Windy Days

There was an insane wind storm in Piteå yesterday. With so much snow on the ground, at times it looked like the world was going to end! I tried to have a productive Saturday (gym, attend afternoon concert, practice, rehearse with Charles), but by 5pm all I wanted to do was relax inside with a cup of tea and listen to the wind howl. And that's just what I did! 

The past 2 weeks have been a wind storm in a different way...so a good night of 11 hours of sleep (I forgot that was possible) was definitely necessary. I'm feeling great today! 

Last week I had a fantastic little trip "down south" to play with a group of Baltic musicians at the Russian Embassy in Berlin, that was followed by my audition for next year's group in Copenhagen. I was barely prepared for the trip...Chrissy was just leaving and I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. We were also deep in organizing the Aussie tour, and preparing for guest artists. I desperately wanted to get out of Piteå, but was also so focused on what we were doing, I couldn't even wrap my mind around the thought of traveling and such. But, I guess sometimes the best trips are those with no expectations! 

I had to leave late on Wednesday night (Feb. 8) to get to Stockholm, stay overnight, then catch a super early flight to Berlin on Thursday. The orchestra put me up in an awesome place! There is a hostel at the Stockholm-Arlanda airport that is an actual airplane! I've always wanted to stay there, but never had the proper excuse, so I took advantage of the situation. It was actually quite cozy, clean, and comfortable!

It was a snowy walk up to the hostel. 

The reception desk

The guy working was really funny...I asked if he could bill the credit card that the room was reserved under (from the orchestra), so I didn't have to charge mine, then get reimbursed (I always loose money because of the Euro - Kroner currency exchange)...His response was very Swedish.."Well, I can...but that's a lot more work for me. I have to put the numbers in manually." I just stared at him and smiled, in a girly...yet stern way... I wanted to say "really? the 10 extra seconds that it takes you to punch in some numbers won't ruin your night! There is no one else here!" After a few awkward seconds of silence, he did his job. Oh, Swedes. 

The rooms were small, but nice! Bigger and more comfortable bed than my own! The windows ere cool, and overhead compartments could be used for storage. 

A surprisingly lovely 4:30am breakfast. 

Made it to Berlin...on our way to the Embassy! Waiting for the top secret security force to let us in...just kidding. One dude just had to unlock the door....and there wasn't even any hi-tech scanners. Disappointing! haha :) 

 Rehearsal! 

 What a crazy place! everything was huge...floor to ceiling windows and pillars; multiple ornate chandeliers; and dark, complicated patterns on all the chairs and carpet.  Definitely never thought I'd be playing in this building, very cool experience! 

 After a great night out with the group at Alexa's...bagels and coffee with two of my favorite double reed players is a must. We are still a bit out of it...

That's better! Leann and Katia! 

It was a beautiful day! And so nice to be in a city! 

 No time for sight seeing, and no need to anyway...but, here's a shot of the Brandenburg Gate. 

Kristjan arrives for the dress rehearsal! So great to play for him! 

The concert was for a room filled with supporters of the orchestra and important diplomats. It was a stress free gig, and a lot of fun. Everyone needs to see Kristjan conduct at some point to truly understand what I am talking about! Never a dull moment! 

After the concert, the Embassy provided a lovely reception full of interesting food and...free vodka. Thanks Russia! :) 

BYPers always know how to have a good time! Due to the nice reception and a great beer garden after, most of us on the 7:30am bus to the airport didn't get much, or any, sleep! Whoops! But, hey...being surrounded by great people and having no responsibilities all weekend make it ok! There are always good stores and memories after a gig with BYP! 

Next stop was Copenhagen...one of my favorite cities (as of last tour with BYP. We were there for a week recording at the Radio House and performing at Tivoli). I stayed with a friend, who was a great host! Had tons of good food and, although felt directionally challenged at times, figured out my way around the city. Even got to meet up with Anu and Leann for lunch and some yummy cheesecake!  

I was so nervous that Leann was going to miss her flight! The very clean and seemingly perfect Copenhagen metro was delayed! 

