Mercury rising!

We're getting into the swing of things here at New Music on the Point, with tons of rehearsals and lessons starting yesterday. And the mercury is rising today - it's hot out there, people! One of the best parts about this experience is that many of the lesson spaces are open, including the rec hall which houses the vocal studio. I love hearing the singers warm up, and getting pointers from Jen on how to improve. As a wind player, it's awesome to hear.

In the afternoon, we led an open rehearsal of George Crumb's Vox Balaenae, which we'll be performing in a salon concert on Thursday. Here's Adam in his element, preparing the piano.

After that, we had some rec time, during which many went hiking, and I (believing that hiking sounds a lot like work) decided to try my hand at kayaking. I needed to practice on dry land to avoid disaster.

Fortunately, Jillian was with me...

And we totally got the hang of coordinating our paddles to get the thing to go somewhere! For the record, I was NOT the one who capsized that day, for those of you who were wondering.

This morning, we started rehearsals on Andrew Watts's Noir Sensations. I love the back-and-forth that happens when composers and musicians are in the same room working on a piece in progress.

Our ensembles are mixed between 5HE and the other participants in the program. Our cellist for the Watts is fellow ESM alum Natalie Spehar.

For lunch today, we had veggie or chicken wraps, chilled berry and yogurt soup, and crispy pickles!

Everyone shows up for eating time!

Including composer-in-residence Davy Rakowski, in his personal mosquito net.

Finally, we'd like to share a fun video from last night. In what we believe was a social experiment, the chef put a bottle of Sriracha near the strawberries and ice cream at dessert. Mistake? David Gottlieb thinks not.

http://vimeo.com/24840974 Fifth House Ensemble