Duo with my Teacher

This concert was very special to me because I played with my role model, mentor, and teacher growing up. She provided me with a example of how to be a professional and I wanted to be just like her!

Great Water Music Festival

I won't be blogging tomorrow and not much on Saturday because I'll be playing flute in the Great Water Music Festival Pops Orchestra this weekend. It's right by a beautiful lake underneath a tent. (The bugs are awful), but it's quite an experience. We're playing Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, Lincoln Portrait by Copland, and other patriotic favorites.


At least it gets me away from checking my email for agents!!!

What are your plans for the weekend?

My Concert on Saturday

If you have an account on You Tube, please rate it for me!

Video of Dress Rehearsal

I finally figured out how to get this on You Tube! The video must be under 10 minutes, and the first movement was 11, so I had to cut the orchestra intoduction, and now it fits! Please watch and rate if you have a few minutes.

Pictures of the Concert!

I want to thank all of my friends for voting for the black and white dress a few days back. I went with a tiel and black dress along the same lines and I got a lot of compliments on it. Thanks for your votes. You helped push me in the right direction!

As you can see, we both picked matching dresses because it was a double concerto and the audience loved it! (btw I'm the blonde one on the right) The harpist is on the left.

I'll be posting video of the dress rehearsal, we couldn't take pictures or video of the concert though. Here's the pictures of the dress rehearsal:






The concert went so well! I'm 95% happy with my performance. There was a slip up in the first cadenza, but all went smoothly after that. Thanks to all of my family and students that attended!

My Busy Weekend!

This weekend was all about flute! We had a wedding to play on Saturday morning at Castleton, (where my sister got married), a beautiful place in Windham NH for events and functions. It was 54 degrees! My flute felt like ice in my hands, so all of you out there wanting to get married in the morning in September in New Hampshire, you need to remember how cold it is and think of your poor musicians playing outside! (Nevermind the bridemaids dressed in short gowns...brrrrr)

Then, we rehearsed for three hours for our concert on Sunday at the Pleasant View Retirement Home. Pictures below:





The concert went very well, and we even managed to put someone to sleep! I think it's a compliment because our music was so calming. I'll have video up later so you can listen and even see the audience member falling asleep in the back! The rest of them recognized Eine Kleine, Sheep May Safely Graze, and Pachelbel's Canon. They had trouble recognizing the Air by Bach though. Maybe we'll pick something else for next time.

I also finished the third round of re writes for Nebula's Music. I've never reworked anything in this capacity and depth before. Lyrical Press really pushes their authors to turn out their best and that's awesome. I can't wait to see the finished product.

What did everyone else do this weekend???

Facade Accepted by Emerald Tales!

I am so excited to annouce that my short story, Facade, was accepted into the November Sci fi/Fantasy issue of Emerald Tales. They had 125 submissions, so I feel very lucky that they picked mine!

Here is the link to their site.

In other news, I'm preparing for a concert next weekend at the Pleasant View Retirement Home Sunday September 20th at 2pm.



I know it looks like more of a mansion than a retirement home. Can I live there?? Anyways, It's violin, flute, and harpsichord and we are playing selections by Scarlatti, Mozart, Bach, and Faure. It's all beautiful music and easy listening. It's also free and open to the public!

In other news, I was not cast as a "flutist" for the visa commercial. It took me three days to get over it and be able to post about it, but here I am looking forward and not backward. I'm off to finish my first set of line edits for "Nebula's Music." I've added scenes to make her look more human and likeable and explain why Radian loves her. Rewrites are so difficult! But it makes the story that much better.

Labor Day Update

The Nightbird Anthology is out in print and can be ordered here!

My short story, Spirit Flight is on page 126.


And I'm happy to report that my short story, Sea Storm's Castaway is published online at Silver Blade.



This is very special for me because my critique partner's story went out in the same issue. You can find her story here.

