Churching and Freelancing

Last week was Thanksgiving. I took my cello with me and played for my home church, or where I grew up rather. There is still that habit of saying it is home even though I haven't lived there for more than ten years. My Dad and I played several selections from Grieg, Schumann and Bloch. I have never received teary-eyed compliments from anyone until this week. The piece that was most moving, according to the comments was Bloch's Prayer, From Jewish Life. I didn't think I played particularly passionately although it was a very good and clean performance. Those that came to me afterword to express their appreciation and stating that they would go find a recording of Prayer surprised me.

I was surprised but I was extremely happy that a performance that I was involved in could even have such an effect upon some listeners. Apparently, I must be finally settling in to music making and letting it come out more naturally than ever. I too, say that I am feeling better about my performances and can even leave myself with a sense of greater appreciation for the art and music. Not in the sense that I am totally amazed with myself and that I am awesome but rather how being comfortable and thinking on music can change my performance so fantastically.

However, just the day before--Black Friday--I was in Madison doing some shopping and looking around with my Mom, brother and friend. After a nice jaunt up and down the capital building's four flights of marble stairs we went back home. Unbeknownst to me I had received an email from an orchestra in Bloomington, IL while I was out. To my knowledge, I have never sent an email to or auditioned for this orchestra. They found me somehow someway, perhaps through someone I know who plays for this orchestra. idk.

This is the cool thing about freelancing. Once you get your name out there and people start believing in you the gigs come in. All November and December there will be gigs every weekend. Some weekends I will have two and even three performances. So here's to freelancing when the freelance gigs come in and fill out my schedule.

In order of performance:

Springfield and Bloomington, IL
South Bend, IN
St. Joseph, MI (Two weekends in a row)
Dowagiac and Harbert, MI