Hello all,

Well Happy New Year everyone.  It is hard to believe that 2010 is already in the history books now.  It was a great year with many changes and new opportunities.  Goals for ?????? ????????? 2011 include attending a conducting workshop, continue jiu jutsu training, school visits, continue to grow awareness of the Symphony of Southeast Texas in the community, and continue improvement of the SOST.  We have so much to be thankful for and it is important that life is not taken for granted.

I wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2011!  Let us all make a difference.

Peace and blessings,

Chelsea

Hey All,

I'm down in NC with my folks for Thanksgiving.  My first Thanksgiving home in 7 years.  In Toledo we always had a rehearsal and concert the day after Thanksgiving which did not allow me to come home.  It was fun to do the Christmas concert season with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra but it is also nice to spend time with family during the holiday season.  Sunday I head to Atlanta to work with the Atlanta Symphony on their Christmas Holiday Gospel concert.  I get my sway on!!  A very different experience working in the gospel music genre.  Offers a different set of challenges.  I have learned from these experience to keep my mind in a VERY FLUID state.  Remain Zen Like!!  LOL  As Master Bruce Lee stated in martial arts "Mind must be like water".  Easier said than done but it is a nice goal just the same.  We have a good time and this year we are doing this Gospel version of the Messiah called Too Hot to Handel.  Very difficult indeed and it is really challenging the choir.  They are going to be fine but it is causing them to flex new music muscles.  

We had our second automaty online Master Series concert with the Symphony of Southeast Texas last week.  Very challenging best online casino reviews program.  Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik which is just fun to play but very transparent so the group really has to stay on their toes.  And once casino online uk we start playing the audience always says, oh yes I remember that.  Then we had Nancy casino online Lendrim to join us on this Ukrainian piece entitled Frescoes of St. Sophia in Kiev.  A very colorful picturesque piece that utilizes some really cool sounds and technics on the harp.  The audience seemed to receive it wonderfully and Nancy played her heart out. We closed the program with Haydn's Symphony No. 101 subtitled the Clock.  We did a little demo with the orchestra as to why it is called the clock with the tick tock sounds in the second movement.  All in all the concert was well received and the orchestra is making steady improvement.  

So I would say that the first half of the season has been really positive.  Still things to work on in the orchestra and must continue to improve community awareness of the SOST.  That is the latest from Chelsea Central.  You all have a great holiday.  More to come.

Peace,

Chelsea

Hey All,

Well, I am a Texan as I have received my Texas driver's license.  The lady behind the counter at the DMV said that I now have to start saying "Fixin'"  For example "I'm fixin to go to rehearsal".  It is great fun.  I do feel as though I am getting settled into the community.  One thing that I have been doing has been to get out to visit with the high school orchestra.  This morning  I worked with the Central High School orchestra.  We had a great time at 7:30 AM!  We had a good time and shared some good musical concepts.  Basically what I try to do is to reinforce what their directors have been saying and getting them to listen to one another.  So I have now visited all of the high school string orchestras in the Beaumont school system.  

I am headed to New York later this week to work with the Westchester Philharmonic Orchestra.  I am really excited and it is 20th century music program.  The music of Copland, William Schuman, Dvorak, and Stravinsky.  A bit out of my comfort zone but it should make for and interesting journey.  

Following that concert I fly back to Beaumont for our second Master Series concert.  This is more of chamber orchestra size orchestra so it flexes different muscles for the orchestra.  Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Haydn Symphony No. 101 (Clock) and a wonderful harpist to join us from the Toledo Symphony Orchestra Nancy Lendrim will be playing a work by a Ukrainian composer named Kikta. The Kikta piece is based on a series of paintings.  An unusual piece that calls for a small orchestra and examines the harp's tone colors.  I think that audience will like it.  Hope everyone will come out and support.  

I fixin to get a bite to eat!  See you at the concert.

Peace,

Chelsea

Hey All,

We had a very successful opening to the season with the SOST.  A challenging program that everyone really stepped up and played beautifully.  We also celebrated our relationship with Lamar University which was fun.  Many in the audience wore the Lamar red and following the national anthem we played the Big Red Fight Song.  A fitting prelude to the William Tell Overture.  A rousing way to start the season I believe.  

Following the concert the next morning at 4:30 AM I had to get on the road to get to Houston to fly to Visalia, CA.  Oh you haven't heard of Visalia.  It is right outside of Fresno CA.  I did a concert with the Tulare County Symphony Orchestra that week.  We had a great time.  It was however 100 degrees and I got tired of saying it was a dry heat.  It was crazy hot especially for this time of year.  It was fun to see everyone and we had a rocking time.  Their music director Bruce Kiesling was called to do a concert in LA with Marvin Hamlisch and Jason Alexander of Seinfeld fame.  A great opportunity for Bruce so I was happy to jump in and kick off their season.  It is good to be back in Beaumont.  Some beautiful weather here.  I hit a Hot Yoga Class this morning, some jiu jutsu yesterday and ready to tackle the week here in Texas. 

Let us keep the members of the Detroit Symphony in our thoughts.  One of the country's finest orchestras and they are currently on strike as of yesterday.  It is a very difficult time for the musicians and management.  And the people that really lose out is the public that they are not going to be able to hear the great music.  Hopefully they can get things worked out soon and get back to making great music.  

Take care and more to come later.

Namaste,

Chelsea