I got back to Piteå on Monday night, and went straight up to the studio to rehearse with the guys. We didn't want to loose any time preparing for the millions (ok, not millions....but a lot!) of projects we have coming up. First on the list was to finish the pieces we've each written for our Aussie tour. Anders came up on Thursday, and we spent the whole day working, playing, laughing, and trying to get better. We've been recording everything (mostly thanks to Charles!) and I plan to make a little video of clips so you can see what it's like to rehearse with Ensemble Evolution! I promise it will be much more entertaining than it sounds! 

Next week, two of my favorite mentors/percussionists will be visiting Piteå: Bill and Ruth Cahn! I've been working hard on their itinerary that will end with a collaborative performance of Bill's music to the silent film "A Page of Madness." So exciting!!! I will write more about this soon!!!   

Just a bit chilly

One downfall of living 100km south of the arctic circle: it's COLD!! It is supposed to stay between -30º and -40ºC (-22º to -40ºF) for the next few days. This may deter many from daily tasks...but not here. Just bundle up, and go about your normal business! 

Every Saturday I go to the gym for two classes, Bodypump and Spinning. I cancelled my Friday workout because I was too tired and lazy to put on so many layers of clothes to walk all the way in town. So, when I woke up this morning, I gave myself a big pep talk and convinced myself to make the 25 minute trek to the gym, regardless of the plummeting temperature. I'm definitely glad I did because the workout out was great! However, the excursion did call for some embarrassing photos...

Ready to go! 

Pair of leggings, sweatpants, and snow pants. Tank top, long sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, huge parka coat. Neck warmer, scarf. Funny fur hat that ties around my chin. Mittens. Fuzzy socks. Boots. 

**change into work out clothes at the gym to make sure clothes are dry on way back!**

8am view from my place

Typically, the sky is clear and sunny when it is so cold! 

and...this is what I looked like after being outside for 20 minutes. Frozen face!

Now, I'm cuddled up in my snuggie (yes...I made room in my luggage to bring it from home!) and my computer. Going to do some work, then pile on some layers to go up to the studio to practice. What have I learned from today? Nothing should stop me from my Saturday workout...and I should probably move farther away from the Arctic circle! 

Two projects down, many more to come!

Today, it's -30 degrees. However, I can't complain. The sun is actually peeking above the trees, the sky is bright blue, and the ground is a sparkling white.

With that said, I am still at my apartment in heavy sweat pants and bathrobe waiting until the last moment until I must venture outdoors! 

I've been back in Piteå for about 3 weeks, and each day has presented new challenges, excitement, and even disappointment. I've moved into a new apartment....well, if you can even call it that! It's an extra room in a house that has its own entrance. It's tiny: just one room with a kitchenette and a bathroom...but, it will do for now. I only plan on staying here for one more month. Then, I'll move in with Jake/Anna (haven't really decided which yet!) We'll be traveling so much in March, April and May, it doesn't make sense to have my own place. Plus, I can barely afford my rent payments with such a small salary and so many expenses. 

Jan. 11, 2012: reunited with my Piteå family (also known as Ensemble Evolution!)

 My "house"...the door to my room is on the left

The neighborhood on a typical day. It's not always easy to get around, but it is beautiful! 

The transition back to this lifestyle has had it's ups and downs, but I only had time to think about it every once in awhile...which is a good thing! Along with Jake, Anna, Charles, and Chrissy, we've already completed two successful musical projects. I think that's pretty impressive considering we've been back for less than a month, it's freezing, and the sun has only appeared a 2 or 3 times! 

The first project was recording the duo CD with Jake. We gave ourselves 8 days to get over jet-lag, work our hands back into shape and rehearse our repertoire before pressing record. When we planed the project, this seemed like ample time. However, those days sure did fly by! Along with getting reacclimatized with Sweden, meeting with various administrator and teachers at the University, and trying to organize future projects (and, life in general), that week felt like 2 days! Although it felt like a whirlwind, we went into the recording process with positive attitudes and a lot of energy! Luckily, Jake and I feed off of each other's spunky, and sometimes ridiculous, personalities...so even when the process became stressful or didn't go as planned, our demeanors were not affected. 

We recorded six out of the seven pieces in our commissioned/self-composed repertoire. We'll make a video of Casey's piece (the one where we just play on the floor...can't see anyone wanted to listen to that one without the visual!) We did it in three days, and were exhausted by the end. I didn't play for the following two days, my hands needed a rest!

