Taking Note

Arizona, Revisited

2012-02-07T04:38:00.001-07:00

After yesterday's day off spent blogging, shopping at the grocery store, cooking my mom's soup, tending to my battle wound, practicing, and watching a movie, I definitely feel ready to tackle six shows in a row starting tonight.

The sun is shining here in the Netherlands. And, you know what they say: write blogs while the sun shines.

...they don't say that? Oh...

Regardless, it's a perfect time to catch up on some happenings from the fall.

Right before we made it to Arizona back in November we stopped in Austin for a short bit. Having first visited Austin in 2003, one of the things I've always remembered was watching the bats on the Congress Avenue Bridge. The bridge is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world, and every night throughout the summer the bats emerge at dusk to begin their night. It's a pretty incredible experience and it's free to watch! Thanks, Nature!

I never really wrote about our visit to Arizona right after Texas, though I did write a thank you note of sorts, inspired mainly by my experience in Gilbert.

It was incredible being home, and Arizona brought its A game with perfect November weather. My parents once again had Barrage over for dinner, my mom made her soup (the same I made yesterday), and we finished the night with a jam in my backyard. Dean, Barrage's music director and a former Canadian National Fiddling Champion, even joined in. It was an incredibly inspiring thing, sitting in a circle jamming in my backyard with the musical mastermind of Barrage, the guy whose music motivated me for so many years. The man is a genius. I'll never forget that night.

Beautiful moon in the backyard.

The always popular "Ring Your Glow Necklace Around an Empty Bottle."

Sunset on the night of the first performance in Gilbert.

Another thing I'll never forget was in the first show when the lighting guy turned on the disco ball during the build of "Viva La Vida." We had yet to see the disco ball on and didn't know if it was going to be used. I nearly started crying on stage because the timing of it couldn't have been more overwhelming -- writing about it right now actually just gave me chills.

I certainly can't speak for all of the members of Barrage, but I could not have been more impressed by the students at Highland. I think Barrage was getting annoyed with me talking about Highland because I was so excited for the visit, having worked with them on their retreat, but I think they all understood why after we spent a few days there. Bill Bitter and Amy Bennett have undeniably built one of the best orchestra programs I have seen in my travels, and it's filled with some of the most wonderful high school students I have met. I haven't stopped by Highland since the residency as we've had tour every day they've been in school, but I hope to catch them again before school is out in May!

It was also a great week because we traveled east out to Eager/Springerville, a region of the state I'd not previously visited. I've always loved Arizona's extreme geographic diversity (I have one word for you: Sedona) and the drives did not disappoint. I didn't get pictures because I was driving, but we did stop at Salt River Canyon and I snapped this photo.

Salt River Canyon.

In hindsight, our week in Arizona could not have been more perfect. I had time to take the band to some of my favorite restaurants, the weather was perfect, and the residency at Highland went off without a hitch. Thank you again to all of the students, Bill, Amy, my family and friends, and everyone who made that experience what it was.

I should probably go now to take advantage of the time I still have before today's call.

But, a quick update on the leg: the wound opened up while I was in the shower yesterday evening and stayed open for the rest of the night. I put a band-aid on it before I went to bed, though, and it didn't bleed while I slept (which it had the night before). The healing process continues!

Also, I can now confirm practicing scales with an open wound makes you feel incredibly hardcore. I laugh in the face of danger!

Taylor: 400+, Stage: 3

2012-02-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

There's a point in the show, during the encore, when I get a running start from the audience, leap onto the stage, and propel myself high into the air.

Usually I measure the height of the stage before the show, as I know I can jump onto a stage no higher than an inch above my belly button; anything higher and I'll take the stairs or set down my violin and pull myself up.

In the 3.5 years I've done the show, I've successfully executed this jump hundreds of times.

Last night marked the third time I have failed.

The first time was a few years ago at a venue in Florida. While I had noticed the curtain across the front of the stage, I had not realized it was being held up by a round, brass rail an inch in front of the stage. When I jumped, my foot made contact with the curtain, encased around the brass rail, and instantly slipped back to the ground. It was shocking, because I had never not made the jump. At first, I couldn't really process what had happened. I remember turning to look at the people in the front row, who seemed confused and bewildered...as though not making the jump was somehow intentional.

The second time was a few months ago at a school show. The students had set their cellos and basses in front of the stage (a common occurrence), and it seemed from the top of the aisle I would have space to fit in between the instruments. I realized right before I started to jump, however, that my left foot was about to clip some cello's scroll. Since breaking an instrument would be pretty awful, I instinctively moved to the right, losing all of my momentum though already physically committed to the jump. My right leg made it up and over the edge, fully extended onto the stage, while my left foot stayed on the ground, hopping, trying to maintain balance so I could pull my right leg back down. Crisis averted. No injury to a student's instrument or my person.

Last night's theatre required that I run down a huge set of stairs, ending maybe four feet in front of the stage, and then jump. In theory, I should have made the jump: it was an inch above my belly button. In practice, I didn't have enough momentum coming off the stairs.

What ensued was a comedy of errors.

My right foot made contact with the stage and slipped off. Since I still had momentum forward, however, my shin grated against the edge of the stage as my leg was coming back down. I had a one bar solo coming up, so my first priority was to get on the stage for my solo. I pulled myself up, hit my mark, and played my one bar solo...only to discover that the collision had knocked my violin wildly out of tune. About the same time, one of my suspenders popped off my pants and proceeded to flap about wildly during our next bit of choreography where we jumped in place while playing.

I was laughing so hard onstage at the hilarity of everything that I failed to become acutely aware of the pain in my shin until we bowed and I ran off stage. I found some light, looked down at my pant leg, and realized I was bleeding through my pants. I pulled up my pant leg to examine my battle wound, and my hearing kicked back in...

...no, it can't be...they're asking for a second encore?!

Of course the night I collide with the stage, bleed through my pants, knock my violin out of tune, and lose a suspender, is the night the audience asks for a second encore!

The band went back out and started playing "Rasputin" while I tried to pull myself together.

I attempted to tune my violin, but it was a lost cause. For situations like this, we keep a spare violin offstage, tuned and ready to go. So, I made the necessary equipment changes, re-clipped my suspender, and went onstage just in time to sword fight with Shaina. In hindsight, that little fact could not be more poetic.

Ironically enough, I'd been having a great show, one of my best in recent memory. And yet, in last minute of the encore, almost everything that could go wrong did, and incredibly so.

I skipped the signing for the night and cleaned up my bloody leg in the bathroom. The theatre manager grabbed a first aid kit and put some disinfectant on my wound, small but surprisingly deep. It's pretty swollen and sore today, but it should heal just fine.

Rest assured: the stage may have won this battle, but it certainly has not won the war.

-----

In other news, my mom's famous beef barley soup is now cooking away on the stove. It makes me unbelievably happy that eating it here in the Netherlands on a day off has become a tour tradition. Dinner in two hours!

Action Verbs: Cook, Practice, Create.

2012-02-05T04:43:00.000-07:00

You know those days when you are heading to bed and whatever you did in the morning feels like it must have been weeks ago because you did so much during your day?

That was yesterday's day off. And it was awesome.

Here's what I first saw out my bedroom window yesterday morning:

How could it not be a good day after that?

I kicked it off by inviting the band over for breakfast and cooking Dutch pannenkoeken (thicker than crepes, thinner than pancakes) for everyone. I have cooked them a few times at home, picked up some tricks along the way, and found myself preparing them more consistently. Pannenkoeken has become one of the few things I feel really confident about making, which in turn makes them more fun to prepare...it's one of those the-better-you-are-the-more-fun-it-is things. [Young musicians, take note: playing an instrument is definitely one of those things!]

I watched some inspirational videos of musicians on YouTube and parlayed that inspiration into an afternoon of practicing.

We went to dinner at a restaurant across the street. More of a miss than a hit for me, but it was still shared with great people.

Then, a group of us watched the Janine Jansen documentary on the really nice TV here in our house.

All in all, a great day off. Few actual activities, but all quality, great ones.

We've got a show today, another day off tomorrow (!), and then the ever-popular six shows in a row.

Before I leave to go on a run with Kiana, there's this quote I want to share that's been on my mind.

I'm not much of a magazine reader, but since I joined Barrage and found myself on planes all the time, I have become an avid reader of Esquire. I love the variety of content, I love the way it's written and laid out, and I love the experience of reading it. I don't have a subscription because I'm never home, but I think I've read nearly every issue in the past three or so years because I actively look for new issues in airports.

Anyway, every once in a while I read something in an issue that sticks with me. Maybe it's because I'm a musician, or a blogger, or even just a pannenkoeken enthusiast, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about this quote. So, I'll leave you with it:

"You should make something. You should bring something into the world that wasn't in the world before. It doesn't matter what that is. It doesn't matter if it's a table or a film or gardening--everyone should create. You should do something, then sit back and say, 'I did that.'" - Ricky Gervais, Esquire (February 2012)

Second Home, Sweet Second Home

2012-02-01T06:36:00.001-07:00

We arrived yesterday morning in the Netherlands and we're already settled in! These bungalows in the woods really feel like a second home to me.

...that a bungalow in the woods of the Netherlands feels like a second home is absolutely crazy! After all, this is our fourth time at the same place in three years, so we've definitely begun to know our way around. But still, it's nonetheless absurd.

As I've written before, the best thing about being here is not staying in a hotel room. We've got kitchens, couches, and bedrooms! Here's mine:

Look, mom! I even made my bed this morning!

The other great thing about being here is getting time in the mornings on the couch to blog. That being said...

It's been a whirlwind of a tour since my last post.

We started in Atlanta and worked our way toward New York, giving me a chance to meet up with friends along the way, and even for the band to spend a day off in New York City!

With Tara in Alpharetta, GA -- one of my best friends from high school who just moved to the area!

Outside DC with Bethany and Katie, two bridesmaids from Nora's wedding, and Emma, a great friend from college at her fourth Barrage show!

With Barrage alum, Annette, in NYC's Union Square! (Can you tell it's winter from all of the scarves in the last three pictures?)

Mini cupcakes in NYC.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

First stop: musical instrument collection.

An unused string from Paganini's violin case!

Second stop: European paintings, specifically the area with paintings by van Gogh and his contemporaries. I'm a real sucker for Impressionists and post-Impressionists. (Coincidentally, my favorite composers tend to have composed around the same times.)

Why, hello there, Juilliard!

At the NYC Ballet in Lincoln Center. I purchased the cheapest seats thinking they were in the first balcony...only to find out that they were actually in the first row! It was awesome.

With my hilarious friend Matt in Fairfield, CT.

