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taz_39**DISCLAIMER** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer.
DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION. Thank you.**
This post covers Monday and Tuesday.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
MONDAY
I did quite a lot of things in just 48 hours, so this post will be photo-heavy and long.
I was up at 5am to have coffee, review my notes, and load up the rental car to drive 4 hours to Western Carolina University. Partway through I stopped to pee and get gas, and continued driving while eating a packed breakfast. It was I-40 for most of the way but eventually spit me out on rural Blue Ridge Mountain roads, windy and requiring both hands and readiness on the brakes. But I have driven all kinds of roads, and found this fun and engaging.
I arrived a bit after 11am and the trombone professor, whose name is Zsolt, came out to meet me.
WCU is a beautiful campus nestled among the mountains, with lovely flowered landscaping and a mix of new and old buildings. It's too bad I didn't have more time to spend here. Zsolt took me to his studio, the door of which was decorated with a poster he'd made:
How cute! I felt bashful about it. It's odd to think that I'm talking to young folks as a specialist of sorts. Anyway, we chatted briefly about what Zsolt had planned. His ensemble time was comprised of two 40-minute blocks, one in the band room and the other in a choral room upstairs. The first half of my masterclass would take place in the band room where Zsolt would play video clips from my portfolio, and I'd talk about each one. The second half would be upstairs in the chorus room where we'd have a Q&A.
Zsolt's wife also works at WCU in the forensics department, and she joined us for an early lunch. They took me to a taco place nearby that was pretty good, I had some tasty Al Pastor tacos and "green sauce" which was like a very smooth, pureed salsa verde. We chatted and asked each other questions; I could see Zsolt holding back mightily since most of his questions would be asked in the masterclass! I learned that Zsolt had initially moved here from Hungary and lived in Chicago for several years working his way into the gigging scene. He didn't care for rushing around between gigs and trying to piece together a living, and decided that he'd have to get some sort of stable job in music. He settled on teaching, and found work at WCU. He also performs with both Atlanta and Charlotte symphonies whenever he's able, and in other local ensembles. He described how much he enjoys the quality of life in North Carolina, and I must agree, it's a beautiful state, and Sylva (where WCU is located) is much like Asheville but without the tourists.
We wrapped up lunch pretty quickly to get back in time for the masterclass. I was surprised at how big the band room was! When we walked in all of the students were already seated in a semicircle around a big projector screen. While Zsolt got behind a computer and started digging up my videos, I introduced myself and gave a short timeline of my performing career. Once the videos were loaded Zsolt played my Epic Universe clip, Main Street Phil clip, cruise ship clip, and a short video I'd taken showing our pit setup in North Charleston. For each video I described what I was doing and where, what the rehearsals had been like and what the schedule was like, the pay rates and requirements of the job, and other things as they came to mind (details about costumes, weather, guest interactions, equipment, etc.) For the pit footage I described what we were looking at and some of the equipment, how it was used (Avioms, page-turning pedal, standing mic, etc.)
As I was talking Zsolt made a loop of the room, and must have taken these pictures during that time.
I was nervous and kind of blathered a bit at first. It feels very weird and selfish to talk about oneself and one's career...but I kept reminding myself, the POINT is not YOU, it's what you've done and how you got there...and how you can help the next generation of trombonists do it, too.
Even knowing that the Q&A would be later on, some students were already trying to raise their hands and ask questions before we finished! That was awesome. When the time came we hustled up to the chorus room and continued there, with Zsolt sitting next to me and the students again in a semicircle (closer because it was a smaller room.) Immediately they had many questions to ask: what was the cruise ship like? How long was the contract? Was I still doing classical gigs? How many breaks did I get from touring, if any? What do I put in a cold-email? And many more. I responded as quickly as I could, but also tried to cram in as much information as I could. Once or twice I got off track this way and had to loop back and make sure I actually answered the question that was asked. But everyone was patient, and everyone got to ask at least one question.
We ran out of time before all questions had been answered, which was a shame! After vacating the room I followed Zsolt to his studio where we moaned a bit about topics we hadn't managed to cover (being good personality in the pit as well as a good musician was the biggie.) Not only that, I couldn't stick around: it was 2:30pm and the drive to Greensboro was another 4 hours, and my rental car was due back at 7pm. Zsolt walked me to my car and we hugged goodbye. I urged him to give the Resources list I'd made to his students, and have them connect with me if they ever had any questions or if I could help them in any way.