We made the Black Box Theatre into our recording studio. We wanted some natural resonance from the instruments, and it proved to be the perfect space! (plus, it's conveniently right next to our rehearsal space) We recorded our three marimba duos in one day = insane.  

The next day we did Skylight and Bunker

Ended late on a Monday night (Jan 23) with the drum set duet

The second project that we've been focusing on this week is Chrissy's "Rad Ragtime Project." She received a grant from the Australian government to come up here and work with the students on novelty ragtime xylophone music. She's done a great job getting all of the Musikhögskolan and Framnäs students involved. First, we did a concert with Ensemble Evolution (included Anna on vocals) that was really special. Ragtime music holds a special place in my heart because of the passion that Susan and Joe shared with us at Ohio State. I was excited to perform Charleston Capers (one of my favs), and even more excited to play the rep with my 4 best friends. You could tell we were having a great time! Charles recorded both audio and video, so I hope we get some footage up soon! 

Yesterday, we spent the day with all of the percussion students in Piteå. We played three gigs: one at a café, one at the mall (thanks to Denis, who thought of it, and set it up at the last minute!), and at Framnäs (the pre-college that is close by). I've never seen so much camaraderie between all of the students here, and it was so inspiring to see them grow so much! I am really thankful that Chrissy has this idea and made it happen up here in the Arctic! The students had never played this music before, and they were really inspired! 

Super fun-times rehearsing with EE! 

Gig at Krokodil (the local live music café) Charles and Chrissy have a great lineup of ragtime duo rep!

Impromptu gig at the mall! Go Johanna! 

I am determined to make every minute count during my last 5 months here! We've created a packed schedule of concerts, tours, and projects! Here's a little taste of what is in store:

Feb 9 - 13: gig with BYP at Russian Embassy in Berlin/audition for next year's group

Feb 21 - 27: Bill and Ruth Cahn visit Piteå. They'll give seminars and a concert with EE!

Feb 28 - March 4: Rosewind Duo visit Sweden. Can't wait to work with Scott Herring!

March 7 - 26: Ensemble Evolution tour AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) 

April 15: Anna's final recital (EE will play, of course!)

April 21 - 29: Ensemble Evolution are in residency in Vilnius, Lithuania for The PROCESS

May 8 - 15: Angela visits! We'll perform concerts and do some guest teaching in the south 

May 19 - June 2: Tour in Germany with BYP

Holy moly...this is going to be amazing! Stay tuned, I'm sure some good stories will come out of all these adventures! 

Final Chapter?

I've been stateside for almost two months now! Tomorrow I'll head back to Piteå to complete what may be the final chapter in my Swedish adventure. Nothing is certain, but I am looking for some new opportunities come next fall. I have projects lined up until June, and a potential tour with BYP in August, but after that....who knows! NYC? Chicago? Cincy? another city somewhere in the world?

It's been fantastic spending so much time at "home" (I use quotes, because I feel more like a nomad than a person with a real home base right now) because I was able to check out what is happening over here, spend time with lots of friends and family, and brainstorm what my future back on American soil could be like. But, there will be many more opportunities to write about the ideas that are floating around in my head career-wise later...for now, I'd like to share pics and stories from the shenanigans while I've be in here at "home" :)

PASIC 2011 proved to be a lot of fun...jet-lag and all :) After the whirl wind trip from Sweden to Alaska to Germany to Indy, I wasn't sure which way was up...but I did know I was surrounded by thousands of percussionists and some of my best friends in the world, so it was no time to be sleepy! It was great to reconnect with people and learn about what else is happening in the percussion world. It was also a lot of fun to share stories from my adventures with the group and various projects. There was never a dull moment and the four days were, per usual, action packed with great concerts, clinics, and hangs.

 Ensemble Evolution was representing! Happy that we were able to experience the convention together!

Lunch with some of my favorite people after Bob's concert, featuring Jamie (fellow Eastman alum and friend) as the vocalist

So happy to have the chance to spend time with Evaristo!! 

