Weekend Update

This weekend's events would not fit into a status update:

On Friday, I worked at Curtis from 8 AM to 11 AM, did a few errands, picked up my rental car, and headed up to Bethlehem for the first weekend of the Bach Festival. 

I had every intention of doing more Curtis work when I got to my hotel, but until I had dinner, worked on reeds, and got ready for the concert there just wasn't enough time.

People in Bethlehem love their music, exemplified by the interesting sonic experience walking from the hotel to the church. In 10 short minutes, I heard a brass band playing patriotic tunes, an alternative rock band (with two female musicians!), and a Suzuki violin class all doing outdoor performances.

The Friday night Bach Festival concert opened with the joyous Cantata 119 -- French-overture style, lots of loud, low notes and double-dotted rhythms. I had a fun time goofing around backstage with Tom Goeman (assistant conductor/organist/pianist) and Ben Butterfield (our distinguished guest tenor) before going back onstage to sight-read the choruses on Cantata 1.

Compartmentalization vs. Multi-Tasking/Day Job vs. Moonlighting

Several of you have inquired about how my new position at Curtis has impacted my performing career. 

I’m still preparing, practicing, and performing; the Bethlehem Bach Festival starts next week. 

But the schedule is different than before. Even though each career could demand all of my time and focus right now, it's not possible.

I previously wrote, “My [Curtis] job is about as 9 to 5 as it gets in the arts.” In times of intense concert or audition preparation, I would go home right at 5 and practice from 6 until midnight.   

I used to be entirely compartmentalized: When I left the office, I would put the blinders on, forget about it, become a different person, and focus entirely on my music.

Now I am working a lot of nights for concerts and donor events that sometimes last until midnight. I also have a lot more work and responsibility in general, which means a 9 to 5 day is impossible.

So my schedule and working style have had to change. Here are some examples:

Samantha Wittchen: Harpist, Sustainability Consultant, Writer, Artist

Sam Wittchen is a freelance harpist in Philadelphia and teaches harp at the University of Pennsylvania. She attended the Eastman School of Music where she studied with Kathleen Bride. Sam is a graduate of the University of Virginia and co-founded the sustainability firm iSpring. She is also a freelance writer for GRID magazine, as well as a freelance designer, and serves as board chair for Flashpoint Theatre Company.

Tell us how you ended up going from studying harp at Eastman to founding your sustainability firm.

Recap of ArtsReach Conference and Weekend in NYC

On Friday and Saturday I went on my first business trip to the National Arts Marketing Conference at NYU presented by ArtsReach. It was geared more toward ticket office managers and marketing directors but I got plenty of ideas for the Curtis Crescendo Club, corporate and foundation giving, and even Recovering Oboist!

Recovering Oboist is on Pinterest

I went from asking "What's 'Pinterest'?" to totally obsessed within a few hours. 

I'm told that it's used primarily for pictures, but I'm finding it incredibly useful to organize things I read and find on the interwebs. 

Big Week

Quick recap of a particularly busy week that's only halfway over!

Oboe

This week I achieved a goal I've had since age 18: I made a recording to enter in the Gillet International Oboe Competition. Countless thanks to pianist Tim Ribchester; recording engineer Drew Schlegel; and the Curtis Institute, where I recorded.

 

Don't Call it a Comeback

Faithful readers, please forgive my disappearance. If you saw my last post, you know that I went to Sunny California for a week. It was part business (audition for Santa Barbara Symphony) and part pleasure (hiking, shopping, wine tasting, concerts, beach, relaxing). 

Countless thanks to my wonderful hostesses, tour guides, and friends Dawn in Los Angeles and Jasmine in Santa Barbara.

When I returned to Philly and Curtis, I got the news that my esteemed supervisor accepted a position at The Wharton School. I am honored that Curtis has promoted me to his position of Director of Institutional Relations. This means that instead of just writing grant proposals and reports I now oversee all corporate, foundation, and government giving to the school and will supervise a new hire who will fill my old position.

Recovering Oboist Goes to L.A.

Readers, I'll be in Sunny California from January 17-23!

