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Notes from the Podium
by Tristan Arnold
We have a well-deserved three weeks off. I'm looking forward to kicking it into high gear. In the next seven months we have two more concerts plus the red gala, plus a trip to the United Kingdom!
Your first assignment is to enjoy yourself thoroughly over the break and spend time with your family that his hard to find during the average week.
Of course, you know I'm going to ask you to practice over the break. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't cause you a little anxiety: just the kind to motivate you to achieve what I know you can achieve. We have four rehearsals until we hit the stage of the Lincoln Theater with our soloists. As a extra little motivator, strings will be having seating auditions when we return from break during the first or second rehearsal. You'll be pulled aside and asked to play one or two sections from somewhere in the repertoire. It could be any measure from any piece, but you can bet it's going to be one of the more technically challenging spots. I'm listening for the amount of energy that you have put into preparing the music. That kind of foresight and initiative is what makes someone a leader, and a leader is who we need at the front of the section. Just an hour a day budgeted on the ten most challenging spots will quickly get them under your fingers. Use your metronome and track your progress from super-slow (working on intonation, fingering, bow coordination) all the way to performance tempo (by January 12).
Have a great break and I look forward to making more music with you in 2016!
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