tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50208778762655249242024-03-04T21:09:05.321-08:00KSU Orchestra: China Tour 2011Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-48095518825697185642011-01-11T12:10:00.000-08:002011-01-11T12:10:37.368-08:00Samuel Grant Robinson: Final 48 hours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s1600/robinson+sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s200/robinson+sam.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What an amazing experience this has been. Finally home after a week of travel, it seems almost surreal. The last 48 hours were a real challenge for all of us. After the last concert in Xi'an, I was so proud of our students. They really rose to the occasion and did the university proud. On <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT62"><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT63">Thursday</span></span>, we spent an amazing day touring the Terra Cotta Tomb Warriors,which was truly spectacular. The evening concluded with a wonderful dumpling feast, where we were able to sample at least 16 different kinds of dumplings, all of which were amazing. We then went to the Xi'an train station and had the chance to experience what was a truly unique travel situation. This was unlike anything I have ever seen, and is very hard to describe. Imagine at least 10,000 people trying to fit through a narrow corridor with no lines, no one managing the traffic, and no rules about who goes first. I had never truly understood the phrase, "a crush of humanity," before this. While not necessarily at the standard the we are used to here, once on the train it was quite pleasant, and many students reported having a good night's sleep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the train to Beijing, we toured the Summer Palace, which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It was almost a shame, however, that this waited until the last, because we had seen so many beautiful things, it was hard to appreciate the sheer beauty here, and we did not really have enough time to really explore. After the Summer Palace, it was time to head to the airport and begin the long journey home. It was quite emotional for us to say goodbye to our hosts in China. I will forever remember the kindness they showed to us, and will always appreciate the depth of knowledge they had, and the openness with which they shared their love of their country. Thank you Mike, Mary, Jessica, Sheldon, and all the others!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is difficult for me to sum up the experience we just had. We packed so much into the week, and it all went so smoothly. I am truly grateful to all the faculty and staff with whom we traveled: Harry Price for his willingness to pitch in and help to make sure that the students were well taken care of; Sam Skelton and John Lawless, not only for their unbelievable artistry, but also for their exceptional sense of humor. They kept us laughing throughout the trip. We also couldn't have done what we did without Susan Grant Robinson, who is always willing to put others' needs ahead of her own, and whose attention to detail was essential in so many little ways when we were so far from home. And I would be remiss not to mention Allyson Fleck and Cecelia Price, who helped in so many small ways throughout the trip. Finally, not enough can be said about the work of Michael Alexander, without whom this trip would not have been possible. I marvel at the amount of work that he put in to make the trip possible, and to see him at work is incredible. He was involved at every stage, moving effortlessly from overseeing the logistics of the tour, to conducting and ensuring that the students remained focused on their art. Thank you, Mike, for making this happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before the last concert in Xi'an, I spoke briefly to the orchestra, and one of the things I told them was that it was my hope that 25 years from now, they would hold a reunion and be able to talk about the experiences they had. When that happens, I hope that I am there to see it, because I'm sure that I will still have fond memories of what we experienced together. I am exhausted and elated, and count myself to be very lucky to have been part of this truly amazing trip.</span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-22459819336569705672011-01-10T13:36:00.000-08:002011-01-10T13:36:49.685-08:00Nico Hueso: Awe-inspiring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKa85XWIfJmzLi99Liq_SsylmHodnsgzAaX5Dw6r6rZU45K7iopfJsA3SQpf2kmz0jBVAkl9GPnGB9IQxFY8yYgOQ8Jb2L6M_CUf38X7Syb3LmDZApfW_6v72_8cQKI6WKaI7wIBZO_4/s1600/nico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKa85XWIfJmzLi99Liq_SsylmHodnsgzAaX5Dw6r6rZU45K7iopfJsA3SQpf2kmz0jBVAkl9GPnGB9IQxFY8yYgOQ8Jb2L6M_CUf38X7Syb3LmDZApfW_6v72_8cQKI6WKaI7wIBZO_4/s320/nico.jpg" width="185" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From climbing the Great Wall to playing at the gorgeous Concert Hall in Xi'an with the KSU orchestra, China was an experience that will be forever ingrained in my life. It was awe-inspiring to be surrounded by a culture that is thousands of years old. Performing to audiences that were so appreciative in our efforts as a western music ensemble was quite inspiring to me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Getting to see an actual Chinese orchestra was also quite a unique experience since most of the instruments used where foreign to most of us. The way the ensemble performed deeply impacted me because I could sense elements of pride, joy, and also the human spirit. I also found that hearing and seeing the orchestra at the Central Conservatory in Beijing will not only make us better musicians but also enriched individuals throughout our life. I sense our orchestra at Kennesaw will be able to emote much more after our experiences in China and that will become evident to local audiences in our upcoming performances in the spring semester to come. </span></span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-73350221355882569202011-01-10T09:51:00.000-08:002011-01-10T09:51:29.560-08:00Michael Alexander: Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" width="132" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[Jan. 8, 2011 KENNESAW] </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am not really sure how to put in perspective what we experienced in the last week, but here are my final thoughts after a good night of sleep.<br />