Each time I visit NYC, I like it more and more. The amount of stuff going on there is truly overwhelming -- there's always something to see, do, or experience. What an unbelievable place.

Well, it's been nice to sit on the couch all morning and catch up on stuff, but I am here, after all, for work. Time to go practice!

Fall 2011: I'm still getting by with a little help from my friends.

2012-01-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

Only two shows after a wedding in Mexico and I already feel like I'm settled comfortably back into tour.

Which, unfortunately, is a feeling usually coupled with a general anxiety about needing to get things done.

It's not always anything in particular...just, you know, things. E-mails, facebook messages, organizing my computer, updating iTunes, blogging, mailing coffee beans to my brother.

Things.

It was great to get down to Puerto Vallarta last week for the wedding of a best friend and former roommate, Nora. Not only did I get a chance to room and catch up with another best friend and other former roommate, Ryan, but it was also nice to relax, enjoy the beautiful weather, and take it all in.

The wedding party on the beach.

Reception cruise during sunset.

A dolphin appeared to swim along with the boat!

Nora with her awesome husband Casey. (How did I never get a photo with just the two of you the whole weekend?)

With Nora.

Here's a nice picture of the three former roommates...

...but this is what we look like most of the time.

I'm not even sure how many times I've been to Disneyland with Ryan, Nora, and her new husband, Casey, but I'm already looking forward to the next trip!

Speaking of traveling and friends, I was terrible this past fall at mentioning the fantastic people in my life who came to shows all over the US (and Canada, too!). As is still the tradition with this blog, I always post when a friend comes to a show. In something resembling chronological order:

Lauren and Bonnie, two amazing friends from college. Bel Air, MD.

Terra, a former studio-mate and great, violinist friend from ASU.

Allison, a friend from the road with one of coolest moms Barrage has met in recent memory. [Randomly, Allison holds the unique distinction of being the person from whom I first heard that Michael Jackson died.]

Kim, one of my longest friends (since 3rd grade!) and her boyfriend Nathan. West Chester, PA.

Ashley, another great friend from college and doctor-to-be! Bexley, OH.

Daniel and me with our fiddler friend, Thomas, whom we met at the Mark O'Connor camp in Charleston this past summer. Austin, TX.

Willie, a friend from ASU and cellist with the Skyros Quartet. Austin, TX.

Alex and Allison, two awesome, musician friends from ASU. Denver, CO.

With the incomparable Denis Dufrense! The very first "Violin C" in Barrage (the part I have today) and my personal idol for many, many, many years. Be sure to check out his band Pear, formed with his wife and Barrage alumna, Lynae! Calgary, AB.

With Marcus, friend and former quartet-mate from the Killington Music Festival. You can actually still see a picture of us playing together in 2007 on KMF's website, here! London, ON.

Thank you Lauren, Bonnie, Terra, Allison R., Kim, Nathan, Ashley, Thomas, Willie, Alex, Allison K., Denis, and Marcus for coming to see a show last fall!

I've always thought one of the best parts of playing with Barrage is not only getting to travel, but also getting to see friends who live in other places. One more reason I feel so lucky to be here -- when I'm one day no longer with Barrage, I'll definitely miss getting to see these people so easily!

Me : Tom Hanks :: Hong Kong Airport : "The Terminal"...kind of

2012-01-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Before China called and asked Barrage to perform this weekend on BTV's Chinese Spring Festival Global Gala (the big Chinese New Year celebration on TV), I had already planned to attend one of my best friends' wedding in Mexico, so separate travel arrangements were made for me to get back home and attend this wedding. This morning, we all left Haikou, China; I flew to Hong Kong and Barrage flew to Beijing.

Around 10 a.m., I arrived in Hong Kong, went through customs/immigration (since Hong Kong, though in China, is still somewhat run as a separate country), picked up my bags, checked in for a 1:00 p.m. flight to San Francisco, went back through customs/immigration again, and then caught my flight.

About one hour in, the captain informed us that an equipment light was malfunctioning and we were returning to Hong Kong to get it checked out. At this point, lots of fuel needed to be dumped for the landing, so jets of fuel started shooting out of the tips of the wings. I'd say, conservatively, this happened for 45 minutes.

Imagine, briefly, the captain telling you there is a minor problem and then seeing fuel gush out of the wings for must certainly be way too long...

But as he's the pilot and should know what he's doing, the proper amount had clearly been dumped when we safely landed back in Hong Kong. On landing, we were informed the flight was cancelled and we were all booked for the same flight tomorrow afternoon...which presented a problem because I fly to Mexico tomorrow morning.

Off the plane and through customs/immigration we went.

Quite amazingly, I was able to grab a seat on a flight to L.A. tonight, Thursday, at 11:45 p.m. If everything goes as planned, I should now arrive in Phoenix on Friday morning at 12:45 a.m.

Despite the fact that I will have been in Hong Kong and/or its airport and/or on a plane for what must certainly be an unhealthy amount of time, I'm ultimately just relieved to be safe and still on track to make the wedding.

Also, I'd like to point out the two most ridiculous parts of today:

1) Once I land tonight in L.A., I will have six new stamps in my passport from today's debacle: one from leaving China to go to Hong Kong, four from twice entering and twice leaving Hong Kong, and one from arriving back in the US.

2) In case you didn't catch this, I'm leaving Hong Kong at 11:45 p.m. on Thursday night and arriving in Phoenix on Friday morning at 12:45 a.m...

In conclusion, traveling is crazy.

In which I attempt to give thanks.

2012-01-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

It's January 6th and I'm back on the road. Currently, I'm at the beginning of a 6-hour layover in San Francisco. Then, I'll catch a flight to Shanghai (13+ hours), have another short layover with the whole band, and fly to Shenzhen. (I'll probably be arriving at my hotel in Shenzhen after midnight on Sunday morning, which is about 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, Arizona time.)

You see, then, why this is a perfect time to catch up on my blog! I mean, how else am I going to occupy myself for 6 hours at an airport? Plus, China blocks Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger, so I've got a neatly imposed deadline of departure this afternoon.

I started this post the day after Christmas and got sidetracked, so I'll just keep going with what I had and pick it up where I left off.

-----

It seems like Christmas 2010 was only a handful of months ago. I'm not really sure why, but I guess being gone for weeks on end probably has something to do with it...maybe it's because the amount of time I've spent at home since last Christmas is actually just a few months' worth?

And, as usual, this is the time of year when people are prone to looking back and evaluating the previous months. I can hardly think about the last 6 days or 6 weeks, let alone the whole year, without feeling overwhelmed.

I've been remiss in giving out thanks on this here blog to everyone I know who came to our November performances in Arizona. I tried to thank as many as possible personally, but know I've missed some. Mostly, this lack of thanks is a result of our crazy schedule and me barely even having time on tour to call my parents; partly, this is a result of me not really knowing how to go about thanking everyone properly.

I'd like to think I've matured as a writer since my last post-Arizona-shows-thank-you blog over two years ago, but when I go back to read it I feel just as stumped now as I remember feeling then.

I think what would really be easiest would be if somehow everyone to whom I needed to give thanks could be present at my house tonight. Everyone would be gathered in my backyard, and I'd stand up on some chair and just say, simply, "Thank you. Let's eat!" And then we'd all partake in a preposterously large feast of food I had cooked to show my appreciation.

Everyone would have arrived with empty bellies, brought their finest stories, and been forced to check any and all worries at the door. There would be outrageous fits of laughter throughout the night resulting in small groups of people doubled-over, clutching their stomachs. Everyone would be thrilled with the conversations they were having, but secretly envious of others down the table because it would appear as if they were somehow -- somehow! -- having even more fun.

All of the women in attendance would independently and involuntarily swoon over my mom's ability to out-Martha-Stewart Martha herself, and these women would be overheard saying crazy-sounding things like, "Wait, so you used a router to drill holes in hollowed-out gourds and then strung them up on a string of lights?! That's. So. Cute. I feel like I've died and gone to heaven!"

As the night continued, people would check their watches and realize regrettably how much time had passed. You know what they say: time flies...

Cue the smell of my mom's cookies baking in the kitchen. Ha! The night is still young.

There would be an impromptu jam session by the fire pit whose flames seemed to magically take direction from the musicians, sometimes crackling gently and often blazing with fervency. (Did I see hints of tiny, blue flames during that last ballad?) Those inclined to dance would do so. Others would tap toes, hoot and holler, read the fire-lit faces of those sitting across from them, and quietly wonder how they ever ended up at this crazy shindig.

Late into the night as the fire died down, there was no more food to be had, and people were exhausted from -- but not yet tired of! -- sharing and listening, everyone would be quietly taken aback.

People would feel inspired by the things they had heard and the new, lifelong friends they had just made. Laughs had been laughed and grins had been grinned. Everyone would know that no matter what happens, everything is going to be okay; after all, they were just part of this unexpected night and had witnessed and experienced how good people can be.

They would start to wonder how it could possibly be recreated. Could it be done again? With this food? With these people? How could one be perpetually surrounded by all of this? Perhaps one could become incredibly wealthy, buy a subdivision, and convince everyone to move in as to increase the chances?

There would be no end to the dreaming, because in that moment anything would seem possible.

Probable, even.

And everyone would be utterly, indescribably happy.

When I recognized all of this happening on people's faces, I would know I had successfully shared a glimmer of what I've felt so fortunate to witness and experience the past 3.5 years: the excitement, the company, the inspiration, the music, the amazement, the food, the good, the hilarity, and the overwhelming amounts of happiness.

And then, only then, would my thanks would be complete.

Camp Rocks

2011-10-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

As a kid, I never really went to summer camps. Or, rather, I never went in the way most people romanticize summers of their youths away at camp. I didn't spend summer by the lake, I didn't endure terrible cabin counselors, and I didn't write letters home about being miserable.

It's not as though I didn't have the opportunity to, it was more I was just busy doing other things. If you grew up in Arizona--or anywhere with a scorching hot summer, for that matter--you probably filled your summer with indoor activities; if you grew up in a place with blizzards and miserable winters, you probably relished the chance to leave your house not in a coat. Examples of my summer activities included art classes, fiddling programs, theatre workshops, Lego-building, and pretty much anything not outside. (You know those reading challenges libraries put on for kids during the summer? The kind where you get progressively cooler prizes when you read more books? I was all over those.)

A camp site near our venue in Mt. Gretna, PA. Canoes in the foreground, ropes-that-swing-into-the-lake in the background.

Now that I'm a grown "adult," I yearn for those summers away at camp in the way many people yearn for things they didn't have growing up. During my time at ASU, I went on a total of 10 retreats up into the mountains for different student organizations, and those were always my favorite weekends of the year.

