What I've been doing in the past two weeks

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been super busy in the past few weeks, which is why I haven't had a chance to write anything.  Here's what I was doing:

Shortly after my last post from northern Virginia, I took an all-day train back to New Haven.

The next day, I had to get up bright and early to take the commuter rail train to New York for an audition for a summer festival.  I took the excuse to visit for a while with one of my best friends, D, who I don't get to see very often.

Then, classes started that Monday.  This semester I'm super busy.  First, I'm working seven hours per week at two different public elementary schools, which doesn't sound like that much, but it's all super early in the morning - I have to leave my house before 7:30 or I'm late for work.  I also work as a TA for one of the School of Music classes, so that's another three hours per week. Then there's my classes, which together amount to five hours.  I'm taking two real classes this semester: instrumental arranging and Portuguese poetry.  The arranging class will be quite a bit of work, but should be fun - I really like making arrangements! I'm not that interested in poetry, but I love Portuguese, so I relish any opportunity to practice it.  Finally, I have a ton of rehearsals.  In addition to orchestra, which rehearses about eight hours per week, this semester I am in two chamber groups, so I have another six hours for that.  I hate to complain about this because I signed up for it myself, and I love all the activities I'm taking part in, but it still is a lot of work.

Then the auditions started again for real last weekend.  On Saturday, I had another audition in New York City.  Because a bunch of other Yale students were auditioning for it as well, I had company on the train ride down.  Afterwards, I was lucky enough to meet up with D again.  We enjoyed some delicious miniature beverages, but soon I had to be on my way.  I had to get back down to DC that night, because of the impending Inauguration Day traffic.  I got to relax and spend a lot of quality time with my parents on Sunday and Monday in preparation for my first doctoral audition on Tuesday, at the University of Maryland.  It was so nice to be at home with just my parents.  I can't even remember the last time I was home and neither of my sisters was!

My audition on Tuesday went pretty well, but I'm notoriously bad about judging my own playing, so really who knows.  On Thursday I had University of Georgia, and then on Thursday night I flew back to New York and took the train to New Haven.  I got back to my dorm room literally as the clock struck 4am.  I also had a concert on Friday night, yet somehow managed not to die of a caffiene overdose!

Now I have a few weeks off of auditions, though I still have all my normal school work to take care of.  My next audition isn't untill February 2.  But don't worry, I'll write again before then!

Until next time!

Lauren