Italy (Lodi)

I just got back from Italy, where I was playing with Theresia Youth Baroque Orchestra. While Lodi isn't very well known, it is a kind of cute town, so I'm posting a few pictures.

Pictures from Switzerland

Last week was my Autumn Holiday. I spent it with Florian in Tarasp, a lovely region in the Swiss Alps. We did some hiking and some relaxing, and here are the pictures to make you jealous!

First pictures from Amsterdam

 Dusk at the edge of Zeeburgereiland

 

 The bridge to Steigereiland (with the moon just above it)

 The sunset from the bridge

 Looking over the water. The bridge in the background is for bicycles only

 Flevopark, an excellent place for a picnic

 Flevopark

 Me having a picnic in Flevopark

 The view from the bicycle bridge

 The bridge

Master Project Fun and Silly Fonts

Today I finished my school applications for next year. I won't know until the middle of April or maybe even early May where I've been accepted (Auditions are between the 10th and 17th of April), but it feels amazing to have the paperwork done. School applications are always a bit illogical, I find. Each one is just a tiny bit different from all the others, and they take a lot of time. Just finding all the pieces and finding all the webpages where various requirements were explained took hours.

My Master Project is also in full swing now. Things have really taken shape during vacation, which is brilliant. I still need a title, but my research is coming together nicely. I've been working extensively with older German texts for the first time since I lived in Oldenburg. The great thing about these books is that since they are no longer under copyright, you can find them online. The not so great things is that the default font of the 19th Century is very difficult to read, even before you factor in all of the different spellings that were used. Just in case anyone wants to take a stab at reading this stuff...

First Paragraph of the article about the Schunke Family, from the Encyclopädie der gesammten musikalischen Wissenschaften, oder Universal-Lexicon der Tonkunst

I'm having a lot of fun though, and I've gotten to meet some people (both in real life and through email) who are a lot of fun to talk to. It's great to meet someone who is as interested as I am in this stuff, because a lot of people couldn't care less.

I start my last semester in Zürich on Monday. I'm definitely feeling a little sad about leaving, it's been a wonderful few years. It's absolutely crazy to think I'm going to have a masters degree in a few short months. Time's going to fly.

And I will be home this summer, probably in July. In case anyone is planning anything.

Libraries, Galleries, Kondi, Caramel Apple Cider, and the Congress of Vienna

Sorry for the long break. Usually spending time in the library isn't blog worthy, but I have a cute picture, so I figured I would post it.

One of the study boxes in the Central Library, where I am spending far too much time :)

I'm spending lots of time in the library right now working on my master project.  The topic is something along the lines of horn music written in Vienna in the early 19th century (which is not a nerdy topic at all).  That's where the Congress of Vienna comes in.  I just put that in the title to confuse people (although that big book on my desk is about the Congress of Vienna).  My masters project date was just released.  Unless anything changes, it will be on the 15th of May in the early afternoon. 

Last night I played a few solo natural horn pieces for a gallery opening of a friend.  It was really fun.  Who knew that solo natural horn was appropriate for art galleries?  It was a lot of fun, some of the pictures were really pretty, and there were really good olives to eat. 

School is really busy right now (another reason nothing has been written).  I have quite a few tests and presentations, and have been very stressed.  That's where Kondi comes in.  Kondi is conditioning training, which is a hilarious class that involves lots of people in a giant gym running around in circles and doing other exercise moves to bad music.  Very fun.  And good stress relief.

Florian is home.  We're playing a concert this afternoon in the church by my house.  And when mom gets here in less than a week (!!!) we're going up to the mountains for a few days of relaxation, practice, pretty mountains, and good food.  

Last weekend Brianna and I had a sleepover, watched Pitch Perfect, and tried to figure out how Starbucks makes their caramel apple cider.  As it turns out, not by melting caramels into apple cider (but that variant isn't too bad, we are pleased to report).  I plan on perfecting this recipe over the next few weeks.  And no, the Starbucks here does not have it.  

Anyway, that's all.  Until next time! 

Alp Adventures

Just thought I would post a few pictures from my recent adventures with Florian hiking near Sedrun. 

Bridge over the river Strem

Other side of the bridge

Enjoying the sun and our lunch

Cool rocks over the river Drun

Toma See (Lake) This is the beginning of the Rhein

The Valley as seen above Oberalp

The Rhätische Bahn coming into the station at Oberalp

The view from the Hexenplatte

The sign at the top (2249 meters (7379 feet) above see level)

Waterfall on the Strem

Italy Audition

I went to Bolzano, Italy for an audition last weekend, and took quite a few pictures despite very little good weather.  To get to Bolzano, I first had to go to Innsbruck (about four hours away), and then change trains (for another two hour ride).  So my pictures start and end in Austria.

Innsbruck City

Street Performers

Cool Fountain

Bolzano Center

Bolzano on a Sunday morning.  Not a person in sight.

A secret passage.  Bolzano had a lot of cool tiny streets

The Cathedral

One of the many castles in the area

Innsbruck one day later.  Note the sun!

I have no idea why there was a parade.  There just was.

A nice church in Innsbruck