Group campfires? Sign me up.

T-shirts? Done.

Ice-breakers? You had me back at campfires.

All that being said, you may just understand why two of my favorite activities in these past two months involved me going to camp: once as a camper and once as staff.

Back in August, Daniel and I went off to the very first Mark O'Connor Method Summer Camp, a week-long program in Charleston, SC, where we received training for the soon-to-be-released third book of the O'Connor Method.

The camp had a really inclusive feel to it, as it was filled with both young musicians taking lessons and group classes, and adults (like myself and Daniel) observing classes and receiving training. Plus, most of the people on faculty at the camp were in their 20s or 30s, so it was also a great opportunity just to meet other string players who feel similarly passionate about teaching and playing a variety of styles.

Downtown Charleston.

Night off at the beach.

A jam session at a nearby Irish pub.

Daniel and me with Mark O'Connor.

While I expected to have an incredible time (it was a camp, after all), I had no expectation that my own musical boundaries would be pushed in the ways they were. I had an incredible breakthrough with improvising (to which I'm very much a newcomer), and found myself just wishing the camp were longer so I could continue to soak up all that it had to offer.

One of my favorite parts of the week was getting to collaborate with Daniel for a performance on a camp concert, where students and faculty were encouraged to get up and perform anything they had -- ultimately, there is no way to get more comfortable on stage than to just get on stage! And though Daniel and I play with each other all the time in Barrage, we'd never worked or performed as just the two of us, so it was an exciting first for us both!

Yesterday, Daniel and I recorded the set we threw together for our recital performance at the camp. Here it is! (For you fiddlers, the tunes are The Irish Washerwoman and Tam Lyn.)

Then, in August, I was asked by Highland High School to go up into the mountains for their Symphony Orchestra's weekend retreat as the 2nd violin sectional coach.

While I recognize many people my age would think the idea of spending two days in the mountains with high schoolers was some sort of punishment, I really get a kick out of being around high schoolers. For me, there's something infectious about their unflappable optimism and enthusiasm.

Plus, the students at Highland are some of the most mature, thoughtful, and hilarious high schoolers I've met in my travels.

Leaving Gilbert early in the morning.

The open rehearsal hall.

A view from inside the rehearsal hall, looking out into the forest.

Sunset.

I can't wait to start working with them for Barrage's 3-day residency beginning at Highland tomorrow morning!

See Barrage Run

2011-10-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Daniel, Phil, Kiana, Kristina and I ran the Harbor Half Marathon in Corpus Christi, TX.

I must admit, I thought Kiana was crazy in August when she suggested the idea of running a half marathon during tour. Having previously run two half marathons on break from tour, it seemed to me, given our busy touring schedule, the rigorous training required to prepare for one would not only be nearly impossible to complete, time-wise, but it would also have the potential to really injure someone.

Having finished it, though, I'm glad to report that it is indeed possible to train for and compete in a half marathon while on tour with this band!

After the race! L to R: me, Phil, Kristina, Kiana and Daniel.

In some weird way, I think it brought the five of us closer together, in that we had a goal on which we were collectively focusing, completely outside the realm of what we do in our daily Barrage existence. Kristina had made shirts for each of us with the Barrage "B" on the front and our last names on the back, so we even felt like a team when we were on the course. Plus, Daniel had the great idea to turn the race into a opportunity to collect money for a charity, so we've spent quite a bit of time focusing on raising money for Josh Groban's Find Your Light Foundation, an arts education non-profit that is doing some amazing work across the US and Canada.

While I met neither of my personal goals for the race, I'm still pleased with my run given the difficulty of the course!

Feeling cheeky for a race photographer around mile five. (More importantly, this was before we had to cross that giant bridge in the background for a second time.)

The race reminded me, though, how much I love running for its community. It somehow manages to be incredibly supportive and inspirational even in a seemingly competitive atmosphere, and simultaneously draws people from all walks of life: young, old, big, small, rich, poor.

If you've not run in a race before, especially a longer one, it's quite common to make "running buddies" out on the course. Usually, these are people next to whom you find yourself for a portion of the race, but sometimes you just end up speaking to them during it.

I had a short conversation with one girl next to whom I ran for a good 3/4 of the race, and there was an incredibly built guy who gave incredibly-not-built me encouraging words when I had succumb to fatigue and was walking up a part of the bridge. These types of interactions, however short, take on a greater significance when everyone is collectively hitting mental walls and pushing themselves.

But, my favorite running buddy was this guy who pulled up next to me around mile nine.

From behind he hollered, "Morris! I'm sick and tired of seeing your shirt in front of me! Won't you just let me pass you?! Cut me a break!" I laughed, and said, "Well, you'll probably get a chance here coming up. I'm not feeling very well." His response? "Yeah, I'm not feeling well either...I went out drinking last night and have a hangover."

Later, about 100 yards from the finish line, I saw him walking with his two young children, finisher medal already around his neck. I shouted out to him, "Hey! What happened?! Where did you go?!" He yelled back, "I pushed ahead, man! You're almost there! Finish strong!"

And with those final encouraging words from my hungover, tattooed friend with gold in his teeth, I sprinted to the finish line.

Broken Record

2011-09-28T12:59:00.002-07:00

Wow, this is terrible. I was just about to start this post by lamenting the fact that I'm still behind on posts, when I realized that I've basically done the same thing at the beginning of each of my last three posts.

So...yeah...

We're back on the road through mid-December, so I'm in it for the long haul right now. Today is a day off, which has been much needed! It's definitely nice to be back in the routine, though.

One thing in which I have been extremely belated is thanking and acknowledging awesome friends who made long drives this summer to come see shows!

First, in July, my friends Jere and Lies'l drove out to Redlands, CA, from AZ (6 hours each way!) to see our performance at the Redlands Bowl. Not only did they make t-shirts and a poster for the concert, but they even stayed in the same hotel just to hang out for the night! It was an awesome way to start tour, having my friends in the same hotel just a handful of rooms away.

With Jere & Lies'l the following morning in the hotel.

For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, they were the ones responsible for this hilarious photo from our show in Gilbert in 2009.

We grabbed some food after the show and nearly stepped on this little guy as he crossed the sidewalk.

Then in Napa Valley, just two days later, Ben, with whom I was a groomsman in a wedding earlier this year, came to the show with his wife, Sam, and her brother who was in town visiting!

L to R: Sharon, Sam, Ben, and me.

Even though this tour was only one week long with two shows, I made a pretty terrible mistake in my opening speech and said, "We're so excited to be here in Redlands!" Not until I heard the audible groaning from the audience did I realize that Redlands was two nights prior and we were actually in Napa Valley. Whoops. Funnily enough, Ben and Sam both thought I had misspoke on purpose...I must have covered better than I thought!

Last month in Rochester Hills, MI, my friend David brought his girlfriend Julia to the show. David and Julia, both of whom are PhD candidates at MSU in Zoology, had just spent the summer researching hyenas in Kenya. You read that correctly: they're hyena researchers. They're hyena researchers in the David-has-been-chased-by-a-lion-and-is-conversationally-fluent-in-Swahili kind of way. Ridiculous.

The MSU Hyena Research Lab keeps a blog, to which both David and Julia have contributed. To check it out, you can go here. [Warning: some of the photos on the blog are slightly more graphic than Disney's depiction of the circle of life.]

Thank you Jere & Lies'l, Ben & Sam, Sharon, and David & Julia for making trips to come see the show! I feel incredibly lucky to have such supportive friends.

Coincidentally enough, I'm heading out in just a little bit to go see The Lion King 3D (...for a second time) with some of the Barrage people!

Celtica 2011 & Some Thoughts on Normality

2011-09-06T22:43:00.001-07:00

As I sit down to write this post, I'm struck by a few random things:

1) I'm really having difficulty catching up on my blog, even while home. Fortunately, I can guarantee that this is not a result of laziness, but rather not having time.

2) Last week a friend took me to hear Joy Kills Sorrow, an acoustic/bluegrass/folk band. They're absolutely brilliant. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to their (newest) CD since I bought it last week. I'm actually listening to it right now. (I think this is my favorite song.)

3) Tonight at an alumni event for an organization in which I was involved at ASU, someone asked me which is more normal: being on the road or being at home. I've known that being on the road feels more normal for sometime, but I don't think I've ever been asked that question directly. It felt weird to confirm, definitively, that being on the road feels more normal.

3a) This has actually been driven home by various incidents during the past week in which I've done things that are quite normal in Barrage, but just plain weird outside of it. For example, we spend a lot of time talking in accents and odd voices related to our inside jokes. When you do that in front of non-Barrage people, it usually elicits awkward pauses and strange glances. It's like when you use your family's word for "grandma" in front of your friends (my family says "nana"). It's just weird.

3b) I miss our absurd behavior when I'm home. A lot.

3c) At the same time, I do really enjoy the ridiculous things I do with my friends at home. Nothing is quite as fulfilling as seeing old friends.

4) That is all.

Back to catching up on events from the summer!

-----

Our visit to Celtica in June, my favorite event with Barrage, was quite different this year.

When we performed at Celtica in 2008 and 2009, we were so busy that we hardly got to experience the festival. This year, however, our schedule was structured in such a way that we had Friday night and Sunday afternoon off, allowing us to actually attend the festival in the way so many audience members do.

[Note: I went back to look at those old posts and the formatting is incredibly messed up, especially in the one from 2008. They shouldn't look like that, but editing was hopelessly futile. (I tried.) Sorry about that.]

I've not been to many festivals, but I'm convinced that Celtica is among the coolest in the world. It just has to be!

Now that I think back, I was so wrapped up in experiencing everything Celtica has to offer, that taking photos was the last thing on my mind (as I suppose maybe it sometimes should be?). And, as I browse through the random pictures I do have, there's not really any coherent way to explain or organize them.

So, I present to you in no particular order (well, I guess these are loosely chronological?), my few photos from this year's trip to Celtica!

The panoramic view of Courmayeur, Italy, from my hotel room. [Click to see it larger.]

Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps.

Some stairs into the neighborhood behind our hotel.

Why, hello there, cats.

...people live on this street!

And just when it felt like we were so far away from home, Charlie and I went for a walk up the mountain and saw the Google Maps car.

A shot of the main stage in the woods, with the Alps in the background.

The dining tent.

Riccardo, one of the heads of the festival, giving a closing speech to the people who stuck through till the very end.

A look into the Aosta Valley from Bard Fortress.

Iain and Federico, my two best friends from Celtica, performing as their awesome duo, The Sidh.

With Federico and Iain after one of their performances at Bard.

-----

5) Along with missing Barrage, I also miss my friends from the road.

