December: Back to Flagstaff!

In Spring 2016 I drove from Tempe to Flagstaff 5-6 times to play for NAU’s clarinet, saxophone, and French horn juries. It was super hectic, due to working 6 days a week at the ballet school and having a church job on the 7th day, but we made it work. I think all told I ended up asking off 3 separate days at the ballet school, spread across 2-3 weeks -- so not bad overall. Luckily, I pretty much NEVER ask off at ballet -- they know that I prioritize them and the church knows I prioritize them too, so when I do ask off, they tend to listen. (Unfortunately, that means I usually only ask for days off to go do other work instead of actually taking a day off, but that’s another matter entirely!)

So, when I had the chance to return to Flagstaff, but actually stay there for 2-3 weeks instead of driving back and forth for 5-6 weekends in a row, I jumped at the chance. I flew into Phoenix and drove up to Flagstaff, and it was such a great schedule! Rehearsals ran from 9 am to 9 pm on weekdays, with rehearsals ending at 5 on the day of performances, then there were four studio recitals and something like 21 juries. Not too many, really. (Update: Since then, it has become one of my favorite things to return to Flagstaff and work with the students and faculty there.)

During the time there, I had one weekend day off, where I traveled to the Petrified Forest National Park and also visited the Painted Desert, since they’re pretty much in the same place. It was a cold, windy, but lovely, day.

Cheers to good music and great colleagues!

Inside the Petrified Forest National Park 

Trees as rocks

Pretty colors!