My trip includes two days in L.A., where I'll catch up with interviewee Dawn Webster and be the ultimate fangirl at LA Chamber and LA Phil concerts. Then I'll drive up to Santa Barbara for four days with my BFF Jasmine Yarish. 

I will be armed with my smartphone, laptop, and my new digital voice recorder so there's no limit to what I might post from the road! 

First person to name the SATC episode this still is from wins a souvenir from L.A.!  UPDATE:  Jeannine K. is the winner! 

Michael Lisicky: Oboist, Author, and Historian

Michael Lisicky is second oboist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He is also an author and historian and has written five books on the histories of downtown urban department stores. (Visit here or here to purchase.) He has been sought out by CBS Sunday Morning, Bloomberg, Fortune, and other leading news sources as an expert on this field.

Jacob Smith: Bassoonist, Arts Administrator, Tech Entrepreneur, and Father

Readers, I am very excited to share with you this interview from 2011 with someone I consider a friend, role model -- and inspired me to start this project. I think Jacob must have a Time-Turner to do everything he does. Enjoy!  --AM

Jacob Smith is principal bassoonist with the Academy of Vocal Arts Orchestra and plays frequently with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and is a substitute with The Philadelphia Orchestra. He is a former member of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. He studied with Nancy Goeres at Carnegie Mellon University and Danny Matsukawa at Temple University. 

Jacob is also Director of Development and Marketing for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (PCMS) and Marlboro Music Festival and School. He also owns a web company, Dinkum Interactive. He resides in Philadelphia with his wife Meghan and two sons, Rory and Duncan.

Go Read Somebody Else Today

The internet is a black hole, and today, in particular, I was derailed from my work -- including some new blog posts! -- by a few articles online that I want to share: 

My interviewees, many of whom do not fit into traditional molds or hold traditionally recognizable titles of success -- CEO, Concertmaster of A Major Orchestra -- instead define what success means to them and set and attain goals based on that. Today, Diane Ragsdale has an article considering how arts organizations might (re)define success in the 21st century, rather than continuing to benchmark against outdated or irrelevant goals. She cites what I found to be an interesting Times op-ed about social media.

Top 10 - 2012 Year in Review

Facebook wants me to click on some app to datamine my newsfeed Timeline into a year-end review. Instead, I'll do my own! It was an incredible year in which I fully embodied my motto to "Embrace the craziness." Top 10 after the jump.

"Go for it, but don't pay for it."

As we hit up post-holiday sales armed with gift cards, make New Year's resolutions to reign in spending in 2013, and hear more about the looming "fiscal cliff," I thought today would be a good day to talk about money. 

On that note, I wanted to emphasize something Dawn Webster said when I asked what advice she had for young people considering music degrees. She said:

"Go for it, but don’t pay for it. Having that debt is a very serious thing."

Jonathan Fink, cellist and Realtor®

Jonathan Fink is a cellist with the Philly Pops, Reading Symphony, Harrisburg Symphony, and Rittenhouse String Quartet. He is also a Realtor® with Keller Williams in Philadelphia. 

He is a graduate of Philadelphia College for the Performing Arts (University of the Arts) and resides in Fishtown with his wife Marjorie and children Ben and Hannah. Email or call Jon at (215) 805-5276. He would love to hear from you!

Updates from Interviewees

The Spokane Symphony is back to work -- catch its "Holiday Pops" next weekend. Bassoonist Luke Bakken (interview here) blogged about the labor dispute.

Composer Joseph Hallman (interview here) has launched a new website. His scores are available for purchase there, including Transfigured Carols, proceeds from which go to support the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. Earlier this week, Joe was named "Composer of the Day" by Composers Circle; a recording of his beautiful cello sonata is streaming at the link.

Mezzo Shannon Langman is featured in this recent article about the vocal scene in Houston. The author says she has "imagination and gumption in spades;" check out our interview (if you haven't already) and I think you'll agree.

Thank You!

