Only a few minutes
ago I was chatting on Facebook from Oaxaca, Mexico, with a friend in Lahti,
Finland. I told him that I would be in Finland next month and perhaps we could
meet while I’m there. I pointed out to him that I was living in a chronic ‘on
tour’ mode and was beginning to wish I had a home and could stop living out of
a suitcase. He told me it seemed to him that I am a “Tuba Gipsy”. I liked that!
Here is the tour schedule that I had just posted on Facebook:
Spring Tour Agenda
March 7-9
Masterclass, Ensemble coaching and Private
Lessons.
University of
Redlands, Redlands, California
March 16-23
Working with brass section of the Tampere
Symphony, Masterclasses, Tampere, Finland.
March 29-April 3
Boston Brass Bash, Boston, Mass
April 6-8
Penn State University, Masterclass,
Ensemble coaching and Private Lessons.
April 10-12
NERTEC, Ithaca, NewYork
April 17-24
Brass Ensemble Tour through Slovenia.
April 26-28
Royal Northern College of Music,
Manchester, GB
April 29-May 1
Guildhall School of Music, Drama and
Dance, Adjudication, of Brass Competition, and Masterclasses, London, GB
May 4-8
Pasadena City
College, Masterclasses, Ensembles and Private Lessons, Pasadena, California.
May 11-15
Mexico City College
of Music, Brass Ensembles and Wind Ensemble.
Rest!! (Back in
Oaxaca)
The “Tuba Gipsy”
image seemed right to me and perhaps correct for our times. Music, because of
the Internet, is becoming more international; our references to all the arts
are becoming global. The learning material available to us today is huge and
easily obtainable.
As we use the
advantages of this source and as we expand our views of tuba, brass, music, all
the arts we can also maintain our individualism, and our various traditions.
This is a gift of our times in a frequently troubled world.
Sadly, it frequently
appears we, as individuals, have little effect in changing the world, but
through the arts we can share our views of life through the abstract, realism
or anything in-between. Being rich is having the courage to be special.
So being called a
“Tuba Gipsy” is not at all distasteful but perhaps “Wandering Student” appeals
to me more.
I hope this
“Wandering Student” continues the same roads and encounters continuing lessons.
And still I seek a
home, maybe Oaxaca, Mexico
January 22, Oaxaca,
Mexico
