I woke up this morning fully dressed in my dress suit, sign of a good night.
In order to apply to conducting programs I must send a DVD of my work, and since I don’t have a lot of performances on tape, I hired a small orchestra of some of my favorite players and read through three pieces-Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Beethoven 7, Introduction, and Mahler 4, third movement. It was an exhilarating night.
Afterwards we went out for dinner and beer, and after a few Arrogant bastard ales, I got a phone call from a friend I hadn’t heard from in more than a year-he was in a Corvette convertible and was nearby. Within minutes he was picking us up at the bar, and drove us down broadway through Times Square to a party downtown. It was one of those scenes you know is going to stick with you in fifty years, even as you’re living it-I lit a cigar and we put the roof down, blasting Lully as we drove through the incredible billboards, the sky as bright as day.
Then we danced and partied with friends until very late, letting off steam.
It feels nice to be fuzzy-headed and still in a crumpled suit; I know there’s a big phase ahead with application essays and recommendations to square away, and paperwork for many hours to come. But for now, I celebrate this small private conducting experience, and the joy it gives me to conduct music with great friends.