Overall Zsolt was incredibly kind and hospitable. I'm so grateful that he allowed me to talk with his students today. This is only the second masterclass I've done and it is very much a learning process for me, too. I learned a lot and will hopefully be more organized and prepared for the next one (which right now is in Delaware in February!)
The drive to Greensboro was nice, and I got there in good time so checked into the hotel first. This week I am NOT staying at the company hotel because it's 5 miles away from the theater and I have promised myself the gift of NO CARPOOLING on this tour. Pretty much the only reasonably-priced hotel available downtown was the historic Biltmore. In 1895 it was an office building, and later became apartments and then a hotel. Of course several people have died here so it's said to be HAUNTED, woooOOOOoooo. But it really is a Greensboro Historic Building and is protected and preserved as such, so I will have to explore it carefully!
I checked in, chucked my stuff into the room, and drove to the airport to return the rental car. From there I got an Uber to Whole Paycheck where I ate dinner from the hot bar and got my groceries for the week.
Back at the hotel. My room has a real doorknob and key just like an apartment!
And here is the room (click on the images for larger versions):
The ceiling is incredibly high. There is virtually no counter/table space and few outlets, not surprising when it comes to old hotels. But I know how to make do. First, the ironing board comes into service. (Don't mind my bras.)
And then EVERY flat surface is put to work including chairs, end tables, and windowsills. Lamps are delegated to the floor or closet.
I decided to try keeping the food on the sill because A) the shades don't open, and B) the windows are in the center of an alley. The hope is that the sun won't be able to reach that far in. Putting the Itaki and kettle on the nightstand means they're on a different outlet than the fridge, tv, and computer. The last thing I need is to blow a fuse around here.
The other windowsill has my food storage containers, food scale, dishware, and oatmeal. Any kitchen gear that I didn't take out is in that nook by the fridge for easy access.
The suitcase goes in the closet, the computer to a small desk. The bathroom counter space is a whole 'nother story that we won't go into...suffice that I got a nice hot shower and the toilet flushes.
By the time I'd weaseled everything into functional spots, gotten a shower, and typed up this post, it was 11pm.
I was exhausted...and why not? was a full and rewarding day :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TUESDAY
Awake at 7:30. Checked out the hotel's "continental breakfast" and it was disappointing, prepackaged muffins and two sad bananas and cold coffee. So much for that. I made coffee and oatmeal, yogurt and berries, in my room. Typed up more of this rather long post, posted to LinkedIn about the masterclass (promotion) and eventually got up and around to walk to Deep Roots Co-op.
I've been to this co-op many times before. Really nice little place. Since I can't steal bagels and fruit from the hotel, I bought a lovely loaf of local whole wheat bread, some apples, and some "biodynamic grapes." I had no idea what this meant but the grapes were tiny, the size of raisins and very cute-looking. Later discovered that "biodynamic" means they were grown under esoteric conditions. Yeah, idk, but they turned out to taste like nice miniature green grapes.
Did some meal planning and packed snacks and dinner for later, then tried and failed to catch a nap. Had a pleasant walk to the theater. Ah, the memories! I’ve now performed at this theater three times in the past two years, with three different shows. We had a nice sound check, and afterward I went looking for my wall tags.
My Fair Lady, January 2024:
Elf, December 2024. This one has little LED string lights inside the book, on the tree, the etch-a-sketch, and the cityscape. I was surprised to find that all of them worked except the cityscape.
Near the stage door, a local restaurant had set up these lovely treats for us! A chocolate flourless cake on the left and cream puffs on the right.
Around 6pm someone took this photo out front and posted it in the group chat. An hour before the doors open and the foyer is already full with a line out the door!! I am so glad that Greensboro is excited for our show!!
I thought the show went well, and the crowd was great. The way the pit is set up this week, I can see everyone except the violinist and that is really cool (pictures later in the week.) After the show there was a party for us in a restaurant/bar down the block...the same restaurant hosted parties for Elf and My Fair Lady, so I knew already what food would be served! THAT was weird. Spent an hour there and had a nice time, but left around 11:30pm to walk back to the hotel and type this post up, do my dishes, and go to bed before any Greensboro ghosts could hassle me :p
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday: One evening show. Giving the trombones a bath, exploring this historic hotel!
Thursday: One evening show. No plans...perhaps going for a walk or sourcing a place to do laundry.
DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION. Thank you.**
This post covers Monday and Tuesday.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
MONDAY
I did quite a lot of things in just 48 hours, so this post will be photo-heavy and long.
