Day 10: Imagination Abound

Today we went through our first run-through of the program during rehearsal. Sitting in the orchestra and hearing a piece in its entirety lent room for great imagination, and during the end of the Britten Violin Concerto, I felt myself transported into outer space and into a scene very similar to what I had imagined from reading The Little Prince:

The Britten gives a sense that you are one almost meaningless individual in a large and often melancholy universe

The Britten is so mystical and introspective, and I cannot help but believe that this piece was written for the musicians rather than an audience. As musicians, we notice little sections and develop such deep connections with the music. As a result, the entire piece speaks to us musicians in so many wonderful and emotional ways, whereas it's difficult for a typical audience member to become attached to the piece in a single performance.

Today we also attended two fantastic workshops. One was on community involvement, where we discussed ways of reaching out to a different community with our music and engaging audiences. This was a great way for us to spread ideas around, share our thoughts, and learn more about each other as people. The second workshop was on music and movement, and we went through several intriguing exercises that involved eye closing, sculpting, moving around to music, etc.

Tomorrow is our first rehearsal with David Robertson!