Winter is over, thank F

Weather in Toronto is finally starting to shape up, Forecast tells me that the temperature should hit around 22 degrees, which i will lovingly accept. You would think that the weather out side might want me to practice a lot less, but since my studio is only about 12 minutes walk from my apartment the sun is actually making me get down there more. I think it all has to do with transit guilt, You don't want to pay any cash to ride a street car for what would end up being less than two minutes, but you also don't want to walk through all that slush snow, cold wind shit, just to go practice ether. Whatever the reason, I'm just glad I'm logging more hours in.

Last night I checked out the TSO in the final concert series of the "New Creations" festival. They Played Jacques Hétus' Concerto for Organ as well as Messiaen Turangalila Symphony.
Organ Concerto was actually quite different from what i anticipated, There was only one moment when the organ was playing that huge blasty blow the face off you. style was was exposed to so much in music school. it was a pretty reserved, even a little quiet to my ears, but that could of been my seats as well...I was thinking about how great it would to be to get my hands on a score of this work as some of the harmonies just sounded very hip. It was great

Turangalila was just huge and awesome, Id had heard the piece a number of times, as a result of a former teacher turning me on to it a number of years ago. even sending me a on a chase to track down a recording that featured two of my former teachers playing it with Ozawa and The Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra sounded great, I was really taken back by the Tam Tam player Mark Duggan. The sound of that Tam tam was so low, thick, it wrapped you up when it was played, In a part that is usually bashed and filled with high overtones, this performance was a whole new world!! The whole percussion section was actually great, the sound choices in the cymbals were really interesting, all of the mallet parts killed, and it was great to see my Timpani teacher tackled a bass drum. Lovely lovely night!



After three straight weeks of dance classes I'm finally in a bit of a lull, which i may regret later, but right now is very nice. Upcoming gigs include Shostakovich 5, and Carmina Burana, which
I'm pretty excited for

The Shostakovitch is actually with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, under Alain Trudel, I come in for the dress and gig and get a days work out of it. I am happy about this and a little shocked, this city must be teeming with young percussionists, I don't understand why one of their teachers doesn't take note that there is a spot available in the orchestra. I mean it has a fantastic conductor, and plays some heavy rep! I would have killed for this chance when i was at that age. I mean, We played the Vaughn Williams overture to the goddamn Wasps for 8 months when I was in a youth orchestra back home in 2003


The Carmina Burana is with the Brampton Symphony I'm playing timpani for this performance, Which I am over the moon for. I played this part last with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra in April 2007 and really had a blast with the part. I did not expect the chance to play it again so soon! Its a really fun timpani part, well all timpani parts are fun. but this one has lots of great solos and exposed stuff, not to mention a tone of places where your just allowed to kick ass!, Im pumped!



Other listening has included a shit load of Ron Hynes, Which makes me really look forward to my trip back to Newfoundland in June!