My real name

This being my first time to hear CWU’s Orchestra, I wasn’t sure what to anticipate as far as talent, sound, technique or structure other then what my folks went through in the 1960’s when there were members.  So I went in semi-biased.  CWU has mainly disappointed me with many things since we have moved here, and even though CWU is known for their music department here, in a way I was prepared to have yet another let down happen.  Boy was I thrilled when they didn’t!

This particular concert was a Masters of Music recital (meaning 2 master students were going to be graduating  this quarter and this was essentially their final).  The first piece was “Glaciers” by James Romig and conducted by Nikolas Caoile, Music Director and Conductor of the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra and Director of Orchestral Activities at Central Washington University. The meticulousness of this from the dripping water played by the harp and high strings to the slow, quiet middle was exquisite. Every move by every player was slow, deliberate and reigned in.  It happened to be an atonal piece, which I’m normally not fond of, but you could quite literally “feel” these massive chucks of ice slowly descending down to the water.  Even my goosebumps had goosebumps! You could see where the composer was taking you and building up to what you would think would be a huge crescendo end, but he fools you.  You quietly float into the ocean, serine and without drama.

The second piece “Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op 56” by Brahms was conducted by William Waag as his masters work.  As a player myself, Mr. Waag was interesting to watch.  You could see where he wanted to players to go, but he himself just looked very atonal. Unfortunate there was French horn placed in the Sweet Spot of the sound stage and I’m willing to bet he hadn’t looked at his music much as he slid into just about every note and couldn’t hold it very long. (Having played the French Horn for 10 years, I totally understand how hard this piece was, but there is NO excuse for what he did). It was very distracting and just soured the experience.  Mr. Waag also started reigning the players in too tight, and I couldn’t figure out why other than making an orchestra try to sound like a chamber group.  The whole thing felt pinched. Which was too bad as I love Brahms and it was a good selection of movements.

That last piece was Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasy by Tchaikovsky and was conducted by Sergey Bogza the last of the master’s students.  First let me say this, I would keep an eye out for this fellow!  He is an OUTSTANDING leader! Animated, concise, dramatic when needed and boy I tell you what, I’d love to play under him!  The one thing CWU did well was this group of kids, and he knew it.  He opened that group up and let them take the audience for a ride.  Big, bold, dark basses and bright, clear high ends. (Unfortunately the French horn still messed up and I’m sure during the love’s theme came up and all you heard was him and the strings he sucked stones, but hey, at that point I was too happy to care).  The climax at the end was just spot on filled with crushing drama and heart break and there was not a dry eye in the house.

CWU’s music department should not be afraid of giving these kids big, bold pieces and letting them run with them.  You could almost taste the Russian in the Tchaikovsky piece this afternoon.  They are hard enough to play, but they made it look pretty easy. Also, for being a person not really into atonal pieces, should they find moiré like the Glacier, I’d gladly come back and listen. However, somebody please, please, please get those high brass some help!

(Source: cwu.edu)

I’m a space geek. Not hard core enough to have gotten an engineering/computer science/science degree.  More of a Liberal Arts/Know enough to be dangerous kind of space geek. I used to live near MSFC (Marshall space Flight Center) in Huntsville, AL, where my father worked on developing ISS (International Space Station).  I worked for the USSRC (US Space Flight Center) as a Space Camp Councilor and then later moved up to reservations and special reservations when I was in college. I also joined SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) where I not only met some of the coolest people (including one of 4 Carrie’s who is an incredible artist as well as a science geek in her own right. I totally idolize her work and can say she was one of the reasons why I started my artwork back up) including my now ex-husband Matt (we are still friends so don’t think too badly of him). I really, really wanted to go to Kennedy and watch a one Shuttle Launch, but never made it and won’t really be able to do so this April for the last. I personally like to hear Houston say, “Press for MECO” (Main Engine Cut Off) which means the Shuttle was safely delivered to her destination in space. I’ve also come to a startling conclusion, I’ve never tried photographing anything in the night.  No stars, planets, meteor showers, nothing.  That’s pretty stupid of me considering I have the equipment to do it and I currently live in an area where I can crawl out into a field and not have the Seattle light pollution screw up the view. But I’d be missing one important thing: my space friends.  Not the short green space friends, but the ones who taught me the planets and the constellations.  The ones who showed me Cassiopeia draping herself across the sky, or Draco the Dragon wriggling across the pole. It would be just me, and that gets kind of lonely.  Not that Steve would ever turn down hauling a telescope out with me or even a pair of binoculars, but sometimes, I miss hearing the ‘leet speak of the engineers, or the debate of to use cells or nanites in a project, or the happy chatter of why a failure of a tethered satellite was a good thing as it proves a sling shot effect works. I’m pretty sure, most of these folks won’t even have a clue that I was ever listening and learning, as I was just an education major, not a science or engineering or computer major. However, in their own way they also inspired me to learn. May not have been a formal education, but I at least figured it out.  So, I figure, if I take time to “Stop and figure out the acronyms” I should also take sometime to get back into my space suit.  After this show ends in April, I’ll consider finding a really good field, hauling out the camera gear and sitting down and watching a few stars/satellites/ISS/meteors go by. Hey, even from space sparkling things make pretty photos too.

(Source: indigofugue.com)