Today I started working on the cadenza. I started very slowly with just the chords and no tapping, then sped that up a bit. Then I walked away from it and came back and did it again. Then I added the percussion. Just playing it slowly for now, focusing on getting it in my fingers, under my control. This passage especially is so dependent on dynamics and emotion that I want to have to think about my hands as little as possible. I played the piece through to the end of the transition a few times just to see what it feels like - all that's left is the grand ending! I can't believe I'm almost done memorizing it, and it's only the end of week 1! That's good because I want to spend the rest of the month working out the kinks and then polishing it till it really shines!
Today's Olympic Event was to write down your short term and long term harp goals and dreams. My short term goals are to increase my repertoire (with more challenging pieces preferably), get more faire gigs this summer, and as always, improve my skills. Long term goals are tricky - I really don't know how to answer that! I know I want to keep playing forever. I have many harp-related dreams - to compose, to contribute music to films, TV and video games, to collaborate with other musicians I admire. But I don't know if they are things I want to actually reach for, or simply things I like to dream about. Like, picturing myself in a bikini on a Hawaiian Beach, or living in a mansion in Malibu or retiring to an artists commune in some remote little forest village. I guess for now I'm keeping my goals short term, letting my dreams inspire me, and seeing where the journey takes me.