Surgery Needed for my Foot and my Phrasing

I saw the orthopod on Wednesday.  It took him about 30 seconds to declare that I need surgery.  The procedure is scheduled Monday morning, outpatient, and I get to wear a cool metal boot from now until a few weeks after the surgery.  Monday is the first day of my two week vacation.  I'm trying to look at the bright side of having to have surgery on vacation.  It means I have plenty of time to recover and won't have to reschedule any of my patients.  That's good, right?

A bit of news today on our housing situation -- DC has provided the document needed to get going on our final loan approval.  Our loan officer thinks we'll be able to close by the 30th.  Yea!!!  I'll finally live in a place where I can have a music studio.  I'm quite excited.

Ms. Trimber took the Miyazawa away from me.  I know, dear reader, it's very sad, but I knew it was going to happen.  She has ordered my new flute and it will be here at the beginning of May.  She loaned me one of her personal flutes, a 1964 Powell.  It's okay.  My Hammig headjoint doesn't fit it, so I don't get the benefit of my superfantastical purchase.  I'm very appreciative of Ms. Trimber's generosity, though.  She was in no way obligated to loan me her flute.

I was able to get some good practicing in over the past couple of days, despite my injury.  I was on call Wednesday night.  It was blessedly pleasant.  We only had one admission, no deliveries, and I was able to rest in my call room undisturbed from midnight until sign-out at 7 am.  As is my custom, I took today off. After getting in a bit of a nap, I took the Flute World Yamaha flutes to the post-office to mail back.  If anyone out there is looking for a new or consignment flute, I highly recommend Flute World.  They are great to work with, especially Karen, who seems to be in charge of instrument sales.

I continue to make progress with my practice routine.  The long tones are sounding more refined and in tune; the harmonics are becoming clearer and I am able to sometimes hit a clear high G while fingering low C; the T and G EJ 1, 2 have progressed to 66 beats per minute, articulation #3, and the T and G EJ 4 has progressed to 69 beats per minutes, articulation #3; I am currently working on the ninth etude in the Cavally book; and I have the first movement of the Bach Partita in A Minor under my fingers and am working on the second movement.  I can't forget about orchestral excerpts!  I have practiced/played through the JSB St. Matthew's Passion, Mass in B minor and Suite in B minor.  These are just lovely things to play, but I really don't know where to breathe in the Mass in B minor excerpt without either cutting the occasional note or being late after the breath (I know the latter is unacceptable).

I've recorded parts of my past two practice sessions using the VoiceMemo app on my iPhone.  Listening to these recordings has been immensely helpful in identifying weak spots I didn't know I had, and in discovering things I thought were a problem actually didn't come across on the recording.  One thing I've noticed is my vibrato doesn't really help my sound out much.  I used to have a beautiful vibrato, if I say so myself.  This was when I was 23, though, and had never taken an extended break from practicing since I had started playing the instrument 10 years before.  I can get that back, no problem.  I'm a little worried about my phrasing in the Bach, though.  I need to really sit down and plan how I'm going to play the phrases in this piece.  I hear Pahud play it so effortlessly; it's so hard to imagine him ever mapping out phrases while practicing.  I, as a mere mortal, will have to do that, though, if I'm going to sound like a somewhat mature musician when I perform the piece in June.  Having a teacher would help.

I have tried briefly to figure out how to share these files on this blog post, but I'm not sure I'll be able to.  It appears one can only play these VoiceMemo recordings on iTunes.  I'll try a different way the next time I record from home.

Keith came home today.  It was great having him back.  I, of course, had missed him, and it is especially wonderful having him around to help out so I can decrease my activity, what with my being  a gimp and all.  Keith had the idea of getting Eleanor a gift certificate from Trader Joe's as a token of appreciation for her help during Footgate.  Apparently Eleanor shops there all the time, which I hadn't noticed but Keith had.  Keith picked up the card, and I attached a note telling how much her kindness meant to me.  She was very gracious and appreciative.  She asked what I like from Trader Joes.  I told her the cheap wine.  I think she's going to get ME something with HER gift card.  How wonderful is she!  After I'd given it to her, I asked if she can hear me playing the flute.  She said "Yes.  I love it!"  This suprised me, and I was relieved that I wasn't bothering her.  She also said my upstairs neighbor, Rosemary, whom I was also worried I was bothering, told her that she enjoyed listening to me practice, too.  I was so glad to hear that.  I'm often a bit uncomfortable practicing in my apartment for fear of disburbing my neighbors.  I guess I don't have to worry that much after all.