And I know for a fact that missing people is definitely normal.

Wait! I need more time!

2011-08-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

Quick updates.

1) I finally finished moving into my generation's version of the 21st century and got a twitter account! You can follow me on twitter (@taylorsnotes) to get updates on...well...you know, things about which one tweets. I figured that since twitter is considered micro-blogging, and this here is an actual blog, it might be cool to have micro-blog updates (under 140 characters) next to my normal blog updates (over 140 characters).

2) I don't know where time has gone! I fully intended to update my blog after attending the Mark O'Connor Method Camp, but somehow found myself busy with all sorts of non-blog things. I will be putting together entries on Italy and Mark O'Connor, and then should, I think, be caught up.

3) We flew into Minneapolis last night for a corporate gig we had earlier this evening. Because we had rehearsals today, I didn't get to see too much of Minneapolis, but I was able to get dinner with my great friend Sarah last night. Back when I was auditioning for Barrage in 2006, Sarah was the most instrumental person (next to my parents) in helping me to prepare for the process, even taking my head shots on multiple occasions! She has yet to see us perform, but will hopefully be able to make a show later this year.

We had dinner at a restaurant by the Mississippi River and then took a short walk around the area.

The tall, yellow building is referred to as the "Tall Blonde." (Reflections at the bottom of the picture are in the Mississippi River.)

4) Tomorrow morning we leave the hotel at 4 a.m. to catch a 6 a.m. flight to Denver for an evening performance in Steamboat Springs, CO...which means I need to be up in 5.5 hours and should probably be sleeping right now.

5) This blog was 1,752 characters in length.

Shijiazhuang

2011-07-31T19:58:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you...my final post on May's trip to China!

I feel like all I've been doing for the past weeks is uploading photos and videos of China to my blog...which couldn't really be further from the truth, but it's a feeling nonetheless. There's just something so daunting about embarking on a set of posts I know will be difficult to compose (especially the first two on culture). I must say that I'm quite glad to be rounding the corner. Now, I just have to write a few more and I'll be up-to-date!

In other news, I'm currently in Charleston, South Carolina, attending the very first Mark O'Connor Method Camp! I was trained in the first two books of his method a few months ago, and am here to receive training for Book III, which is being released this week at the camp. I've been looking forward to visiting Charleston, but am even more excited about spending the week hanging out with string players and music educators who are interested in the same types of music as I am!

It looks to be an incredible week.

But now, back to China.

We spent two weeks in downtown Shijiazhuang rehearsing for our performances in Italy, working on some new material, and cleaning up the show.

It's hard to describe exactly what Shijiazhuang feels like because it's a very much a city in transition.

I guess it was most like what happens when you clean a messy room: Shijiazhuang was at that strange phase where the cleaning has started but parts of the room somehow end up looking messier before they look cleaner. In one moment, we basked in the opulence of a giant mall adorned with recognizable faces, and just two blocks later we came upon the debris of a building recently imploded to make way for new housing.

Here are some photos I took around Shijiazhuang. All of these places, with the exception of the university, were within a 10-minute walk from the hotel.

The library, with sidewalk parking next to the building.

Please don't throw banana peels from your car.

The People's Park of Shijiazhuang.

Mao Zedong.

Bicycle parking on the sidewalk.

With our translator, Eric, and our technical assistant, Ja Wei. Eric, who graduated from university while we were in Shijiazhuang, gave us a tour of his campus before he moved out.

Hebei Normal University. (By the way, Shijiazhuang is the capital of Hebei province.)

Housing.

Going to Eric's room. Each room has three bunk beds, six desks, and six guys.

The building where students get hot water. All of those colored thermoses on the ground are communal: pick one up, fill it, take it.

Eric and Tim play ping pong near the recreation center. The residence halls are in the background.

The gang with Eric.

Eating late into the night at the Aegean Sea, our favorite restaurant in town.

NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts were a great form of entertainment while in China (available as a free podcast through iTunes). After seeing one with concert violinist Charlie Siem and learning of his modeling career, I spotted his face just down the street the next day.

Natalie Portman.

Pandamonium!

2011-07-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

When we were in Chengdu, we took the morning to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the biggest conservation center for pandas in the world!

On our way in the cab!

Eric (our awesome translator), Kristina, Kiana, me, Daniel and Phil.

I wanted to think the red pandas were looking at me...

...but then I realized the woman standing behind me was getting ready to feed them.

"This area is home to many wild birds."

Mei Lan, the official Panda Ambassador for Earth Hour 2010, and, from what we overheard on a nearby tour, the most photographed panda on the planet.

This is definitely my favorite photo.

The Great Wall & The Temple of Heaven: Great Craic!

2011-07-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

After the tour's final performance in Beijing, we had a few free days before we went to Shijiazhuang for rehearsals.

Coincidentally, our promoter was also coordinating a tour in China with Ireland's National Choir, Anúna, known for their work with Riverdance. We spent two days hanging out with them in Beijing, and joined them on their trip to the Juyongguan Pass at the Great Wall.

Tara from Anúna.

People attach locks along a chain on a small portion of the wall to symbolize their love. Crazily enough, this lock I found had my mom's name, Mindy, on it.

The dead end at the top.

Daniel, Kristina, Phil (our new guitarist!) and me at the top of the Great Wall! (Thanks to Shane from Anúna for hiking all the way to the top with us and taking this photo!)

Climbing down the stairs. Literally.

This photo, taken level, shows just how steep parts of the wall can be.

The next day, a group of us who had not previously visited the Temple of Heaven went to check it out.

At the southern entrance to the temple grounds.

Jade bricks.

Circular Mound Altar.

Waiting in line to have my picture taken on Heaven's Heart Stone at the top of the Circular Mound Altar, where the emperor would pray for rain and good fortune.

On Heaven's Heart Stone!

The Imperial Vault of Heaven.

Random Chinese men really like to take photos with Kiana.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the most iconic part of the Temple of Heaven.

Phil, Lindy, Kiana, Daniel and me at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

You guessed correctly: that's the sun.

The attention to detail on the tile work is mind-numbing. It makes me tired just thinking about it.

After visiting the Temple of Heaven, we all attended Anúna's amazing concert that night. It was such an incredible experience getting to spend time with touring musicians from Ireland while hanging out in Beijing. We traded stories from the road, bonded over cultural struggles, learned some Gaelic, and just generally had great craic with new friends!

Thanks, Anúna! Hopefully we'll run into you somewhere around the world soon again!

With Anúna after their concert in Beijing.

China wasn't built in a day, either.

2011-07-14T10:43:00.001-07:00

As China is such a vast country, and we saw so much, I'd definitely run out of memory on my computer if I photographed every interesting thing. So, I attempted to take photos of specific things in China which I felt were poignant, in that they were good examples of things we saw frequently.

The pictures below are some I took during our two weeks of touring and performing around the country. As is the case with all photos on my blog, you can click on them to see them larger; this is especially helpful for the wider, panoramic ones.

Shenzhen -- Shenzhen Concert Hall.

Shenzhen -- Inside the hall, a venue very much intended for classical concerts (notice the organ on the left side of the picture). I used the panoramic feature on my phone and it didn't really like the varied lighting, but you still get a good idea of what the hall looked like. While we weren't always playing in halls this formal, it seems every large city has one like this.

Shenzhen -- China's public art seems (to me) to heavily value symbolism. This gigantic statue of interlocking hands was outside our hotel.

Fuzhou -- One unique aspect of Chinese architecture I've not witnessed elsewhere in my travels is taking one model for a huge residential building and then replicating it multiple times, side by side. While you can see many identical buildings in the picture, there were many more outside the scope of the frame.

Fuzhou -- From giant residential towers to dilapidated buildings, people will live anywhere.

Dalian -- Creepily, most hotel rooms have large windows into the shower... Usually, the curtain covering the window is on the inside (so the person showering controls his or her visibility), though we did once stay in a hotel where the curtain was outside the window. I enjoy that this hotel took the extra effort to buy blinds.

Dalian -- Sunrise, probably around 5:00 a.m. While the window was indeed dirty, Dalian also just has a lot of smog.

Beijing -- We stopped in the restaurant next to the hotel for lunch and were taken into a private dining room, complete with a flat screen TV and private bathroom! Communal dining with lazy susans is very common.

Wuhan -- This is a panoramic shot from my hotel room on the umpteenth floor.
(Yes, it's overcast, but it's also smoggy.)

Wuhan -- I think Daniel put it best when he said, "Traffic rules aren't rules, they're merely guidelines." I shot this from my hotel room, looking down onto the major intersection below, for one full traffic cycle. In China, right-of-way is determined by size: semis, buses, trucks, cars, motorbikes, and then pedestrians. Pay special attention to the people on foot and bikes, and how they just go, regardless of the traffic flow. I hope you'll find this video as fascinating as I do!

Culture Shock: China, Part II

2011-07-12T20:20:00.002-07:00

My first entry on various parts of Chinese culture (Part I) was lengthy and picture-free.

This entry (Part II) is much shorter, more trivial, and even has videos!

Food

As I alluded in the beginning of my first post, the food in China is a substantial reason why the experience of being in China can be so trying on one’s temperament...and it’s not necessarily the food itself, as much as it is that you’re confronted with going to find food three times a day. Meals in China just take time. This is in large part due to the language barrier (both written and spoken), but, moreover, it’s not always obvious from looking at a restaurant if it will serve food you want to eat.

For Westerners, here are some difficult things about dining in China:
- bones, heads, and feet making appearances in a stir-fry
- unidentifiable meat (last year I was enjoying what I had convinced myself was flank steak when I was informed that it was actually horse)
- unexpectedly spicy dishes (in an unfortunate, I-can't-feel-my-lips kind of way)
- getting cold water (tap water is not safe to drink; if water is hot, then you know it has been boiled and is, therefore, safe to drink)
- breakfast looks like any other meal of the day (i.e., savory/spicy dishes)
- little to no dairy
- little to no wheat

But, there are also some incredible things about dining China:
- tea
- amazing dumplings
- tofu (each city has a different way of cooking it, so there's quite a bit of variety)
- fruit juices (usually blended/squeezed when you order)
- the variety of fruit
- vegetables are always prepared really well
- consistently perfect foam on lattes (there is a definite sense of pride in preparing things “correctly”)
- variety of beverages
- food is served on every plane flight, no matter how short (like most airplane meals the food can be hit-or-miss, quality-wise, but free food is nonetheless exciting)
- variety of candy
- Raj Indian Restaurant in Beijing (it's the best Indian I’ve had anywhere)

This year, our final two weeks were spent rehearsing in Shijiazhuang, a city of 10 million people (…I’d never heard of it, either). It was great getting to settle down in one place, because we were able to research and find great restaurants, which made our stay significantly more comfortable. We had breakfast at a nearby coffee shop nearly every morning, and found an incredible restaurant called Aegean Sea. Should your travels ever take you through Shijiazhuang, it’s definitely the place to go for great Western food (we strongly recommend the yogurt shakes, the Greek salad, the soups, the pizzas, the steaks, and the pork chop).

