Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Le Mercure concerts

I just finished a series of projects with my ensemble Le Mercure.  The first two concerts took place in beautiful small towns in southern Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg.  Both concerts were extremely well received and it was a great start into our tour.  


I was particularly touched by one woman who came up to me after one concert, she was a recorder player who had just started to take up the traverso with Linde Brunmayer in Trossingen.  She explained that she was extremely touched by our playing but also somewhat "discouraged" in the sense that she felt she would need a whole other lifetime to achieve at least a somewhat decent sound on the traverso.  I told her that it is a life-long goal for everyone, disregarding one's starting point, and that I admire her desire and courage in exploring a new horizon.  I could not be more grateful that she came to the concert and that our playing could touch her soul.  


Performances are incredible in this way; musicians and audience members come from completely different worlds to one location, and for that short moment, both sides can connect through this medium of music, a language, an energy, whatever you want to call it.  And I do mean you "can" connect, because as beautiful as it is when it happens, it's also part of nature that it might not happen.  


I've been very fortunate to have had a couple of these deep experiences, and each incident has been unique in itself.  The bonding of joy and love is but the essence of them all.


Isn't that incredible?  Neither music nor love is something tangible, but it just exists in us.


The lady hugged me THREE times afterwards!!  It gives me tears to think about it.  


THANK YOU, Le Mercure!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014