Yesterday, Jeff and I met another time to talk about my upcoming lecture recital.  It was a good discussion, as usual, and led me to realize that I have a lot to practice before the big day on May 5th.  I played Dave Holland’s “Spheres” for him, and we talk about notation and the challenges of transcribing a piece without a set metrical scheme.  He also brought my attention to Jacob Druckman’s “Valentine.”  Cool piece.

Later I met with one of my other advisors, Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez, and we discussed similar themes.  He also mentioned I should exam Lachenmann and Ferneyhough in order to check out how they mediated non-standard notation.  Great discussions all around.

After these meetings, I drove back to Michigan to rehearse with the Warren Symphony Orchestra.  This Sunday, we’ll be playing the “Russian Masterworks” concert featuring Tchaikovsky 5, Pulcinella, and Ruslan and Ludmila.  Really fun music!  Seemed like even though it was a rehearsal, it was important for me to perform well, reaffirming the maxim that practice makes permanent.  Every time I have the bass in my hands, I feel like I need to make the best sounds I can within my abilities.  Otherwise, what’s the point?