Public Parks

Here in America, we definitely have a fondness for public parks.

...but can you remember the last time you went to a public park and actively engaged yourself in some physical activity? (Picnicking doesn't count.)

In China, people love public parks. And I don't mean that facetiously.

Public parks are beautifully maintained and are very much the place to be in the mornings. People socialize, exercise, dance, stare at me as I walk by, practice erhu, sing, and just enjoy themselves in all sorts of ways.

Here are some photos and videos I took one Sunday morning during a stroll in the People's Park of Shijiazhuang.

Look how many people there are!

Badminton.

Some sort of martial art with swords.

Culture Shock: China, Part I

2011-07-10T16:30:00.027-07:00

If I had to choose one word to describe my first visit to China with Barrage last year, it would be: challenging.

But, if I could choose four words, they would be: challenging is an understatement.

Going to China was, unequivocally, the most difficult thing I’ve encountered in my time with the band. And somehow, all of the stories I heard from other band members couldn’t prepare me adequately for what it was like to experience genuine culture shock.

Truth be told, I’ve unconsciously blocked out much of that first visit. In anticipation of returning this past month, band members would share memories of the last year’s three-week tour that seemed merely like stories I’d heard and not events I’d witnessed.

And there’s not one specific reason I reacted the way I did. Somehow, the sum of the many small parts became overwhelmingly greater than the whole.

For me, this accumulation reached its peak during one of our final dinners last year, where the food was not ordered by us but delivered to our table by the restaurant. After the arrival of a duck stir-fry with the fried head included, and a cooked cow’s calf (the portion of the leg, not the offspring) with the hoof still on, the only way I could deal with the meal was to not: I broke down at the dinner table and spent the rest of the meal waiting in the bus.

So, as this year’s four-week trip to China approached, I actively resolved to become aware of positive, awesome things about China.

And while existing in a culture far different than our own still presented some difficulties, I’m ecstatic to share that I legitimately enjoyed this year’s China tour!

China definitely has a special place in my heart.

In preparation for blogging about China, I made lists of the things I like and dislike about being there. After analyzing these lists, I grouped some of the specifics into larger categories. This may seem like an overly clinical way to talk about my experiences in China…and it probably is. But, as I think you’ll see, there are so many stories and details to share that it's probably easier to digest them all in organized portions.

I’ll begin by dealing with the two most substantial categories, both of which concern how we, as people and performers, interact with the Chinese.

Language

Mandarin is a pitched language, which means the way you inflect a word determines its meaning. For example, the word for “water” is shuǐ, which falls and then rises (in phonetic spelling, the direction of the accent indicates this). However, if you say shuì, falling, it means “sleep”; shuí, rising, means “who.”

This becomes especially challenging for us non-pitched language speakers, because we use inflections in a different way. As a demonstration, ask out loud, “Can I have a glass of water?” You probably rose in pitch as you finished saying “water,” because that’s how Americans tend to ask questions. [I specify Americans here because, for what it’s worth, British tend to inflect down when asking questions.]

Now, imagine you are in China and a waitress says something to you at the beginning of the meal. Assuming she’s asking you what you’d like to drink, you say the letters you know for “water”: shui. However, being unsure of your pronunciation, you’ll probably say it by asking it as question and letting the pitch rise: shuí. The waitress will look confused because she heard you say, “who.” Still unsure, but knowing she didn’t understand, you’ll keep repeating/asking shuí, and she’ll keep hearing “who.” Fortunately, you’ll then remember the pitch issue, realize you’re saying it wrong, and issue your new pronunciation like a declamatory statement: shuì. “Sleep.” Out of distress, you’ll lose all awareness of how you’re actually inflecting the word, and start repeating the letters until you unintentionally say shuǐ, and the waitress, excited to finally understand you, repeats shuǐ knowingly.

This is just a basic example of the language difficulties encountered daily. You would think a waitress would realize sooner you simply mispronouncing the word for "water," but it just doesn’t work that way. Which, if you imagine the reverse, is somewhat logical: if a Chinese person couldn’t remember the translation for shuǐ and said “who” or “sleep,” you would similarly have no idea what he or she was trying to say. Even though the consonant and vowel sounds are the same, they process pronunciation in a completely different way: shuí and shuì sound just as different to them as "who" and "sleep" do to us.

Strangely enough, pantomiming and charades don’t seem to cross this language barrier, either. We’ve tried multiple times to ask for menus at a restaurant by opening our hands like a book, which seems logical to us, but waiters don’t seem to understand until we gesture to an actual menu. In Beijing, I mimed for a group of hotel receptionists, quite shamelessly, pulling a piece of toilet paper off of a roll and wiping my bum to indicate I needed toilet paper…but they didn’t understand. I then did the same charade for a man who even spoke a few words of English, and he didn’t understand, either. [Eventually, I just went to the lobby bathroom, rolled toilet paper around my hand, and ripped it off when I felt we had enough for the day.]

Even with these idiosyncrasies, being an English speaker in China still provides for some wonderful interactions. The Chinese, perhaps more than any other people with whom I've interacted, are incredibly eager to practice their English. It's common for people, quite boldly, to walk up to you and initiate conversation in English. This confidence is encouraged early: one of my favorite things is when little kids wave and yell "hello!", just because it's the only English word they know. Ordering at restaurants is often comical, too, because multiple waitresses will come to your table to help take your order. The waitresses try to be polite and demure, but it’s often so confusing that it becomes hilarious for everyone involved.

And the looks on some of their faces when we say basic things like hello (nǐ hǎo), thank you (xiè xiè), or goodbye (zài jiàn), are priceless. Shocked that we know basic pleasantries, they get a real kick out of hearing a Westerner speak Mandarin, chuckling and repeating our accented pronunciations.

Performance

One of the lowest points in my trip last year was the final week, in which we had 8 shows, in 8 cities, in 7 days. Every day had an early call and involved a plane flight or a long bus/train trip. (One morning we even played a full show in the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center at 10:30 a.m., and then flew to another city for a full show that night.)

The schedule alone was exhausting. But, for the first time in my two years with the band, going on stage truly felt like work.

I know that probably sounds strange, but I say it as a testament to two things: 1) just how much fun performing with this group of people is, even 40+ weeks a year, and, 2) just how difficult touring in China can be.

As I’ve written about previously, one of the coolest things about performing in all these different places is experiencing different cultures from the stage. And, without a doubt, Chinese audiences experience the arts from a completely different head-space.

I can’t think of the perfect analogy, but I’d say the way Chinese audiences attend concerts is akin to the way you attend a sporting event. Need to catch up with your friend? Chat away! Need to take that phone call? Go right ahead! Want to remember this performance forever? Pull out that camera!

They’re somehow only spectators, not participants in the performance.

Yet, it’s easier to block out these behaviors than to keep the energy up throughout the show. On a global scale, Chinese audiences tend to act conservatively: you get around 5-7 seconds of polite applause after a song. Alternatively, we’re conditioned to American audiences, who are among the most rowdy, screaming, whistling, and applauding heartily. The amount of energy we receive from the audience directly helps get us through shows. For us, the relationship we want (and need) with the audience is symbiotic: we give you energy, you give us energy back, and the cycle continues for the benefit of all.

So, after multiple shows in a row, with flying and early calls every day, and little energy output from the audience, performing nightly on a high level becomes incredibly hard. I, personally, feel more tired after a show in this situation; creating the necessary energy on my own, internally, requires a different type of focus and effort than drawing upon what the audience gives and building off of it.

But, China is a changing country. And we get the unique opportunity to observe that change, first-hand, from the stage.

Case-in-point: this tour marked the first time in Barrage's numerous visits to China that the band gave a second encore.

And we didn’t just give one second encore...we gave three.

Three!

The first time it happened, I actually missed the beginning because the idea of a second encore wasn’t even on my radar. I had already taken off my violin’s wireless pack and was back in the dressing room when I heard Charlie’s kick drum start booming in the distance.

Furthermore, I grew to love two specific traits of Chinese audiences:

1) While Chinese audiences tend to clap along only on every beat (even if you demonstrate otherwise), the commitment with which they clap is impressive.

2) Chinese audiences, in the lobby, are among the most polite. The kids, especially the surprising number who speak English, usually say "please" or "thank you" when we sign CDs and posters. (American children, on the other hand, say "please" and "thank" you much less than you might want to imagine...)

The audiences this year were truly incredible.

Xiè xiè, China!

Back from China!

2011-06-30T02:20:00.000-07:00

After four weeks in China with no access to facebook or blogger, I'm finally back!

Though a forced break was somewhat nice, it just feels so good to be fully connected to the world again.

Yesterday, we had a marathon travel day (an strangely apropos description, since it actually consisted of a little more than 26 hours of travel). We left Shijiazhuang, China, by bus at 4 a.m.; then, we caught a flight from Beijing to Geneva, Switzerland, with a layover in Moscow; finally, we were picked up in Geneva and rode to Courmayeur, arriving around midnight (6 a.m. in China).

Here is the unbelievable view this morning from my hotel window in Courmayeur, Italy:

[Click on the photo to see it larger.]

Funnily enough, yesterday also happened to be my three year anniversary of joining Barrage.

...three years! Where did the time go?! And what better way to celebrate three years with this band than to set foot in so many countries?

Too cool.

We're here to perform for Celtica, my absolute favorite gig with Barrage, and also one of the first gigs I played back in 2008. I don't anticipate having much time to blog this weekend, but we head back home on Monday for a short break, so I'll be blogging away furiously when I get home.

Off to sound check for our first gig tonight!

Canadiana

2011-05-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

American culture is pervasive in many different places around the world, and Canada is no exception. So, when we were in Canada over the past few weeks (British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan), I decided to actively learn more about things that Canadians hold dear to their cultural identity.

While this list is by no means comprehensive, here are some of those things:

Red Rose Tea -- There's nothing too distinctive (to me) about the flavor, but the brand is very established.

Nanaimo Bar -- This delicious treat has a cookie-ish base, a yummy, custard-y middle, and a solid chocolate top. Appropriately, I ate my first one in Nanaimo, British Columbia!

