Day 15: Dress Rehearsal, Photo Shoot, and More

I could post about the day's events, such as how all the sections of the orchestra had a mini photo shoot with photographer Chris Lee, or how we had our dress rehearsal in our uncomfortably sweltering concert attire, but what really made this day special was the interactions we had with Maestro Robertson and Gil Shaham.

You know the world is good when you have people like David Robertson and Gil Shaham to look up to. The impact they have on me as a musician and a person is so positive and nourishing. Gil Shaham makes the effort to have eye contact with almost everyone in the orchestra, and his constant smiling at Maestro Robertson and the orchestra is so heartwarming. Not to mention how beautiful his violin playing is!

Maestro Robertson simply inspires all of us to look at music in imaginative and creative ways - the way he describes the music through stories or metaphors are extremely convincing and often emotional.

Just to mention a few:
-The very beginning of Pictures at an Exhibition (The Promenade) is like a choir singing - the phrases we have should imitate that of a choir, complete with necessary breathing.

-The Great Gates of Kiev begins with three chords, and you should feel as if the first two chords bring you progressively closer to the great gates until the third chord brings you right in front of the gigantic doors.

And then your breath is taken away.