May 12, 2007 at 5:09 AM

It's funny how people prioritize their committments at this time of year. Sports suddenly take precedence over music lessons and year end recitals, kids get bored or annoyed that they have to be in a lesson when the sun is shining outside and start to come more infrequently for lessons. Getting kids to practice becomes more like pulling teeth than it ever did. What is it that spring does to a person? I passed one of my student's parents in the street the other day when I was out for a walk with a friend. We said hello and she said, "it's good to see you get outside once in awhile!" I know she meant it in the nicest way possible and they are a really nice family and I enjoy teaching their daughter a great deal but it got me thinking. Do my students and their parents think I do nothing aside from sit inside my studio all day, practicing or teaching? I do love practicing and I do love teaching but I also love getting out and taking pictures, going for coffee with friends, hiking etc. Is it really a common missperception that most musicians spend their lives in a room, locked away practicing?

Yesterday was fun though I'm now super tired. I stayed over in town - was up until around 12:30am and got up at 6:30 to catch my ride home. After being home for a couple of hours I connected with a friend who currently lives back east in Kingston and she was in town so I caught the 1o'clock bus and we spent the next 5 hours wandering around downtown Penticton, taking pictures, sun bathing on the warf, eating sushi and visiting our old school. We went and stopped in to visit our old English AP teacher whom I had for two English classes and a history class. After all that wandering and walking about I was tired yesterday and then today I had physio again which lasted nearly 3 hours today, but the progress is encouraging.

I'm really happy to be able to get excited about moving to Vancouver finally. I've been enjoying looking at the concert line-up for the year and seeing what all is happening. I really want to go and see Angela Hewitt play the complete Bach Prelude's and Fugues but it's going to be dependent on if I get my timetable as I have so chosen. I'm really hoping that most people aren't going to go for the 9am class time and that the early orchestra doesn't fill up before I get to sign up for it. I'm thinking I want to do contemporary players for something interesting and refreshing and also probably frustrating! New music interests me so much and I really love learning it and putting it together with other players. The process is always unique and never ordinary as far as rehearsals I've done for more standard repertoire is concerned. So wish me luck with that! I have to audition with a contemporary piece for that ensemble and it rehearses 4 days a week. I've dug out Robinovitch's Adieu Babylon as a strong possbility but am also not ruling out works like the Eckhardt-Gramatte or Kulesha caprices.

Back to the concerts thing, some noted violin players coming to play in Vancouver this year that I can see for a modest 10 dollars is James Ehnes playing the entire set of Mozart Concerto's, Anne Sophie Mutter playing the Beethoven Concerto, Scott St. John playing the Brahms violin concerto and so many more. It's good to be a music student!! hehe I'm really hoping that the Gryphon Trio also comes out west this season and performs their production of Christos Hatzis' "Constantinople". That would be a huge highlight for sure!

I'm literally starting to hit the keys with my head or nose...or....I'm falling asleep. I'm going to bed!!

From Patrick Hu
Posted on May 12, 2007 at 5:19 AM

Hey Kelsey,

I'm pretty sure you student's parents are just overzealous and love your teaching! They just want more of you! And yes, you DO have the right to go out and do more than teach and play the violin!

btw, you're so lucky you're in Vancouver! I've been to Canada once (to Victoria Islands) and I've loved it ever since! AND ALSO, you're so lucky you're going to see Ehnes, Mutter, and St. John (the brother...both of them are awesome)!

Anyway, HAVE A GREAT SPRING, and WONDERFUL SUMMER!

From Kelsey Z.
Posted on May 12, 2007 at 5:27 AM

Thanks Patrick! I love Vancouver and Canada on a whole! It will be my 3rd time seeing Ehnes if I go and also my 3rd time seeing Scott if I can go (it depends on my classes and concerts for school) and my first seeing Anne Sophie Mutter. We will see how things go! I am going to miss my students so much. *sigh*

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May 12, 2007 at 5:09 AM

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