Tim Hortons -- If "America runs on Dunkin'," then Canada is super-charged by Tim Hortons. It's common to see lines all the way to the door early in the morning, even at some of the locations which have recently popped up in the States. (And yes, it's incredibly good!)

French and English -- Because both English and French are official languages in Canada, its common to see both written out.

Various candy bars -- These three candy bars (Wunderbar, After Eight, and Coffee Crisp) are some of the ones found in Canada. Of the three, I don't really have a favorite, but I had definitely heard the Canadians in the band talk about Coffee Crisp before I had tried it.

As you probably know, Canadians also pronounce certain words differently than we do in the States. This is probably my favorite cultural distinction because different word pronunciations can often be hilarious. In the following sentence, the words demonstrating this have actually come up in conversations we've had.

"While Mario ate his pasta, the sun shone brightly on his mauve llama, who was out and about during drama class. Sorry."

Education/Vacation

2011-05-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I came to discover that our break this past week was going to coincide with a Mark O'Connor Method Teacher Training Seminar...and I immediately took the chance to sign up.

Mark O'Connor is one of the most innovative musicians of this era, renowned originally for his work as a fiddler, mandolin player, and guitarist. Two-time Grammy winner, and six-time recipient of the Country Music Association's "Musician of the Year" award, he has been gaining notoriety in the classical world over the past twenty years for his numerous genre-crossing compositions (including a symphony and six violin concerti).

What makes O'Connor such a compelling composer is that, more than any composer since Aaron Copland, he is succeeding in capturing a musical aesthetic which is ultimately "American." [If you're not familiar with Copland's name, you probably know his music from this commerical. By the way, that tune, "Hoedown," was actually transcribed by Copland from an early recording of a fiddler named William Stepp.]

And, more personally, O'Connor has been one of my musical idols since I was in 6th grade, when I first saw him in concert.

With Mark O'Connor as a 6th grader in 1998!

Two years ago, O'Connor released a set of method books for beginning string players, modeled in the style of the classical Suzuki Method. The defining characteristics of O'Connor's method are that multiple styles (not just classical) are included, and students are encouraged from an early age to experiment with improvisation.

Every month or so, seminars are offered where you can learn how to teach the tunes in the method books, allowing you to become a certified teacher of the method. What this means, essentially, is that I'm now equipped with the skills to teach beginning violinists in the O'Connor Method, should they choose. If I were to compare learning methods to learning languages, American fiddling would be English, the Suzuki Method would be Spanish, and the O'Connor Method would be some Spanglish hybrid (with an emphasis on developing fluency in both languages).

I don't want to spend too much time talking about the method in detail, so I'll just wrap this up by strongly recommending anyone who teaches strings to attend one of these seminars, even if you're a die-in-the-wool Suzuki advocate. I think he's really onto something, and the videos you'll see in the seminar will show you the proof. And, even if you don't like it, you'll probably still learn some good tools and tricks. [If you're a parent of a beginner, consider checking the directory on his website for a teacher near you to find out more!]

So, after we wrapped up on the road, Daniel, Kristina and I flew to San Francisco for the seminar!

Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.

Green tea and mochi.

Daniel and Kristina hugging a giant tree in Golden Gate Park.

Stow Lake (Golden Gate Park).

Next to the freeway -- Golden Gate Bridge is on the right.

A view of San Francisco from Telegraph Hill.

A shot of the hills from Telegraph Hill.

Visiting my friend Dave at Google!

Google bikes -- the employees ride these between the different Google campuses.

Recreation room, complete with a ping pong table, Foosball, and old-school video games.

Google Bowling Alley

I ran into my friend Lindsay, who also works at Google! We had been trying to coordinate schedules to meet up, but weren't able to find time. You can imagine my surprise, then, to randomly see her eating lunch -- and she didn't even work in this portion of the campus!

After having lunch with my friend Dave (pictured later) at Google, we still had some time to kill before heading up to the seminar on Friday evening. As we were driving on the freeway to head back up to San Francisco, we saw signs for Stanford University and decided to stop by!

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge to get to the seminar.

Dinner at Sol Food in San Rafael. It was easily among the greatest restaurants I've visited.

Daniel, Kristina, and me with Mark O'Connor after the seminar!

When the seminar finished on Sunday, Daniel and Kristina went home and I stayed two extra nights to visit some friends who lived in the area.

After I visited Matt in Zacatecas and stood on his balcony and roof for amazing views of the town, I could never have imagined visiting the homes of two other friends just weeks later and having the same experience. But, somehow, this tour ended up becoming the tour of friends who have incredible views from their rooftops and balconies! What are the odds?!

From Dave's roof. [Click on this to see it larger.]

With Dave, my friend who works at Google.

From Katie's balcony, overlooking the bay. (Somehow we managed to spend 24 hours with each other and not once take a picture together...Katie, how did we let this happen?)

At Classical Revolution, a classical/chamber music event that takes place every Monday night at Cafe Revolution. Founded in San Francisco a few years ago, other chapters have popped up all around the country--check out their website to see if there is one near you!

Overlooking the Mission, a neighborhood in San Francisco.

A mural in the Mission.

Katie and I grabbed sandwiches from the incredible Tartine Bakery, and headed to this nearby park to eat--an afternoon activity I'd highly recommend!

[Before I forget, if you're a coffee drinker, I implore you to visit Philz Coffee -- it was the best coffee I've ever had. We loved it so much that we stopped by every morning before the seminar for coffee and breakfast!]

I still can't believe how much sight-seeing and education we packed into one weekend. The three of us shared one hotel room to cut on costs, so having a third person (Kristina) really made it feel like we were away at camp. We'd get back to the room, exhausted from a long day of learning (which can be legitimately hard!) and would all be so excited to sleep. But, we'd start talking, lose track of time, and then suddenly realize that it was way past midnight! A hilarious experience, for sure.

Thanks to Dave and Katie for letting me stay and visit!

Milestones and Landmarks

2011-05-27T11:12:00.003-07:00

Never before has being home felt more like visiting home.

I arrived three nights ago after finishing up our tour of the Pacific Northwest, going to a seminar in San Francisco, and then staying in San Francisco a few extra days to hang out. Now, I'm looking at today's to-do list and it includes three main things: 1) write a blog entry, 2) replenish my toiletries, and 3) board a plane at 7:30 p.m. to go back on tour.

It feels less like a three day break, and more like three nights at the Morris Inn & Suites, with fully furnished rooms, a stocked fridge, a cat, and parents.

Quite luckily, my time home coincided with my high school's graduation. Not only did a violin student of mine graduate, but also, more poignantly, my incredible choir teacher retired after 29 years of teaching. Easily one of the most brilliant music educators whom I've known, he was incredibly inspirational and motivational in my development as a musician. I'm so grateful I was able to be there for his final conducting performance at Dobson High School!

With Mr. and Mrs. Evans.

Attending graduation is always bittersweet because it brings back memories of how much I loved high school. How have the past seven years of my life passed so quickly?!

But now is not the time for emotionally-charged reminiscing! No! I must write about happier things, like the Pacific Northwest!

I'd been looking forward to this past bit of tour for quite some time, especially after having just visited for the first time a few months ago. I love the area because it the opposite of so much of Arizona: it is rainy/wet, has lots of trees, and is overwhelmingly green.

Riding the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston, WA.

We asked a stranger to take a photo of us with the mountains in the background.
This was his first attempt.

This was his second and final attempt. While he successfully captured Kiana's windblown hair (which is incredible), we never did get a good group photo...but this one is hilarious.

The beautiful Olympic Mountains.

While on the ferry, our GPS device accurately showed that we were, indeed, floating on the water.

Is this not the largest tulip you've ever seen?

Driving across a huge bridge with the Olympic Mountains in the distance!

Early morning ferry ride from Port Angeles, WA, to Victoria, British Columbia.

Port Angeles, WA.

On the ferry, with Port Angeles and the Olympic Mountains behind me!

A park in Victoria.

After performing in Nanaimo, BC, we took a ferry over to Vancouver, and drove down to Puyallup, WA, where I met up with my newly-engaged friends, JJ and Jenna. While heading to a nearby coffee shop after lunch, I wondered aloud about finding a park in which to hang out because the weather was absurdly beautiful, especially for such a rainy area. About one minute later, we happened to drive by Bradley Lake and our afternoon plans were quickly solidified.

Bradley Lake [Click on the photo to see it larger.]

Canadian geese and their young gaggle of babies!

With Jenna and JJ after the show in Puyallup, WA.

Thank you, JJ and Jenna, for taking the day off work to drive up from Oregon! It was so luxurious to spend a whole day hanging out with you!

After Puyallup, we drove to Kennewick, WA, where, coincidentally, one of my great friends from high school lives with her husband. In stark contrast of my day with JJ and Jenna, I saw Katy--quite literally--for about 2 minutes. We had made plans to get dinner, but then the band needed some last minute rehearsal in preparation for our upcoming tour in China. Katy and her husband, who are the owners of the Kennewick Coffee Company, were awesome enough to drop by large containers of coffee and tea, and a bag of scones for us to enjoy with dinner, and then I had to get back to rehearsal. They couldn't see the show because of prior plans, so the only time I saw her was when she arrived to drop off the coffee. While our meeting was unfortunately short, it was nonetheless great to see Katy very briefly! Plus, the coffee and tea were both really, really great. Please check out their shop should you find yourself traveling through Kennewick anytime soon!

Off to grab lunch with my dad and pick up toothpaste and floss!

Mexico: Parte Dos

2011-05-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I was blogging away at one of my coffee shop haunts back in Arizona. I took a break to check facebook, and saw that an old fiddler friend of mine, Matt, had just posted something about being in Zacatecas, Mexico...which, oddly enough, I had just learned we were going to be visiting this summer.

You can imagine my excitement, then, when I finally arrived in Zacatecas two weeks ago. Not only did I get to catch up with Matt (with whom I hadn't spoken in years), but I also had a unique opportunity to see a foreign city through the eyes of an American who lives there.

Matt and his roommate, Aaron, joined me at the hotel for breakfast, and then we were off to see the rest of the city before that evening's performance!

At the ruins of Convento de San Francisco, built in 1567.

One of my favorite things about Mexico is the variety of colors used to paint buildings.

The intersection of said colors on some wall.

Templo de Santo Domingo.

Riding the gondola to the top of La Bufa, the mountain by Zacatecas.

From the gondola. On the right is a giant church; just in front of the church is Plaza de Armas, where we performed later that night (the stage is under the white tent).

With Kiana on top of La Bufa, overlooking Zacatecas.

Seeing dogs on rooftops is quite common.

Matt lucked into finding a two-story house in Zacatecas, complete with a balcony overlooking the city. It's just as awesome as it sounds!

