Swish and Flick

Yes, you might think I'm talking about transfiguration class.  Not so.  Conducting is way harder than transfiguration.  But the movements do have to be just as precise.  Aristotic teacher Maestro Lior Shambadal (chief conductor of the Berliner Symphoniker) had only given me a 'we already know you're a romantic' to my first comment, but Maestro Romolo Gessi (conductor of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra) gave me a 'perfetto' for my switch and flick rebound.  I live for compliments from Maestro Gessi.

You should have seen us all, about 4 women and 20 men practicing isolated 'baguette' (that is a reference to this paris adventure incase you missed that) technique, swooping our arms this way and that, balancing coins while we isolate one arm from another, and controlling the tip of our wands...

I my audition with them (yes, here! although that's just the door to the courtyard), they asked me to do several things that I had never done-- and never expected to do either. I have a lot to learn if I'm going to be on the same page as all the European conductors.  I still can't believe that they are letting me conduct with them.... I feel so far behind sometimes.

But there is much to be said for an eager student.  While walking home after 11pm, I pulled out my wand and started to practice some of the circle exercises ('on guard' to any strangers in the little alleyways!), and continued all of the exercises upon arriving at home, including waving my arms around like a crazy person on the ground.  Ya, at the end of the day, when half of us look bored and the other half dead, I'm still soaking up as much information as possible, intently staring from the conductors to my score to the students. I'm so glad that they value thirst.  Thirst for knowledge I mean.  and I most definitely get that from my parents.  Good thing they value that.  And good thing they somehow can feel your innate musicality even when I can't show it perfectly yet.