I *maaaaay* have on more than one occasion tried freestyling using random composer names in the shower... why do you ask?

Ah, orchestra!  Youth orchestra has started again, and things have been going really well!  There was a bit of confusion with the trumpet roster last week (as to who would actually be available for the concert), but that's been sorted out, and I'm temporarily sitting principal (I'm not currently listed as such on the roster for this upcoming year, so I assume this is my last show in that role).

Sectionals have been going alright.  Brass is currently split into high and low in different rooms, so trumpets and horns are together.  While I really like our coach, I kind of wish that we could all be in the same room, as everything sounds so sparse currently, and just... better, with the lower range to beef it up

But really, it's the actual orchestra rehearsals that are what does it for me.  It's been a very bipolar summer for me, bouncing back and forth between feeling awesome, depressed, lonely, excited, anxious, overconfident, underconfident, and a myriad of other emotions.  But once I get back into orchestra, it's like the music has a healing effect.  Just being there makes me feel at peace.

We're doing a Hector Berlioz piece called Harold in Italy, which is kind of a glorified viola concerto.  Apparently it's actually a symphony that just happens to have a solo violist throughout, but that might as well count in my eyes.  Today we did the final movement, titled "The Brigand's Orgies."  Leave it to Monsieur Berlioz to write all these orgy pieces... anyone remember Fantastique?  Also, I was incredibly surprised to find out there is more than one piece by Berlioz.  After listening to the first movement, I realized there is not more than one piece by Berlioz, just the same piece with the bars in a different order.

Our strings section is MASSIVE.  The conductor was worried about us brass overpowering them, since a lot of them are new this year, but I honestly don't think we have to worry about that, since there's just so many of them.  Perhaps that's why we sound so good after only two days, sheer numbers.  That, and I'm sure we're all really dedicated.  I know this is my last (even if only second) year with the ensemble, and I want to make it as awesome as physically possible.  I just hope everyone else feels the same.