Trust Your Work

A reflection follows. Originally posted to FB February 29, 2024.

Things I say to students:

Always work with a metronome with subdivisions.

Make a lot of reeds.

Trust your work, accept that things will still go wrong.

Sitting in an airport reflecting on what has honestly been a wildly chaotic week+ leading up to my departure for SHE Festival for a Kari Cruver Medina Sasquatch: Sightings premier and leading a panel discussion "De-bunking the 2-Path Career Myth."

So. Many. Things. Have. Not. Gone. Smoothly.

My rigidity does not like that.

Last minute instrument switch. Trauma-drama at work. Challenging professional communication. TOUGH meetings. Long days, short time. Too many emotions. Some I could control, a lot I couldn't. Which is why the most fundamental skills musically, professionally, and emotionally have felt particularly crucial.

1 - I'm taking 31 reeds for a 5,000 1,500 foot elevation drop and ~30° temperature increase. Excessive? No. With 31 reeds, I am 100% confident that there will be no crisis. I know 1 reed will be perfect and I won't feel badly destroying 10 to get there. (New, old, ugly, pretty, finished, unfinished, every shape, every length, they all get a chance...though some went straight to the grave.)

2 - I'm trusting long-tone work (which I believe is the FASTEST way to learn a bassoon) to ensure I can play a bassoon, that I picked up on Monday, will suit me and respect my quartet colleagues. (After months of trying to find an acceptable solution.)

3 - I'm trusting that efficient and effective practice, with score study, and many markings will allow 2-ish rehearsals to be adequate for 4 pro musicians to pull together 1 peice.

4 - Packed anxiety meds because I accept that I'm fragile around stress. Acceptance.

Lessons learned, lessons taught.

Finally, I AM SO EXCITED to gather with friends and colleagues from around the country for an inspiring weekend of music and learning.