ITEC wrap-up

I arrived at the airport almost 2 and a half hours before my departure this morning so that the Mikes could get back to Ithaca on time (they're playing in the band for the IC Wind Conducting Symposium. Had I known this was going on AFTER ITEC, I would have maybe tried to participate as a conductor and get credit for it. Dr. Steve Peterson, director of band as IC, is one of my musical heroes. More on that some other time.). I've been trying to keep busy via my BlackBerry, and happened to open up the Tasks application.

This little lifesaver, which is often packed with reminders and deadlines, and basically dragged me through the rigors of applying for grad school and getting through my job alive, is empty.

What am I going to do before the move?

I suppose a better question would be, "what would I like to accomplish before I move to Denton?". The only thing I have on this list is to try and throw a good amount of my effort into doing a lot of playing, while trying to think about getting that "easy" sound that more put-together players have. I know after already seeing some residual effects of the conference's many performances that it is a reasonable and achievable goal. Of course I'll have ensemble audition music to practice and material to review for placement exams, so I'm sure I'll keep busy.

Overall, the conference was a very important experience for me, one of several over the last few weeks. It's been overwhelming at times: tears have been shed, sentimentality has been felt, moods have been altered, sleep has been lost. My views on most things in my life have changed quite a bit, especially over the last 2-3 years. I've always been very goal-oriented, but I have shifted some importance from the outcome of the process to the process itself. Although we are often found navigating unexpected detours, the journeys of all sizes these last few years have paid incredible dividends.

Perhaps this is where I've found much of the patience that is now, in my opinion, a normal part of my character. It was not always this way (and let me tell you, nothing helps you become more patient than teaching middle school band...): had my experience with my trip out to Dayton happened a few years ago, I would have lost my mind. I was able to step back and being pretty reasonable about the situation.

I had not expected the bad weather, but was glad that I acted when I did to move my flight. I did not like having my horn under the plane, but I nabbed the last available seat on the flight, and would not have made it to Ohio until the following day if I hadn't acted.

My bag was not lost; at least we knew where it was. There were plenty of alternatives if my bag didn't arrive, and in the end, it worked out. All it took was a little more driving and a little less sleep.

Finally, the horn. This is tricky, because I could easily blame myself for taking the risk of bringing it along when I didn't "need" it. One thing is certainly my fault: I should have waited with the horn until it was picked up by someone working with the baggage. Then I could have looked them in the eye and told them what was up. I have learned my lesson with that. Still, I could have ended up with worse (the Mikes actually seem to like the "melted" look).

It's also nice to have friends who can remind you of where your problems fit into the big picture. I didn't get stuck anywhere, didn't have to spend an extra money, and didn't have to go out of my way (besides the luggage).

As I said before, this experience is going to prove to be very important for me. It's helped me put a few pieces together in my mind so that I can take that next step towards resuming my serious study of the euphonium. I'm glad that it's been such a tough yet rewarding month so far.