Report on Thomas Stacy Seminar--Carmel Valley

California was terrific. We needed extra blankies at night, and needed no a/c!! A few motels have a/c in Monterey, but not all of them. The music camp in Carmel Valley is higher in elevation, and keeping a breeze flowing through the rooms worked fine. I am recuperating from carrying my double instrument case (oboe/English horn) AND computer on one shoulder, my "healthy back" bag full to the gills on the other, and dragging a rolling suitcase that weighed in at 56 pounds leaving Monterey. By passing up flying out of Corpus and going instead to San Antonio, I was able to get covered parking and a shuttle ride to the airport, so I only had to hoist that 56-pound bad boy into my wagon at the house, off the luggage carrel in Monterey, into and out of my rent car, then off the luggage carrel in San Antonio and out of my wagon back in my drive-way. My back is, of course, screwed up, and I'm sure I'm a couple of inches shorter due to compressed vertebrae! I've had a massage, used my hot tub, and have just taken it really easy. The back and hip pain are starting to let up now that the kinks are gradually working out. I'm gonna have to work out a better system for a 10-day stay--maybe ship all my clothes and music out there ahead of time or something! Or as my sister preaches, TAKE LESS!

Anyway, we had 17 participants which is a great number. (Last year's 30+ nearly did me in) Both Tom, the English Hornist for the NY Phil and Judith, the #1 bassoonist for the NY Phil, did camps this year, overlapped by one day, so we got to share meals and party with the bassooners. The bassoon camp had no coordinator, so they just ran free (wild). I had to make a noise announcement on day 2 at breakfast because there was laughing, screaming, and loud talking way into the night before. I was unsure how to get everyone's attention, but then inspiration struck! In the dining hall is a Kawai Baby Grand Piano, so I snuck over to the bench and launched into the intro to "Texas, Our Texas", which as an 18-year music teacher, I knew by memory. The other Texan in our EH crew stood up with her hand over her heart, which brought the house down. There were THREE (One bassooner from Laredo) of us who knew what the heck I was playing, but hey, I got the group's attention! Gee--why do people think Texans are so weird????? (Might it be the story I told of seeing a UFO on the way to the SA airport--honest to God!)lol

Sad news however---the technician that Tom brings in to look over our instruments found that my EH is fine, but my oboe wouldn't even seal. That means another crack in the top joint, and he couldn't figure out where it was exactly! Mark Chudnow is an oboe MAKER and an excellent tech, but he didn't have all the stuff he'd need to find the crack on the road with him. I have had some trouble lately with it here; I guess the drastic change in humidity made it show up big time out there. He can't get to it till November, and I can't afford to sent it anywhere right now anyway. I may have to hit up Alice ISD to loan me an oboe when Wind Symphony rehearsals start. My oboe is 34 years old and has been overhauled twice. The last time was a miracle-working $800. I couldn't replace it because the waiting list for NEW Laubin oboes is SEVEN years, and those with older ones don't generally sell 'em. I want a new oboe for Christmas; think Santa will get my note????