From Matt's roof (La Bufa is in the distance).

With Matt, on his roof!

Being one of the few gringos (white guys) who lives in the area, it seemed Matt knew every other person we passed on the street. The owners of this tortilla shop, whom Matt knew, gave us fresh, hot tortillas right out of the tortilla machine!

One of the best things about spending time with Matt and Aaron was gaining their insight and perspective on what life is actually like for a foreigner living in Mexico. While I don't want to misrepresent anything they said, I found speaking with them, for the most part, to re-affirm some of my personal opinions about various things. For example:

1) Central America is a lot safer than we, as Americans, perceive. Yes, atrocious acts of violence happen, just like they do anywhere. But, they're not commonly targeted at foreigners. As long as you're a smart traveler, odds are very much on your side. [If you think to yourself, "Is it safe to walk down this dark, sketchy alley at 3 a.m.?" and your gut tells you no, then just don't do it. If you wouldn't do it in the US, don't do it abroad.]

And, more importantly:

2) Even if you're in a country where you can't speak the language, being a foreigner doesn't make you any less of a human; all people are, first and foremost, human. Don't ever presume that not sharing a language prevents you from connecting with or learning from someone else.

After many hours walking around the city and getting a pretty intense sun burn (I forgot to bring sunscreen, and they don't exactly sell it in non-tourist Mexico), we went to the main square, Plaza de Armas, for sound check and our performance. Not only was the setting incredible (as you'll see below), but there was also this swanky tent set up for the night's headliner, José Feliciano, who is perhaps most well-known (especially outside of Latin America) as the singer of everybody's favorite dual-language Christmas folk anthem, "Feliz Navidad."

Charlie enjoying Feliciano's lounge...before we realized that we weren't supposed to be in it.

The view from the stage. Catedral de Zacatecas, built in 1568, in the background.

Snipers on the roof of the cathedral during sound check.

Fireworks after Feliciano wrapped up the night's performances, closing the festival.

Barrage with José Feliciano!

Performing in Zacatecas for such an amazing festival was truly an honor and a great experience. There's nothing quite like performing for audiences in Latin America -- they, like us, are just there to have a good time!

Also, a huge thank you to Matt and Aaron for showing us such a great time around the city!

[Before I finish, Matt's family is an incredibly talented bunch of musicians, so the teacher in me can't resist giving his family's Rolland Fiddle Camp a quick plug. If you're looking for a week-long fiddle camp this summer, or know someone who is, check it out!]

Marriott, Marriott, Quite Contrary...ott

2011-05-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

Corporate gigs are some of the best because we're usually put up in really nice hotels by the corporation, and we usually only have to play for a relatively small amount of time.

In short: minimal work, maximal relaxation.

For the past two days we found ourselves at the Marriott in Dana Point (Laguna Beach), CA, performing at a corporate event for General Mills. In total, we played 8 songs during the afternoon (three to open the event, one in the middle, and four to close it).

One of the most awesome [read: easiest] corporates we've had! I think this is going to make me an even bigger fan of Cheerios than I was previously. Thanks, General Mills!

Not only was the weather unbelievable, but all of the flowers were also in bloom. Here are some pictures I took around the immaculately-kept grounds of the hotel and in a nearby park.

Click on this to see it larger.

"Have A Nice Day"

Laid Over

2011-05-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, the Tour Gods have a very twisted sense of humor...

My nightlight.

The blessing in disguise? I had the whole row to myself on that 6:20 a.m. flight!

We made it here to the Laguna Beach Marriott around 9:30 this morning...late for everything, but fortunately with enough time to get ready for our short performances this afternoon.

Back to the third set of our General Mills corporate gig!

Saskatchewan

2011-05-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

We've spent the last two days putting in some lengthy drives across Saskatchewan for performances in Kindersley and Moose Jaw.

This is the province where, according to Dave and general Canadian wisdom, "you can watch your dog run away for three days."

It--quite literally--looked like this for hours on end:

Which got me thinking...if those drives were the text of this blog post, then they would look something like this:

                         [hill]

                                                                                   [trees]
                                                                                         [farm]
                                                                                      [trees]

                     [another car]

                                                  [hill]

[farm]
      [cows]
   [trees]

                                                                                               [hill]

                                                                                                        [hill]

                                                                                                                         [trees]
                                                                                                                                          [farm]

                                                                          [wheat field]
                               [grain elevator]

Mexico: Parte Uno

2011-05-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

The excitement of four full days in Mexico was apparently too much for my body to process. I came down with some sort of bug earlier this week, making Monday's 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. travel day among the worst days of tour I've had. Fortunately, I'm finally over whatever it was I had; unfortunately, I may be responsible for passing it onto Hidayat, who has been in worse shape than I the past few days. That tends to happen, though, when you travel with the same people all of the time.

I love going down to Mexico (or anywhere south of the border) because it means I get to practice my Spanish. It's funny, though, how it really does take time for one's mind to adjust for hearing and speaking in a different language. As I went through customs, a woman asked me in Spanish if I spoke Spanish. Feeling more confident than the average foreign visitor, I responded, "Sí, un poquito." (Yes, a little bit.) I had forgotten, however, that when you respond in Spanish as a foreigner, the speaker usually assumes you are fluent and charges on full steam ahead. I had basically no idea what she proceeded to say, but gathered from certain words and context clues (i.e., passport, airport, customs, suitcases) that she wanted to know who I was and what was in my bags. I feebly stitched together some Spanish words that probably communicated nothing of consequence: "Soy en una banda...mi equipaje...ropa...violín..." (I'm in a band...my luggage...clothes...violin...). I guess it's not surprising that they wanted to fully search my luggage.

One of many awesome interactions to come was at the Starbucks in the Guadalajara airport. I successfully navigated the entire drink ordering process in Spanish with the barista, only to get caught up with my name. If you speak Spanish, you'll know that there aren't really any names similar to Taylor in the Spanish language. She stared at me blankly, chuckled, and slowly repeated my name as we simultaneously realized it's difficulty.

"...Tay-lor?"

I could tell she was feeling awkward about having to write my confusing name on the cup, so I jokingly suggested a much easier alternative:

José.

She laughed as she wrote José on the cup with ease, fully appreciating the joys of language barriers. It was a pretty awesome moment.

This leads to one final point I'd like to make about speaking Spanish in Mexico (and other Central American countries which I've visited): Latinos possess a genuine appreciation for any attempt you make, as a foreigner, to speak the language.

Some of the Canadians who speak French have had really negative experiences speaking French in France, because they find there is an attitude which seems to indicate, "No matter how good your French is, you're still never going to speak it as well as I do." While I haven't personally experienced that attitude when I've been in France (maybe it has to do with how much French you know and attempt to use?), neither I, nor the rest of the band (to my knowledge), have encountered that attitude with Latinos. Even if you mess up your words, they laugh with you, not at you, and often help to clarify any mistakes you make.

That sort of attitude toward dealing with second languages really makes being in Mexico an absolute blast. It's just so much fun to be there!

-----

After a quick press conference in the morning...

...and some awesome tamales bought from a street vendor for lunch...

...we went to this awesome theatre in Jerez for our first performance!

Outside the theatre.
L to R: Kristina, Kiana, and Lindy.

L to R: Me, Kristina, Kiana, Lindy, and Daniel.

I've got a whole bunch of pictures from our afternoon in Zacatecas that I'll try to get up in the next day or so.

But, for now, off to our show in Kindersley, Saskatchewan!

Food, Glorious Food!

2011-04-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

It's so great to be home!

I would have blogged sooner, but this is the first night I haven't attended a concert or performance since I got back home on Sunday afternoon: a violin recital on Sunday, a cello recital on Monday, a voice recital on Tuesday, and a musical last night! (And they were all free!) Definitely the most musically fulfilling break I've had.

Strangely enough, my two favorite days of last week revolved primarily around food. (Or maybe that's not very strange?)

The notable part of our 8-hour drive day from outside Milwaukee to outside Dayton was not the fact that the drive seemed never-ending, but more that we had coffee in Milwaukee, lunch in downtown Chicago, and dinner in downtown Indianapolis. How crazy is that?! (Okay, so all these stops admittedly made the day longer, but if it's already going to be long, why not stop to eat good food?)

Eating at Gino's East, one of Lindy's favorite deep dish restaurants, right in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Part of my first ever Chicago deep dish pizza! I can now officially choose sides in the deep dish v. thin crust debate: thin crust all the way. (Sorry, Chicago...no human should ever feel that full.)

This Gino's location prides itself on letting customers write on the walls, chairs, tables, etc.

I was less glad to have chosen this seat after I read what was written on it.

Standing in the middle of the park in downtown Indianapolis during sunset. (Click on the photo to see it larger.)

I didn't take any pictures inside the Moroccan restaurant at which we ate dinner, but it was absolutely incredible. Should your travels ever take you through Indianapolis, you must stop at the Saffron Cafe! (Make sure you get the tea.)

When we were outside Columbus, OH, one of my great friends from ASU, Ashley, came to the show. Ashley was my first friend to see me in Barrage back in 2008. It seems like it was just last week that I was in her living room, so enjoying seeing into a friend on the road; three years later, it was just as exciting to sit down in her living room!

When she and I had been deciding what to do on Friday (a day off for me), I apprehensively threw out the idea of cooking dinner at her place instead of going to eat at a restaurant, not knowing whether she would be receptive. It took a bit of convincing to get her to realize how much fun it would be, and the next day we found ourselves going to Trader Joe's and picking up ingredients for dinner!

It was, without a doubt, one of the coolest things to happen on a day off in recent memory.

It's tough for me to describe just how nice it is to cook on the road. I'd say about 85% of our food is restaurant food (the other 15% would be home-cooked food from parents at our school shows). And while eating at restaurants all the time can be exciting (eating with these people, as I've discussed before, really opened my horizons), it also gets really old.

Sometimes it's just nice to make your own food and share it with friends.

Adventures in cooking: this is what your stove top should not look like when you're done. (Doubling the recipe provided some problems when it came time to mix all the pasta together...whoops.)

Spaghetti carbonara, one of my favorites!

In Ashley's cozy dining space.

Thanks Ashley!

Now, if I could just figure out a way to have all of my friends and favorite people in one place, to eat at great restaurants (or stay in and cook, should we choose!), and attend free concerts every night, then I'd truly have it made.

Lost and Found

2011-04-10T21:41:00.003-07:00

When Charlie counted in "Old Joe Clark" to start off the show, I was in the dressing room...in my underwear.

Or, rather, that's the starting point of many Barrage-related nightmares I have. We all have them, and often have fun recounting them at breakfast.

