So now I'm done with all of my registration stuff. Said "stuff" consisted of a music history placement exam, orchestra placement audition, appointment with my advisor, and a library tour. As for the first on that list, it was split into two halves: a baroque/classical half, and a romantic/modern half, with a general listening section at the end. I knew most of the romantic/modern ones easily, but the classical/baroque half was a disaster, with questions like "who was the music director at the court of Louis XIV?" I answered MAYBE half of the questions with any confidence, another 10 with some semi-educated guesses, and the last 10 I just left blank. And yet through some miracle, I passed out of both section of music history. Their standards must not be very high, heh.
As for the orchestra placement audition, I was well-prepared with excerpts, although I missed some stuff I don't often miss, and the sight-reading was pretty easy after all the reading I did at Tanglewood . . . the problem came at the beginning, when they asked for a concerto. They hadn't mentioned that on the sheet. I had started Dvorak about 5 days ago, but that wasn't memorized yet and I didn't have the music with me. So they said I could play something else, but Dvorak is pretty much the only thing I'm working on at the moment, as I'm waiting to discuss rep with my teacher. So I played the first movement of Arpeggione, which I haven't played for 3 months or so. It went surprisingly well, actually. That's kind of a piece I trust to be always in my fingers at the moment since I've spent SOOO much time on it, and sure enough it was pretty much mostly there, which is all I could ask for. So yeah, scary, but hopefully I did ok. I strongly doubt I'll get principal (unless it's rotating like at Eastman . . . not sure yet how they do that).
The appointment with my advisor was really nice. Unlike at Eastman, you actually sit down with your advisor and do the whole registration thing together, which makes sure everyone takes the classes they need to be taking. This semester is going to be quite busy, as I'm actually taking 18 credits (although we get 6 for lessons here), since I'm trying to get most of my grad requirements out of the way early, such as a counterpoint review theory course, and something called "graduate research", which I guess teaches one how to use primary sources to do research,which will be a very useful tool if I want to do a DMA. I'm also taking a seminar course on the Beethoven string quartets, which I'm very much looking forward to, which will fulfill the requirement that one take at least one seminar course.
And lastly, we come to the library. It's much, much smaller than Eastman's, of course, but it seems to have what I'll need. And if it doesn't, we have borrowing privileges at a few other libraries, including one apparently quite extensive library at NYU. Even better, it's attached to 3 different online music databases, so now I can stream a lot of music. It's also nice to have the likes of LexisNexis and ProQuest again, I can finally start reading a lot of things I couldn't afford to this past year (all that "subsciption required" crap). Being in school certainly has its advantages.

Well, time for the first update in a LONG time. I just got to NYC from Tanglewood a few days ago. I never felt like updating while at Tanglewood because, frankly, I hate typing on a laptop keyboard. It just feels so cramped. But anyways . . .

Tanglewood was pretty amazing, in many ways. I had a great string quartet, the sort of people I hope to have in every group I play in in the future. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun playing with anyone. And the performance went really, really well. Listening to the recording only confirmed that impression. Nice when that happens, for once. And Andrew Jennings is an amazing coach, for the record. He actually had our group play Haydn as new and exciting music, which in many ways it always will be, and it was a thrill to work with him. The other high point was the week I spent with Pam and Claude Frank working on the Schubert Bb piano trio. Admittedly, our group didn't gel quite as well, we had some issues early on, and some issues during the performance, but at least the day before the performance, I think we managed to get the piece quite well. Some things just didn't happen as I wanted them to, under pressure and all. But still the experience was great, the Franks were amazing coaches, and it was quite something to hear them play. I was lucky enough to play the entire scherzo movement with them when Pam wanted to demonstrate some things, and that was an experience, to be sure. Also, playing Don Carlo with James Levine and a bunch of MET singers was pretty cool too. Levine is by far the most interesting conductor I've ever worked with . . . he's someone who everyone who ever has the chance should work with, I learned so much from him. What a musician.

Anyways, beyond that, the orchestra was pretty damn good (by far the best I've worked with), and we definitely has some great performances, and some performances that went better than they had any right to. I made some friends as well, and fortunately for me, a lot of them are New York people, so I'll be seeing many of them this year. I now know quite a few Juilliard folks, which is good, since that's the school I figured I'd have the least contact with of the three, being that Manhattan is right across the street.

Anyways, as for New York . . .
I'm so glad to be living here in many ways, but in others it's an adjustment. The room I'm living in at I-House is quite small . . . or was, anyways, until I moved my bed. Now it actually feels like I have plenty of space, and am quite content with it. Everything is expensive here, but actually, food is still pretty affordable, especially produce. There are so many stands around here selling fruits and vegetables, that it's actually pretty easy to find good deals on those things, basically as cheap as the public market in Rochester. Like I bought 3 very nice red and yellow peppers for a dollar the other day. That made me happy. And 4 peaches for the same. Happy day. And speaking of food, the dining center here at I-House is actually quite good and the prices are very reasonable. So it looks like food isn't going to break my budget, something I had worried about. Other than that, I must admit, I don't have much of an opinion about this place or New York yet, as, well, I haven't done much. I've been on a little mental vacation, doing a bit of practicing, but mostly doing nothing, which is exactly the way I like it. I'll have plenty of time later to get all busy and do fun and exciting New York things, but for right now, I'm content to do nothing.

Wandered down to Central Park the other day with a future Mannes student and friend from an earlier festival (pretty much the only thing I HAVE done since getting here, aside from occasional trips to the local supermarket, which is AMAZING I might add). We definitely managed to walk down the wrong street to get there, which in the day obviously is fine, but it drove home the fact that until I know the city better, I should restrict my night-time wanderings. New York seems funny that way, some places are really nice, and then 2 blocks later, you have an entire few blocks of, well, projects. Kinda like Rochester in that sense, except a bit more surprising, since in Rochester you EXPECT that.

Anyways, in the spirit of doing nothing, I might add that yesterday I finally acheived my long-time goal of breaking 120 seconds on the expert mode of Minesweeper, completing it in 106. Go me.

More updates pending as more stuff actually happens.