mitchell, SD.  We immediately looked around the entire parking lot and I found another penny.  I was so happy to find that second penny to demonstrate to Maya that with effort one really can achieve their goals.  And today if found a quarter (yes really!) by the bike rack and ANOTHER penny on my ride back to campus!  I can't wait to tell Maya.  She will learn a lot from this life-lesson.



FYI, I've blurred the faces a bit to protect privacy.

Back by popular demand...

We are (that would be me, I am) going to give the summer B-Squad blog another shot. At this moment Abe and Jamuna are in Texas anxiously awaiting the start of music camp DFW WOW!  Maya is wrapping up the first day of BLYAP in Ottawa, Kansas. I am here with her and Prema is back home bringing home the bacon, bread, etc. 

Some of the posts will come by way of thyping (thumb typing) and phone photos. I grabbed this pic today while on a bike ride  on what is one of only two paved road east of Ottawa ... that I could find. 

Cloud 9

Sitting on the lawn listening to Mahler at the music tent in Aspen with Maya. It is so comforting to be back for another season of great music and growing friendships. We arrived yesterday and are settling into our summer rental in Snowmass. This is our first music event but we have already run into a bunch of friends.

Odd thing happening right now. A fire alarm has been reported so tent being evacuated.  Gotta go. Probably false.

Brave

Today the BLYAP gang took most of the day off. Maya practiced for a couple of hours in the morning then we came to Lawrence to see the movie Brave,  in 3D. It was nice. Here's a shot of Maya and a couple of the other students.

Then we went to a large, indoor aquatic center. As we were leaving there one of the kids sustained a cut on the foot so now I'm waiting for sutures to be placed at a walk-in clinic. Naturally we've been waiting for over two hours. Next year I will bring a small procedure pack, lidocaine, etc with me. Maybe some casting plaster too.

Friday

Did some laundry, washed the bugs off the car, DQ drive-through, and I have a few minutes to post a few photos before running over to meet up with Maya.

Jamuna is apparently having a blast in Tyler, TX, living on just a few hours of sleep every night.  Practicing hard and playing hard.  Tubing on Tyler Lake, swimming, movies, etc.  Abe is hard at work in the office of DFW WOW!  doing his duties as "director-in-training" or something like that.

Last night the gang at BLYAP endured a marathon session on technical studies for violin by DMA candidate Bryan Hall.  They played scales to rap beats along with a bunch of other fun stuff.  Here's Maya and Emily working on a vibrato exercise:

 Today was Maya's last class with Mr. Clapp and pianist Naomi Woo.  Tonight Maya will perform an encore piece, Polonaise, by Wieniawski.

I asked Maya which of her instructors here at BYLAP she would want to take home with her for a month and she chose Mr. Clapp. Excellent choice, I think, though all the faculty here are wonderful.

Below is a shot of Maya trying to get Oliver to say "Maya".

Ugh...

Oliver

It is extremely hot here in sunny Ottawa.  I surely don't mean to complain about it but man is it hot.  I don't know what else to say about it except that we are thankful for air conditioning and all that physics of expanding fluids, heat exchange and so forth.

Maya just walked back in to her "studio" located in the Atkinson Building, returning from a piano coaching session with Ms. Laura Kennedy.  She is so nice.  They ran through her Mendelssohn for String Orchestra twice and then just for fun played through all three movements of the Wieniawski concerto that Maya is polishing.

 Here is a view of my workstation in her studio:

And here's a closer view of our nourishment center.


Below is a snapshot of Oliver, the resident parrot who lives in the science building.  Maya has several of her classes there and Oliver usually will say hello and goodbye.

Spent a week in Ottawa one day...

We've been here just a few days yet it feels like we've been here an entire week.  The Brian Lewis Young Artist Program  (aka BLYAP) is intense and immersive.  Maya has five hours daily (most days) plus several hours of personal practice time plus an evening music activity every day.  My role as task master isn't so bad but keeps me occupied most of the time. If I'm not sitting in the lessons taking notes and video recording I'm managing technology, task planning/managing or generally hovering.  I have been able to take the lunch hour to get some exercise.  More on that later.  One thing I haven't been doing much is photography and consequently have not been posting notes here.


