Practice Cabin E

I have been assigned Practice Cabin E for my personal practice time here at Chautauqua. The practice cabins are these miniature "houses" all grouped together in the School of Music. They are about 10 feet square with 2 windows and a door and a FAN! Mine of course contains a piano also -- a very nice piano, I must say. It's a Kawai, new and with wonderful action.

Standing in the middle of the practice cabins is like standing in the middle of a food court savoring the different smells. You hear a little Chopin coming from Cabin A, a soprano singing an aria from Cabin G, a tubist in Cabin D -- you get the idea. With the windows open, the sounds all run together to make an odd symphony sound.

Now there are sounds of Telemann, Handel, and Russell form Cabin E. Often just piano. But for an hour a day, Deborah hauls her bass up to Cabin E and we play together. I had never played more than an hour a day before Chautauqua. That has suddenly changed to 4-1/2 hours a day. My butt is sore from sitting on the piano bench.

I'm ready to take a well-deserved nap before returning to Cabin E for my last practice hour today. I never thought I would see the day when I would look forward to practicing the piano!