Concert and Dizzy's birthday

Every time a concert rolls around for KPhil I always think, "I can't believe it's concert time already!"  I was really excited about this concert because we were playing a bunch of great pieces (they usually are) but this seemed like Andrew was more enthusiastic about it because it is near and dear to his heart.  I was also sitting closer to the front row that I ever have so that was a little nerve racking for me!

Concert weeks are always exhausting.  I don't know why the extra rehearsal does it, but it really does.  Maybe it's a culmination of all our hard work and the performance but I am always so wiped out afterwards.  It's also the concert high too... you ride that out after the performance before crashing haha





Quebra and Dizzy came over during the day before the concert so it was nice to hang out with them.  Quebra and I actually went to see about some different bridesmaids dresses and I think that we found some that we really liked!  Gonna wait to see what her sister says but I am hopeful, and I know that it will feel better once we have our dresses picked out.

It was Dizzy's birthday the next day so we had some nice birthday desserts and stuff for him :)  I know that the kiddos really like when they come over because they can play Pokemon together and be silly.

























I think the concert went really well and there were a lot of people that came to see it!  I was surprised but it was very touching that they did.  My cousin and her daughter came, which I was so surprised about!  I had invited them during our family get together but she has 5 kids so I feel like it was one of those 'of course we'd love to come to the concert' but then they don't because they're so busy... but they actually came!  A student of mine came too, which was awesome and she really liked it.  My friend Katie (the one I play all the weddings with) and her husband came and they really seemed to enjoy it as well.  There was an interesting piece, by Kilar that is just so avant garde but people really liked it!





Afterwards we went out for drinks with my sister and her boyfriend, and Quebra and Dizzy.  It was nice :)  I liked hanging out with them post concert because then I felt like I wasn't waiting for something big (like the concert).   And we went to Food Dance which is one of my favorite places here!  Had some delicious sangria and this lovely beat salad.  G got the mussels which I had been eye balling for awhile and they were good :)





Many thanks to Nancy for loving on the kiddos and watching them.  Also, for making sure that we stayed out and had some fun after the concert!  When we got home she was snugging Norah because she was so full of snot... it was cute and I know that Nancy loved the baby snuggles.  :)




It was a great concert weekend but I am looking forward to the rest and time off!

JVG

Date Night!

We had to get home because we were going on a date!  It was kinda crazy because it was my second night in a row dressing up and going out!  Look at me go!  Andrew was conducting this group, the Arcato Chamber,  he organized so we went to the concert.  I found out that a friend of mine from high school is also playing in the group as well.  I was excited to see everybody perform!  And, it was nice because Sarah was back in town and that gave me an opportunity to give her her going away gift.









The concert was amazing.  It was nice to actually see things from this end!  We went out afterwards for dinner which is always nice.  :)  I'm glad that we still are able to go out and enjoy each other's company still :)

JVG

Brahms Requiem, last KPhil Concert of the season

For our last concert of the season we teamed up with the Bach Chorus Festival to perform Brahm's Requiem which was quite an experience!  We had two soloist come in for it as well, and there were over 160 of us all together.  Rehearsal was a little weird for this cycle because Memorial Day fell on what is usually one of our rehearsal nights so they pushed it later in the week and turned it into a dress rehearsal. I am so amazed that we practiced our parts separately and then came together for two rehearsals and then performed!  Thats craziness!  But we had dress rehearsal on Wed and Thurs that week and I have to admit that my right shoulder was killing me.  I honestly think I incurred a violin playing related injury.  There was shooting pain in my shoulder and I couldn't lift it past a certain point.  It was intense!  And then, two days after our second dress we had our concert.  Whew!  The kiddos did try to make it to one of the dress rehearsals but since we were at Chenery Auditorium instead of Dalton Theater it didn't last as long as normal.  We're not supposed to bring food or drinks in, and we usually give them snacks and stuff to occupy them.  But, they got to see a little bit so that's good.  :)















This concert our friends Quebra and Dizzy couldn't come so we had a fairly relaxing day.  The weather was terrible and rainy but it all worked out!  One of my lessons actually came too which was amazing!  Holly, Jason, Jason's parents, G and my Dad came to watch.  :)  It was cozy.