I was up at 5am to have coffee, review my notes, and load up the rental car to drive 4 hours to Western Carolina University. Partway through I stopped to pee and get gas, and continued driving while eating a packed breakfast. It was I-40 for most of the way but eventually spit me out on rural Blue Ridge Mountain roads, windy and requiring both hands and readiness on the brakes. But I have driven all kinds of roads, and found this fun and engaging.
I arrived a bit after 11am and the trombone professor, whose name is Zsolt, came out to meet me.
WCU is a beautiful campus nestled among the mountains, with lovely flowered landscaping and a mix of new and old buildings. It's too bad I didn't have more time to spend here. Zsolt took me to his studio, the door of which was decorated with a poster he'd made:
How cute! I felt bashful about it. It's odd to think that I'm talking to young folks as a specialist of sorts. Anyway, we chatted briefly about what Zsolt had planned. His ensemble time was comprised of two 40-minute blocks, one in the band room and the other in a choral room upstairs. The first half of my masterclass would take place in the band room where Zsolt would play video clips from my portfolio, and I'd talk about each one. The second half would be upstairs in the chorus room where we'd have a Q&A.
Zsolt's wife also works at WCU in the forensics department, and she joined us for an early lunch. They took me to a taco place nearby that was pretty good, I had some tasty Al Pastor tacos and "green sauce" which was like a very smooth, pureed salsa verde. We chatted and asked each other questions; I could see Zsolt holding back mightily since most of his questions would be asked in the masterclass! I learned that Zsolt had initially moved here from Hungary and lived in Chicago for several years working his way into the gigging scene. He didn't care for rushing around between gigs and trying to piece together a living, and decided that he'd have to get some sort of stable job in music. He settled on teaching, and found work at WCU. He also performs with both Atlanta and Charlotte symphonies whenever he's able, and in other local ensembles. He described how much he enjoys the quality of life in North Carolina, and I must agree, it's a beautiful state, and Sylva (where WCU is located) is much like Asheville but without the tourists.
We wrapped up lunch pretty quickly to get back in time for the masterclass. I was surprised at how big the band room was! When we walked in all of the students were already seated in a semicircle around a big projector screen. While Zsolt got behind a computer and started digging up my videos, I introduced myself and gave a short timeline of my performing career. Once the videos were loaded Zsolt played my Epic Universe clip, Main Street Phil clip, cruise ship clip, and a short video I'd taken showing our pit setup in North Charleston. For each video I described what I was doing and where, what the rehearsals had been like and what the schedule was like, the pay rates and requirements of the job, and other things as they came to mind (details about costumes, weather, guest interactions, equipment, etc.) For the pit footage I described what we were looking at and some of the equipment, how it was used (Avioms, page-turning pedal, standing mic, etc.)
As I was talking Zsolt made a loop of the room, and must have taken these pictures during that time.
I was nervous and kind of blathered a bit at first. It feels very weird and selfish to talk about oneself and one's career...but I kept reminding myself, the POINT is not YOU, it's what you've done and how you got there...and how you can help the next generation of trombonists do it, too.
Even knowing that the Q&A would be later on, some students were already trying to raise their hands and ask questions before we finished! That was awesome. When the time came we hustled up to the chorus room and continued there, with Zsolt sitting next to me and the students again in a semicircle (closer because it was a smaller room.) Immediately they had many questions to ask: what was the cruise ship like? How long was the contract? Was I still doing classical gigs? How many breaks did I get from touring, if any? What do I put in a cold-email? And many more. I responded as quickly as I could, but also tried to cram in as much information as I could. Once or twice I got off track this way and had to loop back and make sure I actually answered the question that was asked. But everyone was patient, and everyone got to ask at least one question.
We ran out of time before all questions had been answered, which was a shame! After vacating the room I followed Zsolt to his studio where we moaned a bit about topics we hadn't managed to cover (being good personality in the pit as well as a good musician was the biggie.) Not only that, I couldn't stick around: it was 2:30pm and the drive to Greensboro was another 4 hours, and my rental car was due back at 7pm. Zsolt walked me to my car and we hugged goodbye. I urged him to give the Resources list I'd made to his students, and have them connect with me if they ever had any questions or if I could help them in any way.
Overall Zsolt was incredibly kind and hospitable. I'm so grateful that he allowed me to talk with his students today. This is only the second masterclass I've done and it is very much a learning process for me, too. I learned a lot and will hopefully be more organized and prepared for the next one (which right now is in Delaware in February!)
