Stupid Mistakes, but Great Outcomes!

I had to check out of the hostel by 10 AM this morning, so I set my alarm for 8:53 (I can’t stand waking up at a proper time). Finnish people apparently don’t know how to whisper, so I was rudely awakened at 7:30 by the two girls in the bunks above me. I awoke, ate breakfast, checked out, came to Adam’s flat, and putzed around until I decided to head off to the Barbican (what I thought was) a bit early. This is only the beginning of the story……..

I had a completely idiotic misunderstanding of today's rehearsal time. Matt told me 10 AM for all of them except today’s. For some reason, he decided to say “10 AM, 10 AM, ten to one.” I took this as meaning 12:50, as he only said the starting time for the others. I got to the hall at 12:25 and heard music through the closed doors which started the wheels turning. He still meant 10-1. I caught half an hour of it. Luckily they’re having another rehearsal for the same concert tomorrow.

I didn’t completely waste my day. Patrick, the tuba player with whom I rode to a rehearsal a few days ago, caught me backstage and asked me how I was going to spend my Saturday. I told him I figured I’d just sit around doing whatever after my idiotic mistake wasted away my morning. He informed me that a horn player in the past had once made the same mistake. I still feel like an idiot. Patrick asked if I would be interested in going with him to a conducting class-of-sorts outside of the city (that he would be teaching). Of course I said yes! Rehearsal was out at 1. The class began at 2:10. Plenty of time. We got all of the way to the borough listed on his sheet of paper before he remembered the sheet was wrong. We rerouted ourselves and would have been on time had all of the roads to get to the school not been closed for repairs. Still, we were only about 3 or so minutes late.

On the car ride there, we discussed the personality needed to be a great conductor or soloist, his past experience in orchestras (he has played with the LSO for 21 years and was chairman at one point, plus many other gigs). He tied the personality bit into the class, as all of the 5 young music teachers were incredibly shy and nervous. This was their second meeting with Patrick, who was there to help them become more confident in basic time-beating. Aside from that, they had zero previous conducting experience. I ended up taking as many, if not more, notes on Partick’s workshop as I have at full orchestra rehearsals.

After the almost three-hours class was complete, we headed back towards London. I’m going to return to this borough next Saturday with Patrick and 3 other LSO musicians to see them work with the college’s youth orchestra. I’ve been told to bring my trumpet. I’m going to look at the schedule and see what other education events I would be able sit in on. As a music education major, I figure it’s not going to hurt anything- and it’s fun! I completely understand how draining it could be, though. I now see why Joost is constantly running around.

I was dropped me off at the train station near his house in South London. The train to London Bridge station arrived as I was buying a ticket (no, I didn’t miss it- it was perfect timing!). The ride wasn’t but 15 minutes long…then I hopped onto the tube, got off at the nearest stop to the flat, and walked the rest of the way. I’m finally resting up before I return to the hostel. Not to stay- Amelia offered to cook me dinner. Yay!

So, despite missing the 3-hour rehearsal, 5:45 of my day were still spent at LSO-related events (Patrick’s class was through the LSO).

I am now devouring some cheddar and my new quasi-flat mate’s basil plant. He gave me permission, but I still feel a bit guilty.

I will NOT miss tomorrow’s rehearsal! I have the PROPER time engraved into my brain. There’ll be another rehearsal the next morning. Jerry arrives at Heathrow at 10:40 PM. I’m meeting him at the airport, then taking him to his hostel…I don’t anticipate bed before 2 AM. Then another rehearsal the next morning…and the next morning.

Off to dinner!