This morning, I woke up from a particularly troubling Barrage-related nightmare which involved, primarily, the hunt for my lost phone. Fortunately, I ended up finding it right before I woke up. [It was, obviously, in the glove compartment of our van...]

Perhaps even more disturbing was that before I found my phone--while dreaming--I thought about how I would tell the story of my lost phone in my blog. And, in a departure from how I normally compose entries, I settled on a title first:

Lost and Found.

After all of the effort my subconscious spent thinking about that fictional title, I consciously feel bad just disregarding it...and yet, it also seems strangely apropos for this entry.

-----

We've been in Wisconsin for the last few days. I don't remember ever having seen this many farms in my life.

I also don't know if I've ever seen this sign before in my life...

Click on this photo to see it larger.

-----

Last week in Dubuque, IA, we went to the opera. Well, not exactly...we went to the Metropolitan Opera's re-aired, live, high definition broadcast of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

It was stunning.

Sure, the broadcast was 4 hours and 20 minutes...but there were two 30-minute intermissions, and it was only $13! Not a bad way to spend the night.

If you're not sure whether or not you like opera, this is a great way to learn if you do, and it's a lot cheaper than actually going to an opera.

[For the record, this is the second time I've seen an opera. The first time was actually at the Met, and I was incredibly underwhelmed...but I think I just didn't like the opera I saw.]

Before

1st Intermission

2nd Intermission

After

[Also for the record, the absurd faces do not accurately portray our thoughts...we're just a ridiculous group of people. In all honesty, all four of us really did like it.]

-----

Mississippi River. L to R: Charlie, Dave, Hidayat.

I'm gonna go ahead and assume the river level is high right now...

Click on this panoramic photo to see it larger.

-----

This afternoon I had some tendon pain. Unfortunate? Yes. Unexpected? Not really; I probably took overeager advantage of the extra bits of practice time I found in the past few days.

...whoops...

Regardless, I didn't play too much during our sound check and rehearsal. So, I went out into the house and listened to the band play through some tunes.

It was a thrilling experience, as I haven't listened to Barrage live and through a sound system since my training nearly three years ago.

It's practically impossible to describe the kick I get out of listening to Barrage. I was giddy with excitement. Amusingly, I actually found myself thinking, "...I want to be in this band!" [Rules of conventional writing aside, it was more like: AGHHHHHSFKSJD!!!!!! I WANT TO BE IN THIS BAAAAAAAANNNNDDDDD!!!!!!!]

Half-way through Devil's Nightmare, I was overcome with emotion. For the second time I can ever remember, I was in hysterics, simultaneously laughing and crying.

This probably seems just as crazy to you as it does to me.

But, to me, it almost seems even crazier that what I once called my "dream job" has become, literally, just that: a job about which I get to dream.

A Day in the Life: Monday, April 4, 2011 - Boston, MA to Dubuque, IA

2011-04-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

The second installment of my "A Day in the Life" photo blogs. (You can find the first one here.)

For a whole day, I took a picture every time I did something which I found to be notable, time-consuming, or even mundanely necessary to my daily existence.

I've opted to use as few words as possible, but have included captions for pictures which I felt might need more clarification.

Here's a glimpse into a day of travel on the road.

-----

Saying goodbye to Annette at the train station in Boston.

Rental car shuttle.

Boston to Milwaukee.

Hidayat.

Charlie.

Coffee break in Madison, WI.

Hidayat.

Protests at the capitol in Madison.

Crossing the Mississippi River into Dubuque, IA.

Tim.

Kung Fu Panda.

Auf Wiedersehen!

2011-04-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

Though Annette had already with Barrage for three months prior to my joining in June 2008, she and I did quite a bit of training together. Annette was busy strengthening her knowledge of the show and improving her playing, and I was learning the last bits of choreography I didn't know and trying to figure out how to play violin while moving. Regardless of the three-month difference in skill, we were both still new to the group; as such, we would commiserate after rehearsals about the difficulty of combining the already challenging music with the stage movements.

While almost three years have passed since then, I still remember the excitement, frustration, awe, and joy of that period as though it were yesterday. And from that time, Annette and I had a wonderful relationship, not only as co-workers, but also as friends. Because we endured the training together, and grew aware of how to be in Barrage together, we nearly always knew what the other was thinking. Annette and I could give each other the tiniest look and both be exactly on the same page with regard to whatever issue was at hand.

Though we've known for some time that Annette's final show would be April 3rd, the adjustment to not having her here is still somewhat odd. And though I've now been around to see four violinists leave this band, I'm realizing in retrospect that each departure has affected me in a different way. When Alicia left a few months after I joined, I was devastated and terrified: being so young, so new to the job, and having idolized Alicia so much prior to joining, I remember not understanding how the show could go on without her. I was saddened to see Sarah leave in the summer of 2009, knowing I would miss the times when the two of us would laugh ourselves to tears. (To this day, just recalling episodes with Sarah can still bring me to that point!) Jason's departure last summer forced a weird coming-of-age. After the four years I'd known him, the two years I'd been in the band with him (most of which also as a roommate), Jason had become to me something like an older brother, in the way that I always felt he knew the answers to all problems.

Once, it was strange to think that I would no longer be the newest violinist. Then, it became stranger to think that I was the not the newer male violinist. Now, it's incredibly strange for me to think that the only violinist who has been in longer is Kristina...

...how did this happen? Where did everyone go? I never imagined when I joined that the time would come when I would be on the older end, experience-wise, of the violinists (especially as the second youngest person, age-wise, in the band).

I'm thrilled, however, that Annette's final day in the band was such a great one!

We stopped for breakfast in Stowe, VT, had lunch in Concord, NH, and were in Sudbury, MA, for the show. It was truly a blast working with the orchestra and choir at Lincoln-Sudbury HS -- I did a sectional with the guys in the choir before the full rehearsal and they were so incredibly prepared! Plus, they were hilarious. Nothing makes our workshops more fun than when the students have their music learned and are ready to have a great time. (Thank you, LSHS!)

Two state capitols in two days! Concord, NH.

Sitting in some theatre chairs backstage with my hilarious friend from ASU, Lindsey.

Awkward photo (in which my computer refused to fix the red-eye for some reason...?).

Cast photo before Annette's final show. L to R: Daniel, Kiana, me, Annette, Tim, Kristina, Hidayat, and Charlie.

Saying goodbye on stage.

Group hug!

Saying goodbye in Boston.

Thank you, Annette! I'll miss having you around!

Quick...name the capital of Vermont!

2011-04-02T15:00:00.002-07:00

Right now we're in between shows in Stowe, Vermont, a small town with lots of skiing somewhere very far north. We're performing at the Stowe Mountain Lodge, which is the hotel for all of the skiers on the mountains, and also our residence for the night. Here's the view from my balcony:

And here's the view from near the theatre:

I got a Droid over break and am trying to figure out how to use the panorama feature...not the best panoramic picture ever, but I'm learning!

We just finished our 8th show (a matinee) in 8 days, with one more in just a few hours, and then another tomorrow down near Boston. It's been a hard week, as touring goes. Not only have there been some fairly substantial post-show drives (2-ish hours), but it's also just hard to keep the energy up for this many shows in a row. It's common for us to have 3, 4, or even 5 shows in a row, but 10 in 9 days is unheard of. The only other time I can remember a tour like this was our final week in China last May, when we did 8 shows in 7 days. As a testament to how much fun this job is, though, last May was truly the first time that going on stage ever felt like work.

Fortunately, however, we've had great audiences all week long. And I'm not just saying that to sound positive -- we've truly had incredible audiences this week. Nearly every night has been a packed house, and it seems like the school orchestras we worked with this week were mainly filled with mature, enthusiastic, attentive students, which is always a huge plus for us.

Moreover, I was able to grab dinner with my friend and roommate from the Killington Music Festival, Ryan, in Manchester, CT. I haven't seen him in over a year, so it was great to catch up with him once again!

In a touring first for me, I've also been driving. Normally, I'm not one of the drivers because companies charge extra for people under 25, but I guess Dollar has this new policy that allows those over 21 to drive on corporate accounts. So, I've put in some cool drives this week. Most notably, I drove through Manhattan the other night, which was incredibly awesome and simultaneously terrifying. Fortunately, it was around midnight when we arrived in the city, but it was nonetheless nuts. New York is, after all, the city that never sleeps.

Today, I also did the drive from Brattleboro, VT, up to Stowe. It was a fun drive, not only because the scenery is the exact opposite of Mesa (i.e., it was mountainous, snowy, and covered with trees), but also because I made my car stop in Montpelier, the state capital!

I think this is easily the smallest capitol building I've seen...

We stopped in a coffee shop and I had a maple syrup latte, a fitting and delicious choice!

New York, Paris, London, Montpelier.

Thanks for the good times, Montpelier!

Got to run...I'm supposed to be at dinner!

Kids really do say the darndest things.

2011-03-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Three shows have happened this far. Each one has had (at least) one awesome occurrence!

Saturday - My friend Kim, who I've known since elementary school, came and saw her third Barrage show! (No picture was taken, unfortunately, because she had to go right afterward.)

Sunday - My roommate of three years, Ryan, was finally able to see a show! It meant a lot to me to have Ryan there, not only because he's one of my closest friends, but also because he was my roommate when I was auditioning for Barrage back in 2006. He was there with me through all of the highs and lows inherent in any long audition process, and was now able to see in person what Barrage is all about. Plus, now that he doesn't live in Arizona, it's always great just to hang out with him!

Ryan drove five hours, each way, in one day to see the show! Thank you, Ryan!

Monday (yesterday) - Barrage played an educational show with over 250 students (elementary to high school) in Reading, PA. This, in itself, was a monumental happening, as it was the largest educational program any of us can remember doing.

As a result of having so many kids, each violinist was kind of "in charge" of a group of kids somewhere on stage or in the audience. I was helping with a group of beginners, who were probably around 7 or 8 years old. They couldn't play "Old Joe Clark," but they would occasionally hop in on a simplified harmony part.

I told them that when they weren't playing, they should try to move a little bit, e.g., tapping a foot, bobbing a head. The littlest girl in the group (who was also the most outgoing), was really eager to show off her dance moves, enthusiastically twisting up and down.

When they left rehearsal, she excitedly shared with me that she was going to wear heels to the show.

During intermission, the kids began to take their places on stage and in the audience. I went down to my area in front of the stage and saw all the little ones dressed up and raring to go. The little girl called over to me, "Taylor! Taylor!"

As though she were someone two or three times her age, she lifted up one foot, showed me her tiny heels, and said, quite exasperatedly, "Taylor, my heels are killing me!"