Spending a second weekend down in Dallas was a terrific reminder of things which inspire creativity. (I was here in May, 2012, also rehearsing to prepare to tour China with Ellen and her husband, Bob). Ellen, being a principal player of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, is eligible to receive grants from the O'Donnell Foundation, a wonderful philanthropic organization whose mission is to "inspire the creativity of the principal players of the DSO."
The O'Donnell Foundation is playing a huge role in underwriting Ellen's and my trip to China. I am incredibly grateful to its generosity. And, it turns out that Dallas has much to offer in terms of artistic hospitality. Ellen and I played a recital in a beautiful house concert on Saturday night, and played at the
Mt. Vernon Music Concert Series on Sunday. Both concerts were opportunities for us to perform together before leaving for Asia.
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| Ellen and I after a performance in Sárospatak, Hungary, August 2012 |
It is one thing to "practice," another to "rehearse," and a third to "perform" or "do." And we need to practice "performing" just as much as the other (essential) parts of a performing musician's life. I am grateful for the chance to have improved my own performance and creativity this weekend, in many ways.
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