… and so it begins
I’ve just finished my third full day here in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire where I will be studying piano and performance techniques at the Heifetz International Music Institute. It is one of the most beautiful and pristine places I have ever seen in my entire life. The institute takes place on the campus of a boarding school in town which overlooks Lake Winnepesaukee and a small range of the White Mountains far in the distance. The town claims to be the oldest resort town in the country, and I believe it. If there is anyplace I would like to one day build a second home, it would be here. And the town itself looks like one of those collections Department 56 comes out with around the Holiday season. Alas, I digress.
Out of only 78 musicians, I am one of six pianists chosen from around the world to study with some of the best-known music pedagogues in the business. I’ll study with Barry Snyder, Andre-Michel Schub, Jeffrey Sharkey, and Andre Watts over the course of the summer- all of whom are internationally acclaimed performers, pedagogues, and musical leaders. It’s thrilling. I will be playing chamber music, attending classes targeting the different aspects of performance issues, and performing about once per week. It is a tad strict when it comes to obligations, though, as we’re told to practice 5 hours per day, have 6 hours of chamber music rehearsal per week, 2 one-hour piano lessons per week, 5 hours of class per week, and still have time to eat and sleep. It may not sound like a lot to someone who is not accustomed to this lifestyle, but the energy and focus required to complete everything at 100% is almost mind-boggling.
In the end I know I will leave here a new person and a new musician, but it looks like it’s going to be a hard road getting there. I will have updates about how things are shaping up. Cheers!
