Auf Wiedersehen!

Though Annette had already with Barrage for three months prior to my joining in June 2008, she and I did quite a bit of training together. Annette was busy strengthening her knowledge of the show and improving her playing, and I was learning the last bits of choreography I didn't know and trying to figure out how to play violin while moving.  Regardless of the three-month difference in skill, we were both still new to the group; as such, we would commiserate after rehearsals about the difficulty of combining the already challenging music with the stage movements.

While almost three years have passed since then, I still remember the excitement, frustration, awe, and joy of that period as though it were yesterday. And from that time, Annette and I had a wonderful relationship, not only as co-workers, but also as friends. Because we endured the training together, and grew aware of how to be in Barrage together, we nearly always knew what the other was thinking. Annette and I could give each other the tiniest look and both be exactly on the same page with regard to whatever issue was at hand.

Though we've known for some time that Annette's final show would be April 3rd, the adjustment to not having her here is still somewhat odd. And though I've now been around to see four violinists leave this band, I'm realizing in retrospect that each departure has affected me in a different way. When Alicia left a few months after I joined, I was devastated and terrified: being so young, so new to the job, and having idolized Alicia so much prior to joining, I remember not understanding how the show could go on without her. I was saddened to see Sarah leave in the summer of 2009, knowing I would miss the times when the two of us would laugh ourselves to tears. (To this day, just recalling episodes with Sarah can still bring me to that point!) Jason's departure last summer forced a weird coming-of-age. After the four years I'd known him, the two years I'd been in the band with him (most of which also as a roommate), Jason had become to me something like an older brother, in the way that I always felt he knew the answers to all problems.

Once, it was strange to think that I would no longer be the newest violinist. Then, it became stranger to think that I was the not the newer male violinist. Now, it's incredibly strange for me to think that the only violinist who has been in longer is Kristina...

...how did this happen? Where did everyone go? I never imagined when I joined that the time would come when I would be on the older end, experience-wise, of the violinists (especially as the second youngest person, age-wise, in the band).

I'm thrilled, however, that Annette's final day in the band was such a great one!

We stopped for breakfast in Stowe, VT, had lunch in Concord, NH, and were in Sudbury, MA, for the show. It was truly a blast working with the orchestra and choir at Lincoln-Sudbury HS -- I did a sectional with the guys in the choir before the full rehearsal and they were so incredibly prepared! Plus, they were hilarious. Nothing makes our workshops more fun than when the students have their music learned and are ready to have a great time.  (Thank you, LSHS!)

Two state capitols in two days!  Concord, NH.

Sitting in some theatre chairs backstage with my hilarious friend from ASU, Lindsey.

Awkward photo (in which my computer refused to fix the red-eye for some reason...?).

Cast photo before Annette's final show. L to R: Daniel, Kiana, me, Annette, Tim, Kristina, Hidayat, and Charlie.

Saying goodbye on stage.

Group hug!

Saying goodbye in Boston.

Thank you, Annette!  I'll miss having you around!

Quick...name the capital of Vermont!

Right now we're in between shows in Stowe, Vermont, a small town with lots of skiing somewhere very far north.  We're performing at the Stowe Mountain Lodge, which is the hotel for all of the skiers on the mountains, and also our residence for the night.  Here's the view from my balcony:

And here's the view from near the theatre:

I got a Droid over break and am trying to figure out how to use the panorama feature...not the best panoramic picture ever, but I'm learning!

We just finished our 8th show (a matinee) in 8 days, with one more in just a few hours, and then another tomorrow down near Boston.  It's been a hard week, as touring goes.  Not only have there been some fairly substantial post-show drives (2-ish hours), but it's also just hard to keep the energy up for this many shows in a row.  It's common for us to have 3, 4, or even 5 shows in a row, but 10 in 9 days is unheard of.  The only other time I can remember a tour like this was our final week in China last May, when we did 8 shows in 7 days.  As a testament to how much fun this job is, though, last May was truly the first time that going on stage ever felt like work.  

Fortunately, however, we've had great audiences all week long.  And I'm not just saying that to sound positive -- we've truly had incredible audiences this week.  Nearly every night has been a packed house, and it seems like the school orchestras we worked with this week were mainly filled with mature, enthusiastic, attentive students, which is always a huge plus for us.

Moreover, I was able to grab dinner with my friend and roommate from the Killington Music Festival, Ryan, in Manchester, CT.  I haven't seen him in over a year, so it was great to catch up with him once again!

In a touring first for me, I've also been driving.  Normally, I'm not one of the drivers because companies charge extra for people under 25, but I guess Dollar has this new policy that allows those over 21 to drive on corporate accounts.  So, I've put in some cool drives this week.  Most notably, I drove through Manhattan the other night, which was incredibly awesome and simultaneously terrifying.  Fortunately, it was around midnight when we arrived in the city, but it was nonetheless nuts.  New York is, after all, the city that never sleeps.

Today, I also did the drive from Brattleboro, VT, up to Stowe.  It was a fun drive, not only because the scenery is the exact opposite of Mesa (i.e., it was mountainous, snowy, and covered with trees), but also because I made my car stop in Montpelier, the state capital!

I think this is easily the smallest capitol building I've seen...

We stopped in a coffee shop and I had a maple syrup latte, a fitting and delicious choice!

New York, Paris, London, Montpelier.

Thanks for the good times, Montpelier!

Got to run...I'm supposed to be at dinner!

Kids really do say the darndest things.

Three shows have happened this far.  Each one has had (at least) one awesome occurrence!

Saturday - My friend Kim, who I've known since elementary school, came and saw her third Barrage show!  (No picture was taken, unfortunately, because she had to go right afterward.)

Sunday - My roommate of three years, Ryan, was finally able to see a show!  It meant a lot to me to have Ryan there, not only because he's one of my closest friends, but also because he was my roommate when I was auditioning for Barrage back in 2006.  He was there with me through all of the highs and lows inherent in any long audition process, and was now able to see in person what Barrage is all about.  Plus, now that he doesn't live in Arizona, it's always great just to hang out with him!

Ryan drove five hours, each way, in one day to see the show!  Thank you, Ryan!

Monday (yesterday) - Barrage played an educational show with over 250 students (elementary to high school) in Reading, PA.  This, in itself, was a monumental happening, as it was the largest educational program any of us can remember doing.

As a result of having so many kids, each violinist was kind of "in charge" of a group of kids somewhere on stage or in the audience.  I was helping with a group of beginners, who were probably around 7 or 8 years old.  They couldn't play "Old Joe Clark," but they would occasionally hop in on a simplified harmony part. 

I told them that when they weren't playing, they should try to move a little bit, e.g., tapping a foot, bobbing a head.  The littlest girl in the group (who was also the most outgoing), was really eager to show off her dance moves, enthusiastically twisting up and down.

When they left rehearsal, she excitedly shared with me that she was going to wear heels to the show.

During intermission, the kids began to take their places on stage and in the audience.  I went down to my area in front of the stage and saw all the little ones dressed up and raring to go.  The little girl called over to me, "Taylor!  Taylor!"

As though she were someone two or three times her age, she lifted up one foot, showed me her tiny heels, and said, quite exasperatedly, "Taylor, my heels are killing me!"