After Indy, we headed to Cincinnati to spend one day at my parent's house, and to refuel on sleep and comfort food as much as possible. We really needed at least 3 days to do so, but I planned a packed tour...so there was no such luck :) 

Mom would have loved to have us longer as well...but duty calls! We drove 2 hours up to Columbus, Ohio to give our first concert/masterclass at The Ohio State University (where I got my Bachelor's)

Although everyone was in the post-PASIC percussion overload lull, the performance went well. We performed 3 of the pieces from "Compose. Perform. Inspire. New Voices in Percussion Music" along with the suite of Swedish Folk songs with Anna and Charles.

It was wild to play at OSU again, but really great to see Susan and Joe! How time flies! 

Directly after the performance, Jake, Anna, and I drove to Cleveland! We arrived at Kristen's (our wonderful friend who organized our northern Ohio visit) around 1am...thank goodness Jake was willing to drive, because I was out in the back seat the entire time! 

 Kristen is amazing, and planned a great day for us...a visit to the Professional Percussion Products showroom and she took care of ALL the logistics for our performance at "The Happy Dog" for Cleveland's Classical Revolution. It was a super cool gig...

We performed the folk songs, Casey's piece (yes...on the sticky bar floor....but it was awesome because it was the only piece in which all bar conversation practically ceased!) and Skidmore's duo for drum sets. After performing we enjoyed the venue...and ordered some hotdogs :) 

The next day was a travel day....8 hours on the back roads of Pennsylvania, thanks to google maps. The gig the following day at Kutztown University was great though! We owe Frank and the studio a lot...they were our biggest donors for the Kickstarter project! 

It was a lot of fun playing all of the commissions and hanging with Frank and his students. 

Since this gig was in the morning, we were able to make it to upper state NY that evening to stay with our friend Amy. She is the teaching fellow at Bard College, and was able to put together a concert for us. 

By this time, we were in the "groove" of the tour and really happy with the performance, and to have the opportunity to spend time Amy! 

Then...the moment that Anna had been anticipating the entire trip....we went to New York City!! It was so much fun to see Anna's reaction to everything in the states, but especially to everything in the big apple. We were tourists for 2 days before having to perform one last time at New York University.  

Still great friends, even after over a week in a car together 

The final gig at NYU was a success! Everyone loved learning the hand motions for Casey's piece "Plato's Cave"...it was a big hit at all the schools! 

On Tuesday morning, November 22, we made the 11 hour drive back to Cincinnati, Ohio. Highlights from this leg included me getting us lost twice, constant heavy rainfall, and a pitstop that included both Dunkin' Donuts and Taco Bell. The following day Jake and Anna drove the rental car up to Chicago (which happened to be the second one we had for the tour...we were pulled over in the first one, a Chrysler 300, because it was unregistered and uninsured by Avis! AH!) where Jake hopped on a plane to Texas, and Anna returned to Sweden. 

The rest of the week I barely recall. There was Thanksgiving...and I know I was thankful and pinching myself for the 3 weeks of intense travel/performances/adventures...but I barely did anything else for days and days! It was good to have time to relax, but hard to adjust to the sudden change of pace. 

My focus soon turned to the upcoming performance I was to give at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic with my old school, Lakota West High School. The director, Greg, invited 6 alumni players to come back and solo with the band for the convention (their third invitation! I was in the first group that was invited in 2000...needless to say, it's a great program!) It was an honor to be asked, and a great experience to solo with such a high-level band. 

We gave a send-off performance at Lakota West. It was crazy to be back on that stage again, that's for sure! I definitely never predicted that this is what I would be doing in 8 years when I was standing in the back of this stage playing some timpani, cymbals, xylo and what not! It was great to work with Greg again, and the other fabulous soloists. 

The overwhelming positive response after this performance really gave me a lot of motivation and confidence that I'm on the right path! It also gave me an itch to stand in front of the ensemble as opposed to behind it more often :) 

After the convention I stayed in Chicago a couple more days to spend time with Aunt Betsy, and soak up as much of the city atmosphere as possible! We had some great chats, and some great meals! I love this city! 

Because there wasn't anything keeping me in Cincinnati, I decided to fly to NYC from Chicago to spend some time with friends and check out Make Music NY Winter. I did not regret my decision at all! 