Recovering Oboist has hit more than 2,000 pageviews! In honor of this milestone, I thought it would be fun to do another little progress report on the blog like I did a couple of months ago:

• Total pageviews: 2,109 and counting!
• Most popular post: Dan McDougall, 107 views and counting
• Second most popular post: #MajorAnnouncement, 101 views and counting
• Most popular page: Performance Schedule, 62 views and counting
• Readers represent the U.S. and 9 foreign countries.
• Most popular referring sites are Facebook, IDRS, and Google
• Popular referring search terms include names of colleagues, e.g., Nobuo Kitagawa, Mary Watt, etc.

Dawn Webster, trumpeter and acupuncture student

Dawn Webster is a freelance trumpeter and an acupuncture student at Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Los Angeles. 

Dawn studied music and environmental geology in her undergrad at Rutgers University and earned a Master of Music from Temple University studying with David Bilger.

One Reason Why I've Been M.I.A.

Readers, I miss you! As you know, the past two months have been crazy between my oboe life and my Curtis life. 

Now, some "extracurricular" projects are a priority for the next few weeks, including: For the second year in a row, I am serving as a volunteer grant panelist for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.

Greetings from the Inn at Bethlehem

Ok, not quite: Greetings from the Comfort Suites in Bethlehem, PA. I'm up here with The Bach Choir of Bethlehem for two days of our "Bach to School" educational programs for middle schoolers in the Lehigh Valley.

Shannon Langman, Mezzo-Soprano and Photographer

Mezzo-soprano Shannon Langman teaches and performs frequently in Houston, where she resides with her husband, tenor Gregory Smith. Shannon was a Young Artist with Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, New York and spent two seasons with The Ohio Light Opera. She has sung solo parts with The Houston Symphony and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Mexico.

Shannon received her Master of Music Degree in Opera Performance at The Moores School of Music at the University of Houston where she was the recipient of the prestigious Cynthia Woods Mitchell Scholarship. She is also the owner of Shannon Langman Photography, specializing in musician headshots.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation...er, rather, My Week

Dearest Readers,

I told you before that my oboe career is very unpredictable. Some weeks my life is more oboe-centric than others and last week was one of them. Three different concert programs in three very different environments, plus three days at Curtis (I took two vacation days for some of the playing jobs) and another event for the Curtis Crescendo Club. And an interview with Jon Fink for an upcoming post. And...and...zzz  #longweek  #collapse

I will work backwards, saving the best for last:

Update from Luke Bakken, Bassoonist in the Spokane Symphony

At the time I posted the interview with Luke Bakken, bassoonist and software developer, we had lost touch. Through the wonders of the internet we have reconnected. 

Luke is currently handling the Spokane Symphony strike as a member of the Players' Committee.

If you're not familiar with the dispute, check out Luke's new blog for a recap of what's happened so far. 

Interviewees' Shared Characteristics

Last week, I did three interviews in three days, so I am busy transcribing a lot of new exciting content that will be posted in the coming weeks.

I've now done more than a dozen interviews, and I'm even more amazed at the level of talent and passion of these people. I am honored that they took time out of their busy schedules to talk to me. Some common themes are starting to emerge:

#MajorAnnouncement

A few weeks ago, I was overjoyed to see an email that, at first glance, appeared to be from one of my favorite writers, Dan Savage. "He's FINALLY answered me after all these years?" I thought.

I opened the email and realized that it was from DYLAN Savage -- not Dan Savage -- pianist and Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

Dr. Savage is working on a book (title TBD) about the "transference of skills learned through music to other disciplines." The book will feature a section of first-person essays, and he has asked me to contribute a piece! 

Joseph Hallman, composer

Joe was one of my first friends in Philly and I have found his creativity, talent, passion, and kind personality to be inspriring ever since we first met. I hope reading this interview is as enjoyable for you as it was for me to do!  --AM

Composer Joseph Hallman has written works performed by brilliant musicians including Alisa Weilerstein and members of The Philadelphia Orchestra. He is adjunct professor at Drexel University. He earned a Bachelor of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Margaret Brouwer. 

Joe is an Administrator at the College of Liberal Professional Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also earning a Master of Liberal Arts at Penn. His capstone work is an ethnography of African-American Gay Male Youth at The Attic Youth Center in Philadelphia.