NEXT!

OK, so I'm the poster boy for blog-neglect. Report me.

I see that I have been away for quite a while now but between Spring (hell, Summer) arriving and closing off the main part of my course my time has been at a premium.

So, yes, the main part of the course is finished now; I wrote finals last week and I am told by my instructors that I will graduate "with distinction", and I do have just one more final exam on April 29 for my Jazz History elective, but that shouldn't pose any problems. I've been enjoying the last 7 days or so back in Mississauga chillin with the fam and charging up my batteries. I'll head back to London on the weekend and then it's another 4 weeks of an optional program specialized on piano rebuilding, whereas the previous curriculum has focused on maintenance and repair.

April was pretty exciting as well; we spent a week at Interlochen, which is a performing arts high school/piano torture chamber in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. It was really beautiful up there and we had a good few days of hard work and hard partying. Pictures here.

And of course the highlight was definitely the trip to New York City and Boston. We spent 3 days in NYC and just one in Boston. NY is really everything you would imagine it to be and I was kind of surprised by how much I felt like I already knew it, but I guess all those years of movies and television will do that. It was a really great trip personally and professionally, and for sure I would like to go back there some day with the girls. Boston was cool too but we only had a few free hours there one evening so it wasn't that rewarding.


Looking ahead, I have to get through these last 4 weeks of school and then I have another week off, and then I am away to Aspen for my ten week internship at the Aspen Music Festival and School. This is going to be really exciting and is like a slingshot for me into the future with my new profession. Me and another guy from class Damon Groves will be looking after the 200+ pianos that will be arriving at the festival for the summer activities. I'm told that if I can start my days early enough I can finish up at 1 or 2 pm and then enjoy the mountains for the rest of the day. Mmmm. I did have a bit of a scare last week getting my Visa in order. I need an internship Visa and was using a firm that acts on my behalf to make all the arrangements with the State Department or whatever it is. So, 4 weeks into the process they phone to inform me that their Visa program is only available to persons under 30 years of age and they can't help me. Gee, thanks for waiting 4 weeks to tell me that. So after a bit of a scramble I found another firm and we just might make it in time. It's only 5 1/2 weeks away.

And so, I will drive myself across the Great Plains; Michigan, Indiana, Illinois (and across the Mighty Mississippi), Iowa (didn't know so many "I" states were together), Nebraska and Colorado. I guess it's about the same distance as driving to the south of Florida, and I'm told having a car there is a great advantage but I might say screw it and just fly down. Not sure if I'm up for a 3 day drive, and I suppose it will really be coming home that will be worse.

Enjoy the beautiful Spring weather - been a long time coming.