As for the commercial, I'm still waiting for a call. I went down for a call back last week and they've narrowed it down to 6 flutists. Only me and one other had piccolos as well, and only I had the music memorized. My audition went spectalcularly well so it's hard for me not to hope. I also got to meet "McG" the director of Terminator Salvation and Charlie's Angels, which was way cool seeing that I love movies. It was worth going down there just for that.
I want to thank my devoted sister, Brianne, for going down with me the second time. And I want to thank my devoted critique partners, Cherie and Christine for my writing success!! Thanks guys.

As far as Labor Weekend went, I had two weddings to play at (both on the same day ah!) and went to my brother's house to ride and pet his horses, which was very relaxing. Chris drove the tractor and cut some of their overgrown grass. What did everyone else do for Labor Day?

Call Back!

The casting Agency in Boston called me back today. I'm going back at 4:40 tomorrow to play the 1812 Overature on flute and piccolo for the producers of the commercial!!

What is a call back exactly? How many flutists do you think they'll be listening to?
Any ideas or experience in this area would be much appreciated!

My Audition for a Visa Commercial!

Visa is teaming up with Gillette Stadium and The Patriots for another commercial. The theme of the commercial this time around is "Visa never misses a beat."

A Boston casting agency called me last week and asked me to come and audition on my flute and piccolo, playing the 1812 Overature. (I guess this is what they play when The Patriots get a goal...I don't know, I don't watch football!)

Anyways, they needed a "Woman flustist" and although I look more like a girl than a woman, I thought I'd give it a try.

It was the strangest audition of my life! The first part was normal, they asked me to talk about how long I've played flute, where I studied, yadda yadda, and then they taped me playing the melody from the 1812 overature on both flute and piccolo. That was fine too. I nailed it.

But then, they had me act out a skit with a kazoo. I was suppoed to run in, pick a purple kazoo, pay for it with Visa, play the 1812 overature into the Kazoo, pretend to see a parade and run away. Now all of these directions were given to me in the span of ten seconds and then they started taping. The first two takes, I got all my lines, but I forgot the pay with my Visa!!! In other words, I was stealing the kazoo. And I forgot the most important part and the point of the whole commercial! The third take I got it. Phew! But I had to apologise, you know that I'm a musician and not an actress!! They asked for a flutist, not the next Jennifer Aniston!

Anyways, I thought overall it went well, and I want to thank my brother's girlfriend, Mau, for helping me through it and pretending to be the cashier so I wouldn't forget to pay!

But, anyways, if I get the job or not, look for the next Visa commercial and see if they indeed have a flutist! It's supposed to run nationwide, so you'd see it.

Wedding at Prescott Park in Portsmouth

This was a lovely wedding that I played at last Saturday. Prescott Park is a historic location in Portsmouth, NH that is next to Strawberry Banke. Located along the waterfront, there are 42 buildings that represent a span from 1695-1950.

"It has numerous houses,reconstructed wharfs, shops, gardens, several WWII era exhibits. The present-day site known as Strawbery Banke has a long and rich history, stretching back to the earliest years of English settlement in New England. In 1630 Englishmen chose this tidal inlet of the Piscataqua River as a safe harbor for their first settlement; they called their outpost Strawbery Banke for the profusion of wild berries they found near the river.

By the eighteenth century the site was a thriving waterfront neighborhood in an important seaport renamed Portsmouth (in 1653); in the nineteenth century it evolved into an immigrant neighborhood known as Puddle Dock; and by the latter half of the twentieth century it had recaptured its original name, this time as an outdoor history museum. Throughout these centuries of change people lived and worked here, experiencing in a small, personal way, the major events and currents of America's history."

taken from this website.


After the readings, there was a special moment when the bride picked Arioso by Bach to be played on solo flute.

I played at a wedding at Robert Frost's House!

Yes, that's right, Robert Frost used to live right down the street from me in Derry, NH. Now his house is a public park, and people can go visit to walk in the meadow, take a hike on a trail, or even get married. What was especially cool about the ceremony was that one of the readers recited one of his poems.

Rose Pogonias

A saturated meadow,
Sun-shaped and jewel-small,
A circle scarcely wider
Than the trees around were tall;
Where winds were quite excluded,
And the air was stifling sweet
With the breath of many flowers, --
A temple of the heat.

