A day of what? You might have guessed by now that I'm doing the NaBloProMo or whatever it is called, where people try and update their blogs every day in November. It is a partner to the "Write a whole novel in a month" challenge that runs at the same time (I'm NOT doing that one!)
I spent yesterday morning accompanying 4 beginner violins, 2 beginner clarinets, 2 mini-bassoons, taking over from colleagues who were accompanying their own cello and flute students. For my part, it was punishingly hard work; in and out of the waiting room, rehearsal room and exam room. Each exam lasts exactly 12 minutes. By the time I got there there were running about 10 minutes late, through no fault of the examiner. By a combination of swift footwork on my part (and I promise I didn't resort to playing the pieces faster at any stage!) and careful time management on the examiner's part (did she just ask for one less scale? who knows!) we managed to claw back the time so that the examiner and I both managed to get a whole hour for a much needed lunch break.
Then I returned for a final exam - an advanced violin student. The beginners are a nightmare to accompany - so unpredictable, many of them unable to keep in time, liable to skip a note or repeat themselves if a note didn't come out the first time. The advanced students are hard for different reasons; I have my hands full (literally!) with complicated piano parts, and their performances are far more nuanced. I have my ears on stalks, listening for changes in tempo and dynamics, as well as the occasional slip or mishap, which needs to be effectively covered up without putting them off or disturbing the flow. She played well, with total commitment, so I'm crossing my fingers for a good result.
Home, and somehow, I got Friday, when I did post the blog entry earlier than usual, mixed up with Saturday, when I thought I had posted a blog entry early. So I didn't post at all.
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