I stayed with Marilyn...and it was just like we were back in Rochester! Here we are at Chelsea Market meeting Angela for lunch! If I had it my way, I would be able to see these girls much more often!

The Make Music NY event was really cool. Amy was involved in a lot of the events, and it was fun to "tag along"! A fellow percussionist, Doug, created an event that had two drummers walking the entirety of Broadway (yes....from 225th to the end of the island) while playing Christmas Carols slowed down 128x. I joined in for about 100 blocks...it was pretty wild! Check out the final product here: http://youtu.be/G2kUWJ1pKyQ (after the rhythms have been sped up, and sound kinda like holiday tunes!)

Amy and I strapped the drums on and played a a bit...this photo was in the New York Times 

(Ari Mintz for The New York Times)

After the long walk, and an additional percussion parade that Amy's group organized, I headed back to Time Square to meet up with Damien (coached percussion section for Baltic). He wrote the book, and plays for The Addam Family.

I had never been in a Broadway pit before, so this was a real treat! 

After another great visit to another great city, it was time to head back to mom and dad's...Christmas was upon us! Amy and I drove back to Cleveland...and had many, many deep conversations about anything and everything. I'm lucky to have a friend like her, who shares similar ambitions and struggles. We hashed through all of our ideas for the future...we are both just so eager to do great things! We could have probably talked all the way to California if we needed to! 

In Cleveland, I met up with my brother Jim and his fiancé Amy F. We drove down to Columbus and met mom and dad to have our immediate family Christmas (since Jim and Amy wouldn't be in Cincinnati for the holidays.) 

Our lovely gift exchange in the car! Love my family! 

On Christmas Day, my mom's side of the family spends the day at our house! It's been like this for as long as I can remember...but now there are a lot of little ones running around! 

For New Year's I, once again, spent some time with Amy in a car...and we drove back up to Chicago!! We stayed with some percussion friends, and it was a big reunion for percs from Eastman/Northwestern! Megan even came back from her teaching gig in Amman, Jordan! It was the perfect way to ring in 2012...and all it's uncertainties! 

Happy 2012 everyone! Let's see what this chapter has in store....

In and out of JFK in 30 minutes

I was a bit nervous this morning when my flight from Berlin from New York was delayed an hour because they had to change a tire (I was about to offer my excellent tire-changing skills to speed up the process, but then remembered I have none.) My original layover was one hour and 45 minutes, so I knew it would be a challenge to make the connection. I tried not to think of it…the trip was going well so far…the check-in woman was kind (I may have flirted a little), and let me check my 26kilo bag (there is a 23kilo limit) free of charge. Plus, I had an aisle seat with no one next to me, which made slumber much more enjoyable.

So, in between naps, I strategized my way through JFK. I wasn’t as familiar with the airport as Chicago or Stockholm, but was thankful that all the signs would be in English, at least! When we landed, I rudely, but with a smile, snuck past as many people as possible through the hallways leading up to Customs. Luckily there weren’t many Americans coming back home, and the line was relatively short. I grabbed my bag after a chat with the customs officer (who yelled at me for using a pencil on my form, but I was tired, couldn’t find a pen, and it doesn’t say anything about it on the form, so she said it was ok) But then, the officer who took my customs declaration at the Exit noticed that the first officer hadn’t stamped it, so I had to backtrack to get the stamp! If I didn’t have to do that, I would have made it in 25 minutes….for sure.

I re-checked my bag, and the woman directed me to gate 31A: Take the elevator to the third floor and go through security. I was fast-tracked in the line, because I asked to be, but still had to wait a bit…TSA is very thorough in NY! Then, I high-tailed it to my gate, which was of course, at the opposite end of the terminal! The sign said, “Gates 31-42 with an arrow”…and 42 was first.  Ugh! When I finally reached the gate they were calling the last boarding announcement, and when crew scanned my ticket, they admitted that they didn’t think I was going to make it. They obviously don’t know me J 

So, why did I even go to Germany for less than 36 hours? Because I love the people in the Baltic Youth Philharmonic (BYP), love playing with them, and love the crazy gigs that we get. Twelve of use formed a chamber group that was to be the opening entertainment for the Nord Stream event that celebrated the opening of the gas pipeline that connects Russia with Europe via the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream is our main sponsor, so it was appropriate that they show us off, as the parallels between the pipeline and the orchestra itself are so poetic (both unite the counties around the Baltic Sea, one culturally, and one through scientific feats.)

