A Little Improvisation

So, my thirty day project has sort of fallen flat on its face since I got back to the States. I'm a little disappointed, but not surprised, as I always find it difficult to keep writing when I back home in the States. There is something about being in Europe – perhaps it's foreignness and the isolation that entails – that makes writing easier. Part of it has also been as issue of time. I've found it hard to carve out the time for the blog with these past two weeks' intense schedule. One special treat about this tour has been that I have been travelling with friends – something very special for me, being so accustomed to travelling alone all the time. We have shared countless laughs on this trip, and on top of our packed schedule of travel, rehearsal, and performances, I've found I've wanted to spend many of my free moments catching up with these friends from my Marlboro family and enjoying the company.

Wednesday evening, after arriving in Washington, DC, I was getting ready for a reunion with my 6^th grade best friend, when I received a text message with some sad news – my duet partner for the tour was letting us know that she was ill and would not be able to complete the rest of the tour. Wishing her a speedy recovery, we immediately went into crisis mode, trying to figure out how to make the show go on. After a variety of options were explored, it was decided that Lydia and I would replace the two sets of duets with two sets of solo lieder. Thursday was a flurry of scrambling to find rehearsal space and then rehearsing these new pieces, with barely enough time to iron my shirt for the concert. Before we knew it, it was time for the concert, and I found myself explaining the unfortunate circumstances and announcing the program change to our very understanding DC audience.

The last two concerts and days have been a blur, as I put my blinders on, shutting out the noise of my nerves about having so little rehearsal for such nuanced music as much as possible and narrowing my focus towards giving everything I have to putting on a good performance for the lovely people who have been filling these halls to see us and support Marlboro.