I'm currently sitting in Boston Logan, waiting for the next hour and a half to board my flight to Newark, then after a couple hour layover, I get to go home!
My auditions were a fun new experience. I found that just like airport security, everything goes better if you smile and are polite. It's been quite a whirlwind of a trip, including six flights in four days!
I got into Rochester Thursday night, and was fortunate to have a place to crash at Eastman with another awesome horn player named Caitlin. It wasn't the most restful night of sleep because Eastman kids stay up late and the walls are paper thin, but I was thankful for a place to crash. I got up early to be ready for the beginning of audition day, starting f at 9 am. I was lucky enough to have a few hours after the opening info meeting so I could go warm up. We had a sort of FAQ meeting for grad applicants at noon where I got to meet the other horn grad applicant of the day, then my audition was at 1:40.
The audition went pretty well. Lots of really good moments in my playing, and a couple I wasn't necessarily proud of, but overall I did come out of the room smiling.
I flew out to Boston that evening, and after some delays and some serious running in Washington Dulles, I made it to Boston just after midnight.
My audition wasn't until 2 the next afternoon, so I managed to get a good night sleep, and felt good when I got up. I caught the green line out to Boston Conservatory, and got there by 10:30. Had plenty of time to warm up, and explore the school a bit, talked to some undergrad horn applicants, and went into my audition (I was the only grad applicant on horn that day). Played my solos we, rocked my excerpts, remembered my scales, and then got handed some atonal sight reading that kicked my butt. We'll see how that turns out!
Because I was done so early, I got to go explore Boston, and actually got to meet up with a friend from junior high, Asante, who is currently a senior at Harvard. It's kind of crazy catching up with someone you haven't seen in six years, but it was nice to see a familiar face in a city I had never visited before.
So, here I sit, in the airport again (I'm starting to wonder if I've spent more time in airports and planes than actually out seeing these places). I really have enjoyed my experience, but I'm ready to go home. Partially this is driven my the fact that it's COLD out here, and partially because I miss my friends, my bed, and staying in the same time zone. It won't be long until I'm back, though! I'll be in NYC in early March for my next round of auditions.
I do wonder if I'm ready for grad school though...I feel so young compared to other grad applicants (most of whom are around 24, while I'm only 21). And even though I'm from a city, visiting the east coast never fails to make me feel kind of like a country bumpkin. Nonetheless, I hope to hear some good news back from these auditions, even though I'm steeling myself for rejection. Here's to hoping!
Meanwhile, my dear Emerald City, I'm coming home!
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