When I arrived in Berlin on Monday evening, I was greeted by a BYP driver. We had a 3-hour drive ahead of us to reach the venue, Lubmin, Germany (on the Baltic Sea, of course) Everyone else was already there (my trip from Alaska was a little longer than everyone coming from within Europe,) so the driver was doing his best to get me there for the rehearsal. Luckily, Germany has the Autobahn, and no speed limits. However, when we got to the “middle of nowhere” he got lost! The person directing us over the phone was confused, and eventually had to meet us to guide us. I don’t blame my driver though; we had to take dirt roads in the dark to this dark, stage factory park. In between the sketchy looking buildings was a little town of lit up, man-made white domes. Inside they were decorated and manned to the nines, complete with security scanners, computers, flat-screens, and caterers. One of the domes housed a stage and about 200 chairs, where the main event would take place. I made it just as the rehearsal ended…

But, it was great to see everyone!!! BYPers share a special bond, as it’s a very special orchestra. We were fed some soup in the “staff dome”, and then headed to another little town to our hotels. We went to a little bar to catch up, and just chatted away to see what was happening since our last gig in Peenemunde in September. I faded fast though, so headed to the hotel just after midnight, like an old lady.

We had to leave at 6am to make it to our dress rehearsal at 7am. 7 AM. I don’t think I’ve ever had a rehearsal that early. I didn’t sleep much, as it just felt like another nap on an airplane, but I was alert enough. Kristjan arrived just before the rehearsal, we ran through the 10 minutes of music, and then had about 3.5 hours to hang out before the performance.

We were able to hang around the VIP dome (the one which was next to the helicopter drop-off area. Not kidding.) We anticipated the important politicians that were to arrive: Angela Merkel (German Chancellor, and a big supporter of BYP), president of Russia (originally, Vladimir Putin was supposed to show up, but I guess he cancelled), many other presidents from European countries (I had no idea who any of them were…I should read more…), and all of the important people in the gas company. This was a HUGE event, and nothing like I’ve ever seen or been apart of…

The event dome was filed about 11:30am, and we entered the stage (no one noticed.) Then, Angela and the Russia dude came in, and all of the photographers and videographers went crazy for like 15 minutes. We just stood there, smiling, and laughing as the super important businessmen whipped out their smart phones to steal a photo.

We performed, smiled, grooved, and rocked it…and then left! Easy as that! We changed into our street clothes, and left as all of the important speeches continued and they opened the pipeline.

some photos:

The SUPER VIP Dome: 

the stage

soon to be filled with Europe's politicians and dudes with money 

they wouldn't let us go into the super SUPER VIP area, so we settled for this photo:

Percs!! 

We wanted to turn the big wheel that opened the pipeline..

Martin is VERY important

Great group of BYPers!

domes from the outside

rock and roll

in front of the helicopter parking

lots of nice cars and security in THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

Nice to see everyone for 24 hours :) 

The event (with some footage of us !)on German TV: http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek#/beitrag/video/1487300/Ostsee-Pipeline-liefert-Gas-aus-Russland

We were hauled back to Berlin. Everyone else was to leave that night, but I requested a night in Berlin to try and get a good night’s sleep before another transatlantic flight. I rested, and did a little shopping…Berlin is a great city, and things are open late…imagine that!! I also had time to catch up on emails and some work, which felt good. I actually didn’t sleep much  (I slept for the entire car ride from Lubmin to Berlin, and couldn’t turn off my brain!) and woke up at 6am to catch breakfast with a friend and head to the airport.

…Now I’m waiting in the Indianapolis airport! Jake, Anna, and Charles are going to pick me up…eventually. They drove down from Chicago today, and evidently forgot that they jump a time zone in the process. No biggie, there is always something to do…plus I have a pumpkin spice latte in hand from Starbucks. I love America!

Will spend the next 4 days at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention! There will definitely be more stories after this week with all these crazy percs running around!!