College Music Society Great Plains Chapter Meeting .. The Fun Stuff

I presented my paper entitled "Jasmine Flower in Three Different Lights" at the College Music Society Great Plains Chapter Meeting in Liberty MO. Unlike the previous week's trip to Kansas City, I brought my whole brain with me and had regained my sense of direction. I did not get lost and found William Jewell College easily.

I enjoyed the complimentary concert at the Music Hall immensely. The Prague Philharmonic is a great orchestra. The amazing feat performed by the substitute pianist at the last minute, was just awesome. We couldn't believe that he had not practiced and did not find out that he would be performing Dvorak's 2nd Piano Concerto until 5:30pm that day. There were hardly any mistakes.. maybe one or two notes that were a tad blurred. The audience gave him the applause he deserved and he played a Chopin Mazurka as an encore. However, the most amusing person was the timpanist. I have never seen a more enthusiatic performer, following and gesturing the conductor's every cue with his head (whom, by the way, had a dyed red mohawk). I could hear suppressed giggles in the audience. We knew when the timpani was about to appear since he flashes the biggest smile as his entrance approaches and he plays with such flair, no one would have missed him.

As far as my presentation went, I expected something to go wrong and yes, something did. My CD wouldn't play and I had to think very quickly. I wasn't prepared to play the excerpts without the approval of Dr. Trechak, my piano professor and certainly didn't want to read open score for the opera excerpt. The tech. had to plug in my laptop and play it from there. It was the first time that I walked on stage to a podium instead of the piano. Although I have no qualms about performing, I found out that I was nervous having to present a paper. I broke the ice by giving the background of my research and what it meant to me. Somehow you can always endear an audience when you talk to them about childhood. Yes, I learned the Chinese folksong "Morlihua" my first day at Chinese class when I was pretty young then. The presentation went nicely and I had to face the questions. I think I managed to give satisfactory answers to the ones posed.

I am certain I was the youngest participant and presenter at that conference. It gave me a chance to see what a musicology conference is like. I received many compliments about my paper and left calling cards with a few people. They are going to take my project back to their classes. I met someone from Italy who has the same interest in my topic. That is what I had hoped would happen so I believe I would be in contact with this person.