Everybody that I have told about my upcoming trip to Rome
has asked me if I’m nervous, excited, or worried about travelling alone. They
are all excited for me; they have all said that they will be thinking about me
and that I should be careful while I’m gone. And all I’ve been able to say is
that I’m super excited about it, that it’s going to be the adventure of a
lifetime, and that of course I will be careful. I’ve got a good head on my
shoulders, I’ll be fine meeting new people, and everything else that I can
think to say to make them feel better. All the while I’m standing there
thinking about how I should feel more excited, or how my nerves should be
eating at me. Maybe I should be more stressed out, or maybe I should be more
worried about travelling alone. But honestly it still doesn’t feel real. This
trip of mine. I’ve known about it since October and it’s always been one of
those trips in the future, at the back of my mind, sort of things that always
has a surreal quality. But now it’s becoming reality, I really am hopping on a
plane on Friday and flying across the world. And it’s starting to sink in. And
damn am I getting excited!
I’ve been assigned to play the second flute part for Haydn’s
London Trio for two flutes and bassoon, a piece that will be played five or six
times while I’m there. The repertoire that the symphony will be playing
includes Mendelssohn’s Fourth Symphony, Debussy’s Afternoon of a Faun, two
different Beethoven symphonies, and a handful of other pieces. There are dozens
of different opera scenes and arias that we will be playing, including portions
of La Traviata, Bizet’s Carmen, and Mozart’s Magic Flute. Although I won’t be
playing for all of these performances, I was signed on as a section flute—which
essentially means that I will be rotated in to different parts throughout the
festival—I will be there for all of the performances. I’m excited about all the
cultural expeditions that will be happening, and damn straight I’m going to go
to all of them. Regardless of how late I was out the night before I will be up
at 7 to go check out all that Rome has to offer. Even if it’s not considered
the “cool” thing to do, many of my colleagues will be from Italy why would they
want to bother going on these trips if that’s where they are from? Well I’m
American, from a small town in Minnesota, and I will be immersing myself in
every element of Roman culture that I possibly can while I’m gone.
I keep joking about how maybe I’ll find a job and stay out
there. Maybe I’ll find a professional opportunity, a paid gig, that I can’t
turn down and I’ll become an expatriate. I’ve been considering applying for a
Fulbright to study abroad in England after I finish my masters here in America
to get a performers certificate from a European school. Although I feel burnt
out now, tired of school, looking for a change, something new and exciting to
do beyond music. I have a feeling that if I were to go abroad for my next level
of schooling that cultural change alone my reignite my passion for music. But
that seems like a big gamble. This is where the Rome Festival comes in, if I
fall in love with the attitude abroad, with the musicians and maestro(a)’s, and
the culture maybe I will stick it out there for a few more years to see where
life takes me.
Who knows, that seems to be the theme of this blog (and my
life) lately. I’m starting my 23rd year of life with my biggest
adventure yet, who knows what will happen in the next few years? And who wants
to. Really. I’m just going to keep living my life and seeing where it takes me.
It’s been working out pretty well so far.