This is my set-up when Maya is taking a class with an instructor such as Brian Lewis shown here.  I have a small but effective video camera running while I type notes from the session into an email which is promptly transmitted around the US moments after the class is finished.

Then I wait about two minutes for return comments, questions, corrections and instructions.

Here's a shot of the first evening's music activity.  This program is solo-oriented so all of the classes are one-on-one sessions with acclaimed masterclass instructors or one-on-one piano coaching sessions with fantastic collaborative pianists.  It is only during meals and the evening activities that the 12 students are in the same place.  It is a nice group of kids from around the country.


Last year I wrote out a complete grid of times and appointments for the entire program.  I did the same this year on a chalk board in Maya's original practice room but that room was too hot so we were moved to a different room.  I just didn't have any juice left to do the entire grid again so for now it one (or two) days at a time.

We're finding our stride so hopefully I will get back on a daily regimen of posting.

Back in Ottawa

Maya and I are back in Ottawa for the Brian Lewis Young Artist Program.  We're still getting situated here.  More details of our daily activities are forthcoming as well as a bunch of catching up from Sound Encounters week.

Did I mention it is supposed to be hot while we're here?

Capture the Flag 2012

Among other activities experienced at Sound Encounters 2012 in Ottawa, KS, the kids enjoyed another ruthless night of "Capture the Flag".  This ostensibly mindless and chaotic war-game seemed to delight about 60 soldiers representing two teams, the Capital and the Rebels (a la Hunger Games).  I'm told the Rebels prevailed  Here are a few shots:

In addition the this recreational event the kids did engage is other, more civilized activities:

Maya with Sam.  Teambuilding exercise.

Abe in his dorm office catching up on important (I presume) IT work.  He diligently squeezes computer work into his mornings just minutes before his private viola lesson.

Rest Stop

Taking a short break in Richardson, KS. 31 miles so far with about 14 more to go (assuming I want to make it back to Ottawa).

Peeps

Here are some of the big SE family we've come to know over the past few years.  I know everyone in this picture except that one dude next to Jamuna.  In no particular order:  Mr. Peter Chun (viola/violin coach), Dr. Murle Mordy (Ottawa University liaison and French teacher; I've had fun trying to chat with him in French), Morgan, Jessica, Cameron, Alex, Hope, Maya, Abe, Elena, Jamuna, and who is that guy?

Last night we all attended a recital by Brian Lewis (violin) and Laura Kennedy (piano).  It was world class.  They have a long history of playing together and it really showed.  The room was small and packed and despite full-blast air conditioning it was quite warm.   While milling around outside during intermission someone asked why it was so hot in there.  I said something about there being about 120 heat generators in the room and Mr. Barg commented, "and two horses pulling hard".  Very apt.

Today I took a bike ride out past Pomona, about 35 miles round trip which is a long ride for me.  It wasn't all that difficult since the terrain here is so flat and the elevation is a few thousand feet lower than the Black Hills.  I'm fortunate to get a few hours off during the day to run off for a bike ride.  I'll take the camera with me next ride as there were quite a few interesting sites that deserve documentation.

Right now I'm sitting in the room while Maya's quartet is rehearsing.  They're supposed to be working on this on their own but the "ensemble police" asked me to sit in the room since it seems like they stay a bit more on task when there's an adult around.  All I can say is it must have been pretty crazy and extremely unfocused when I wasn't observing.  I think I'll take a picture.

Waltzing with Mr. Barg

For whatever reason I have been lax about getting this summer blog up and running.  Maybe today will be the real kick-off.  The kids are all in Ottawa, Kansas participating in a fine music camp called Sound Encounters.  I'll include more background in the coming days.

One of the activities that all the students are required to do is play in an orchestra.  There are two orchestras both of which are conducted by Mr. David Barg.  I believe this is his 21st year leading the SE orchestras.

During Abe's and Maya's rehearsal today Mr. Barg felt it would benefit the music by teaching the kids how to dance a waltz.  He took them all outside for a quick lesson.  Here are a few shots.

Abe and Maya are buried in there somewhere but these photos seem to unintentionally block them out.