Tanglewood!!!

Some most excellent news arrived recently: I've been selected as one of three apprentice piano technicians for the Tanglewood Music Festival in the Berkshire mountains in western Massachusetts. This is a great honor, and will be a wonderful learning experience; Tanglewood is the summer home to the Boston Symphony, and the concert series also includes performances by the Emerson Quartet, the Juilliard Quartet, Peter Serkin, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, and Joshua Bell, among many others. The three apprentices and the head technician are responsible for the health and well-being of around 80 pianos on the festival grounds, in the performance venues and rehearsal spaces. I will be there from the beginning of June until mid-August, doing nothing but working on pianos and absorbing as much of the vibe of Excellence as I possibly can. What could be better? [Well, V could be there with me for the summer, but she will be visiting at least once - for the 4th of July performance by Diana Krall.]

It was 20 years ago this summer, 1989, when I left Massachusetts as a credentialed-yet-inexperienced bassist for an opportunity which afforded huge growth - as the bassist for the Aspen Jazz Ensemble. And now I return to Massachusetts in 2009 as a credentialed-yet-inexperienced piano technician for what should be a very analogous experience at Tanglewood. As they say, large circles are spinning.