It was a bittersweet concert because I have never performed in Chenery before and it was amazing!  But this was also our concert mistress, Sarah's last concert.  She is going to grad school down in Maryland where her husband got a job and it has nothing to do with music!  Even though I haven't known her that long I was really sad to hear she was going.






Excited for our next concert season! :)

JVG

Final Symphonette Concert

Since moving, playing in KPhil, and having the winters be so dangerous I decided to not do symphonette.  The music isn't rewarding at all, although playing for the residents is... but its a lot of time and money and late nights.  I miss hanging out with my Dad every Wednesday but Mr. DeLille let me join in the last few rehearsals and then play in the final concert :)  It's a nice way to still stay connected to people but not have to make the commitment to play the same tunes over and over again.  As always, its nice sharing a stage with my Daddy-o.







JVG

KPhil Concert

Another KPhil Concert has come and gone... this cycle though I felt like I could actually play the music!  We did do a world premiere of a piece that somebody wrote specifically for KPhil, which was cool, but it was the hardest piece (in my opinion) to play.  there were a lot of meter changes and unconventional rhythms but we made it through the Witt and he seemed pleased with how we performed it.

We did Busoni's Turandot Suite which I really liked.  I remember going to see that play when I was in middle school, and it was amazing even though I didn't understand a word of it.  haha.  The Atterburg Suite was really fun, a piece that was very playable musically.  There are a lot of great pieces that we've played before but they didn't make a lot of sense musically to me, but this one did, and it was great to perform such unknown works.




It was another busy Saturday as our faithful supporters Quebra and Dizzy came over during the day.  Lots of fun and cooking!  Can't wait for the next concert (which, ironically, is in a few weeks, that's how backlogged I am!).

JVG

Rites of Spring...

We had our first Phil concert this season!  It was the same day as Miss Ava's birthday party so after we did that we had friends over (our faithful supporters) and hung out until the concert.  I made Korean food which takes a lot of prep so I felt like I was cooking all day!  We had an amazing concert and our soloist even joined us after his song to play the Rites of Spring.  Now... I don't know about you but that song is ridiculous to play.  It's very interesting to listen too, not very traditional in the sense of what seems like it should go together but after playing a piece like that you definitely have more of an appreciation for it!

















The next day Jane and I were able to go see our soloist (Jun-Ching) and conductor perform with the Merling trio which was awesome!  It was good/interesting to see Andrew play his primary instrument, since most of the time I just see him on the podium.  He is just as expressive and passionate about the violin as he is about conducting!




It was quite the busy weekend, filled with lots of friends, food, and great music.  I was pretty exhausted by the end but it was well worth it.  :)

JVG

Last KPhil Concert of 2014

My second year of being in KPhil has come to an end.  This was my first time playing this cycle though!  My first year I was out after having Norah... so this was nice to get one more in.  We did a lot of Spanish musics which was really nice and I could actually play it!  We got to do the traditional have Quebra and Dizzy come down before the concert to hang out (which was nice to see them of course!) and I'm so glad that we can just chill and hang out without having to DO something.  although, they were tasked with taking my kids for a walk while I got dinner prepared :)  I invited a lot of people to this concert and they all came!  I already mentioned Quebra and Dizzy (the faithful), Gracie and JackJack, my sister and her crew, my Dad, Gaetan (of course), and then Ms. Nancy and her husband.  I get so excited about the music that I just invite everybody and then I realize I need to actually practice because I don't want to look a fool if I can't play it!  haha.  it was a glorious time and I still had a bright pink arm pit from the run earlier in the day haha.  I guess it didn't show because it was pretty shadowy on stage but still made me chuckle to myself.  I also go to play John (my friend Jane's husbands) violin, which is a thousand times better than mine!  It's beautiful!  It was a great day filled with lots of fun.  My friend Tricia came and babysat... and she cleaned the place again!  I should really start paying her ;)  Thanks to everybody who made that day special.  Much love and I really can't express how much it means to have your support.

Dude wearing my race glasses... I thought it was a cute picture of them playing Mario Kart together

Norah trying to get Tricia to give her some of her dinner

Me n Katie :)

JANE!!

In the action

Before the concert started... V for victory!

A nice little summary of the day.  Thanks Nanc! :)

JVG