Top 25

For the past 2 and a half months, I've been playing in the Frost Symphony Orchestra, the University of Miami's one and only esteemed symphonic group.  We meet 6 hours a week plus I'm in a quintet that meets at least 2 hours a week, not to mention the optional (for me) viola class and string forum that are each one hour/week.  It's much more intense than I had anticipated but for the work I'm putting in, I think I'm making my way back to the level I was sometime about 3-5 years ago.  It's been a longer battle than I was expecting but it must be paying off.  Again I am glad that I'm not majoring in music because as much as it is wonderful, the amount of dedication by all the music majors is not what I'm willing to put in.

My first concert with Frost Symphony Orch. Photo: Lu Yan

Several people have been quite seriously surprised when I tell them I'm in the symphony because apparently the Frost School of Music is very good and quite selective.  I knew this to be true and I could tell from day 1 of playing with them that the symphony was mind-blowing but I didn't really find out until tonight that they are ranked between 13 and 25 in the country for music schools.  I just wanted a group to play with.  Little did I know that it was going to be one of the top university orchestras in the nation.

I had a few realizations tonight.  First of all, research is more important than class.  I am going to email the lab that might hire me and tell them I'll skip class to do research in the field.




...that's where I fell asleep on top of my computer last night.