Yesterday, I put up a new photo, and there have been so many questions and comments, that I decided that it needed a post all its own.
The picture was taken in New York at a friend's daughter's wedding, where I was part of the chamber music group. It was totally fun, and a complete high. The other players were really, really good. The acousitcs were wonderful, and I sounded like a professional.
I started to play the flute when I was twelve years old. It took me that long to grow arms long enough to hold the thing. And when I got into high school, I played piccolo in my high school band and the Topeka Youth Symphony. And then when it came time to go to college, the piccolo got me into the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore with a great scholarship, where I began a long and checkered academic career. I wound up finally graduating from Hunter College in New York, with a double major in flute and political science.
When I moved to Washington, I got some wonderful opportunities to play with local chamber groups, and flute playing played an important part in supplementing my public interest salary as a Nader's Raider. A lot of the work we did was playing background music for fancy Washington dinner parties, and we also played lots of weddings, bar mitzvahs. A favorite fellow flutist got me into the Washington Bach Consort, which was a wonderful education in the Baroque style.
Today I still play, mostly for client's and friends festive occassions, adding housewarmings to the list. I work with a goofy cellist who plays just beautifully (worked his way through law school playing back up to Elvis in Vegas during the summer months), and one of several violinists.
Music is one of my life's great joys.
So that's the story of the photo!
Oh, and it's "Flutist", not "Flautist". At least that's how I say it. I play the flute, not the flaut.
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