The drive to Greensboro was nice, and I got there in good time so checked into the hotel first. This week I am NOT staying at the company hotel because it's 5 miles away from the theater and I have promised myself the gift of NO CARPOOLING on this tour. Pretty much the only reasonably-priced hotel available downtown was the historic Biltmore. In 1895 it was an office building, and later became apartments and then a hotel. Of course several people have died here so it's said to be HAUNTED, woooOOOOoooo. But it really is a Greensboro Historic Building and is protected and preserved as such, so I will have to explore it carefully!
I checked in, chucked my stuff into the room, and drove to the airport to return the rental car. From there I got an Uber to Whole Paycheck where I ate dinner from the hot bar and got my groceries for the week.
Back at the hotel. My room has a real doorknob and key just like an apartment!
And here is the room (click on the images for larger versions):
The ceiling is incredibly high. There is virtually no counter/table space and few outlets, not surprising when it comes to old hotels. But I know how to make do. First, the ironing board comes into service. (Don't mind my bras.)
And then EVERY flat surface is put to work including chairs, end tables, and windowsills. Lamps are delegated to the floor or closet.
I decided to try keeping the food on the sill because A) the shades don't open, and B) the windows are in the center of an alley. The hope is that the sun won't be able to reach that far in. Putting the Itaki and kettle on the nightstand means they're on a different outlet than the fridge, tv, and computer. The last thing I need is to blow a fuse around here.
The other windowsill has my food storage containers, food scale, dishware, and oatmeal. Any kitchen gear that I didn't take out is in that nook by the fridge for easy access.
The suitcase goes in the closet, the computer to a small desk. The bathroom counter space is a whole 'nother story that we won't go into...suffice that I got a nice hot shower and the toilet flushes.
By the time I'd weaseled everything into functional spots, gotten a shower, and typed up this post, it was 11pm.
I was exhausted...and why not? was a full and rewarding day :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TUESDAY
Awake at 7:30. Checked out the hotel's "continental breakfast" and it was disappointing, prepackaged muffins and two sad bananas and cold coffee. So much for that. I made coffee and oatmeal, yogurt and berries, in my room. Typed up more of this rather long post, posted to LinkedIn about the masterclass (promotion) and eventually got up and around to walk to Deep Roots Co-op.
I've been to this co-op many times before. Really nice little place. Since I can't steal bagels and fruit from the hotel, I bought a lovely loaf of local whole wheat bread, some apples, and some "biodynamic grapes." I had no idea what this meant but the grapes were tiny, the size of raisins and very cute-looking. Later discovered that "biodynamic" means they were grown under esoteric conditions. Yeah, idk, but they turned out to taste like nice miniature green grapes.
Did some meal planning and packed snacks and dinner for later, then tried and failed to catch a nap. Had a pleasant walk to the theater. Ah, the memories! I’ve now performed at this theater three times in the past two years, with three different shows. We had a nice sound check, and afterward I went looking for my wall tags.
My Fair Lady, January 2024:
Elf, December 2024. This one has little LED string lights inside the book, on the tree, the etch-a-sketch, and the cityscape. I was surprised to find that all of them worked except the cityscape.
Near the stage door, a local restaurant had set up these lovely treats for us! A chocolate flourless cake on the left and cream puffs on the right.
Around 6pm someone took this photo out front and posted it in the group chat. An hour before the doors open and the foyer is already full with a line out the door!! I am so glad that Greensboro is excited for our show!!
I thought the show went well, and the crowd was great. The way the pit is set up this week, I can see everyone except the violinist and that is really cool (pictures later in the week.) After the show there was a party for us in a restaurant/bar down the block...the same restaurant hosted parties for Elf and My Fair Lady, so I knew already what food would be served! THAT was weird. Spent an hour there and had a nice time, but left around 11:30pm to walk back to the hotel and type this post up, do my dishes, and go to bed before any Greensboro ghosts could hassle me :p
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday: One evening show. Giving the trombones a bath, exploring this historic hotel!
Thursday: One evening show. No plans...perhaps going for a walk or sourcing a place to do laundry.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-24 01:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-24 02:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-24 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-24 04:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-09-24 09:29 pm (UTC)The 3D wall tags are interesting. Curious to see what's cooked up for Beauty and the Beast.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-24 10:03 pm (UTC)Yeah, making your wall tag 3D seems to be the "special thing" to do here! I hope we do get a wall tag, sometimes there isn't time AND someone in the company volunteers to do it, there isn't like a designated wall tag artist.
If we had one I'd guess one of the following: 3D rose; 3D magic mirror; 3D Belle's ball dress; 3D fluffy Beast head with horns; 3D Lumiere. Most of those could be made pretty quickly using stuff you can buy at a dollar store or ready-made items.