Overlake

It's hard to remember each year that driving to the Overlake School in Redmond takes you to such a different environment. There are horses and farms along the roads and it gets so dark there, that it feels like you are camping. Opening night brought the performance of the Dvorak Terzetto, originally composed as a piece for friends and students. Dvorak, son of a butcher, realized that the music was in fact too difficult for the people he composed it for and had to step in himself. Parts exist for both two violins and viola as well as two violins and cello. It's a lovely piece, especially the second movement which brings the kind of ending harmonies that you dream about in music.

A summary blog

Despite my best attempts, I was swept up during the Lakeside festival and even promises to myself, "I will blog today," were put further down the to-do list. Lakeside ended on Friday- 14 concerts in four weeks, all sold out but one (save for the family and emerging artist concerts). A note: the family concert this year was fantastic and even reviewed in the Times. There's nothing like inappropriate noises coming out of an instrument to inspire budding young musicians.

The music was breathtaking, people were happy, the sun was shining.....

Opening night I went backstage for a coca-cola (the only time of the year I drink it) and discovered all the musicians trying on wigs and stuffing their shirts. I suppose after summoning one's greatest talents, it is time to dress up like a woman. Our backstage area is the same as the costume shop and luckily, they got to burn off some steam becoming ladies after the show.

There were no major glitches (no fires or injuries) and now we are off to Overlake, the more pastoral venue. There's nothing like seeing some livestock on your way to a chamber music performance....

Tickets mailing

Tickets are printing, there's a constant hum of machines. July 11 and 16 are sold out, seats are dwindling. I just mailed off the last set of brochures. The countdown has begun....

Great Kids Books on Music

Although my son is only nine months old, we try and read to him every day. He seems to focus on certain images and sounds so we use this opportunity to read books about music and musicians. There are so may wonderful books to teach kids about music, here are some of my favorites:

The Philharmonic Gets Dressed by Karla Kuskin
- a Reading Rainbow favorite, this book teaches kids about musicians going to work in the evening and all the ways they get dressed and ready for a performance, a systematic read, I have also been told that it has historical significance as there are still images of graffiti from the NY subways
Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes and Karmen Thompson
- although challenging to picture animals really playing instruments this book is a wonderful way to see all the musical families
Little Boy with a Bog Horn by Dan Yaccarino
- a great parable for any parent who is dealing with listening to a child learn a brass instrument, heartwarming and funny
Animal Orchestra by Ilo Orleans
- wonderful pictures and a very positive message about learning an instrument

I would love to hear other suggestions!

Raining in Seattle

It's raining in Seattle today, June 3rd and it's pouring.

Here's the complete Q/A with Nathan Hughes....

What are you listening to right now?
The last piece I was listening to was the colorful Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme by Richard Strauss.

Where are you traveling to this summer?
In addition to the Seattle Chamber Music Festival I will be playing at the Mainly Mozart festival in San Diego, Bridgehampton Chamber Music festival,teaching at the Verbier Music festival in Switzerland as well as the John Mack oboe camp in North Carolina.

What piece are you really excited about playing this summer?
I am very excited about the performance on July 25 in Seattle of the Fantasie Pastoral by Bozza . This is a piece I have always had an affinity for and this will be be my first performance of it. I am also looking forward to performing the Strauss Oboe Concerto in San Diego in June as this monumental work always challenges me to be in top form.

Beginning to blog...

Our first blog entry.... We're looking at six weeks and counting until opening night at Lakeside School. It's an exciting time, the phones are ringing, emails are pouring in and we're starting to look at ways to introduce new people to our organization. Before I even worked here, I attended a concert in the summer of 2005. Toby had programmed the Ravel String Quartet in F with The Trout as the finale, on the pre-concert recital was the Kodaly Duo for Violin and Cello. It was the most amazing performance I had ever attended in my life. I was sitting three rows away from the stage and can still remember the delicate gossamer-like piano the group created in the Ravel. I don't remember breathing or being distracted at all. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to get out of my seat afterwards and applaud. It was the concert that made me want to be a part of this organization and I have never looked back.