Day 95/126
Lots of progress: Both Alice and Pam have now Skyped with Robert. We also had our 3rd rehearsal today, everyone was present for the first time!
Our group, Northern Westchester Flutes, has been together for more than 10 years. We never use a conductor, we have always relied on each other for transitions. So you would think that Robert’s work would be a piece of cake. But since he is the soloist and effectively the conductor because he cues each of us into the different sections, it is difficult to rehearse this piece without knowing what he will do. We will have two rehearsals with him at the convention, but we wanted to work together a lot now so our limited time in DC can be very productive.
The rehearsal today was once again lots of talking and relatively little playing. Some of us are still working on the multiphonics, so we can’t run that section just yet. And for the people doubling on alto, bass and piccolo, they don’t quite know how much time they will have to switch instruments. So we tried a simulation, where one of us played Robert’s part and cued everyone. We’re hoping that practicing the mechanics of the piece will really help when we finally get to work with him.