There we bowed us in the burning,
As the sun's right worship is,
To pick where none could miss them
A thousand orchises;
For though the grass was scattered,
yet every second spear
Seemed tipped with wings of color,
That tinged the atmosphere.

We raised a simple prayer
Before we left the spot,
That in the general mowing
That place might be forgot;
Or if not all so favored,
Obtain such grace of hours,
that none should mow the grass there
While so confused with flowers.

Here are the pictures! His farm is the white house in the back.

PSU Flute Choir Photo

Well, another year is wrapping up at Plymouth State University, and the PSU flute choir performed last Wednesday night at the Spring Chamber Winds Concert.

Here's the picture!

We played an excellent arrangement of Scarlatti's Quintet, published by Megido Music.

Good job guys!

Orchestra Concert March 28th

And we are playing Star Wars!!! I'm so excited.

Flute and Harp Recital

Thursday January 29th, 2009 at 7pm I am playing at the Manchester Community Music School with harpist virtuoso, Piper Runnion-Bareford, and Chris. We are playing the Mozart Concerto in C, Piazzolla's The History of the Tango, Faure's Sicilienne, Corigliano's Voyage, and Ibert's Entracte.

It's free! Please come, bring everyone you know...

Tomorrow I'm playing in an opera...

Everyone is invited to Amahl and the Night Visitors tomorrow at 4pm at Ste. Marie's Parish 378 Notre Dame Ave in Manchester, NH. There is a wonderful cast, directed by Phil Lauriet of the Granite State Opera. It is the story of the three wise men, sung in english (thank goodness right?) featuring my friend and colleague, Anna Dwyer as Amahl's mother.

Hope to see you there!

What a Weekend!

This past weekend flew by, packed with loads of events.

New Hampshire Band Directors Honors Band Auditions:
On Saturday I judged the NHBDA Honors Band taped auditions for five hours at the Dover Middle School. There were 38 entrants, and it took five hours non stop to get through all of them.
I was surprised by the high level of playing each applicant demonstrated, and how well prepared everyone was! The competition was steep, and the top ten flutes should be proud!

Wedding at Newton Center Baptist Church
After judging, Chris and I played a beautiful ceremony at the Newton Center First Baptist Church for a holiday themed wedding. We played all the old favorites, such as Ave Maria and Jesu Joy of Man's Desire, and some lyrical Christmas favorites, featuring a version of O Holy Night. It was gorgeous! The bridesmaids wore a deep Christmas red, and they decorated the church with poinsettias. What a wonderful idea for a wedding.

Flute Recital at Plymouth State University
On Sunday, my student at PSU gave her senior recital. I conducted the PSU flute choir as they premiered a new work written for the event titled "Eagle Lake." It was a great performance, and all of the players should be proud.

What a whirlwind of a weekend!

Nutcracker anyone?

Time for some Holiday Tradition!
I'm playing flute in the Nutcracker at the Franklin Opera House.

The performances are:

Friday, December 19th – 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 20th – 2:00 PM (Matinee)
Saturday, December 20th – 7:00 PM

The website is:

http://www.franklinoperahouse.org/

You can purchase tickets online.

All State Success!!!

Congratulations to two of my students that made All State for 2009!

Alexandra Evans made the All State Concert Band on flute.

Julia Rosen made the All State Orchestra on piccolo. She received the 2nd highest score in the state on piccolo and the 7th highest score in the state on flute.

I'm proud of everyone who tried out this year! You all worked so hard.

All State Auditions

Good Luck to all of my flute students participating in the All State tryouts this weekend!

I am proud to have five high school students trying out, and two college students assisting with the auditions.

I know it's a nerve splitting process, but it makes you stronger as a musician and as a person. No one likes rejection (authors above all else come accross this more times than not), but if you can get through the process, the end result is totally worth every dejection along the way!

Feel free to post any All State stories or experiences that you've come accross in your flute playing!