The Distler organ trio sonata movement I had scheduled for the prelude yesterday went pretty well. Trio playing is an exercise in concentration for me.  I chose to end the choir pregame a bit early.  At the scheduled time to begin the pregame I had 3 or 4 singers. over the next fifteen minutes 5 or 6 more people wandered in. I felt like my musical efforts for the day would pay off a bit more if I gave myself a moment to collect my thoughts before performing the prelude.

Of course most of this struggle is in my own mind and probably represents some mild burnout I am experiencing. Even though the prelude and the postlude (a movement from Couperin’s Mass for the Parishes) qualified as actual organ repertoire, I can never be sure people notice much of what I am doing unless I get a direct comment. I do remember that as I began to play the Distler piece yesterday I experienced a sense of relief at doing something I thought was pretty excellent and had something to say musically.  Expecting people to notice might be a bit unrealistic, eh?  Heh. I do love Distler and Couperin so what the heck. 

And I am being a bit unfair because I’m pretty sure some of the people in the room with music degrees and/or a bit more experience and knowledge of music do notice.

It would be more fun if they were actually involved in the church music program but I understand how professionals probably need to just come to church and not be on the spot. 

Anyway, the Distler is the last in a series of difficult organ and piano pieces I have scheduled, learned and performed recently. I guess it’s time to give myself a bit of break at church as I start to prepare the set list for my upcoming LemonJellos gig (March 13th… be there…. be square). Yesterday afternoon I rehearsed several of the numbers I am trying to learn for this gig. 

I have to call my parents attorney and ask what to do about this month’s long term care bill ($7500) at Boersma cottage this week. Also what to do about the mistakes we (I) made around the application to medicaid. This will probably involve cashing my Dad’s IRA (which did not get into the final mix of assets reported to Medicaid… yikes!) and appending a new application to Medicaid. I am putting this off until tomorrow to give myself a bit of a day off today. I am kind of a wuss but I need some space.

This evening I have the usual rehearsal with the Grand Haven High school musical pit orchestra.

I do enjoy doing this. Of course I wonder if I’m going to have to drop out half way through if they don’t come up with half of my pay. I insisted on this when last year they took months and months to pay me after the gig.  Life’s little trials.