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It was amazing to see how much we learned while in China. Musically, we adapted to new halls and new conditions (like no heat in one hall!!), new audiences that had different customs like demanding encores until they stopped clapping, and having an opportunity to repeat a program three times and see it continue to get better each time. Personally, we experienced so many new things, like no traffic rules at all (including no right of way for pedestrians!!), an overnight train where thousands crowd to try to get on the train and 200,000 people move through the station each day, new foods and customs, and a whole new world of culture. It was so beautiful that by the last day we were almost numb to it. What we saw and experienced will take years to process.<br />
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We have students with high character. I can't tell you how many people looked at me like I was crazier than usual for taking 76 college students to China. It was odd, but I was never nervous about it. Our students handled themselves incredibly well. In fact, at virtually every turn, people would tell me that it was the most disciplined and professional university group they had experienced. United Airlines was so impressed they waived all of our excess baggage charges, the tour managers could not believe how easy it was to move us through China, and we have an open invitation to return to Xi'an (a city twice the size of Atlanta) at any time with a state welcome from the Director General of the Province. We were treated like royalty and were given the gifts to prove it including two bronze chariots for the university from the Terra Cotta Warriors. <br />
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We made new friends at every turn. The students know each other and have bonded in ways that will last a lifetime. They communicated with musicians that share their experiences, if not their language, and they experienced a culture that is so different from ours and adapted and embraced it. They performed at the Central Conservatory where people like Lang Lang learned and shared a concert with a group that surely contained several future stars in the musical world. They are prepared to put in perspective what China will mean to the musical and broader world in the years to come. I am even further convinced that China will lead the musical world in the future and we have contributed in a small way in creating connections and good will between our countries and raising the profile of KSU in a country as important as China. <br />
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We have a great faculty and staff. Sam Skelton and John Lawless were amazing and are great role models for our students. They simply never miss and always have a smile to embrace any challenge. Susan Grant Robinson never gets any credit and displays grace and skill beyond belief in administrating anything she touches. We have a Director in Harry Price, who supports and fights for us at every turn. My colleagues in the School of Music rooted and supported us the whole way and so many people went above and beyond to make this happen. Impossible to name them all, but Karen Robinson, the Confucious Institute, Dr. Jerome Ratchford, and everyone in Global Studies were particularly amazing. Finally, we have a Dean and University administration that is courageous and forward thinking to help us take this trip. Their answer is never "no," only "how can we help?"<br />
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For me, my favorite moment of the trip was watching the students' faces as we performed for a packed house in a $100 million hall with near perfect acoustics. I simply can't describe it, but luckily we had Sam Robinson along with us to put things in perspective. His speech to the orchestra is something I will never forget as we prepared for the concert of a lifetime.<br />
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I return with the same feelings that I had before we left. We love what we do, we do it for the love of our art and what it does to improve humanity. I am the luckiest person in the world to have a beautiful family to return to and 84 people that are my extended family, now bound by an adventure that will have profound impacts for years to come.</span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-14257985104435416002011-01-05T15:11:00.000-08:002011-01-05T15:11:25.398-08:00Samuel Grant Robinson: Second Day in Xi'An<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s1600/robinson+sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s200/robinson+sam.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[Jan. 5, 2011 XI'AN] Day 2 here in Xi'an. The visit here started a bit roughly as the van carrying our luggage was in an accident, and we didn't get our luggage until 5:30. The students had to perform with no rehearsal or warm-up, but the kids were real troopers.<br />
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We had the opportunity to visit the city wall in the morning, which was very cool. After that, we went to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is one of the most beautiful places I have been in my life. It is still an active temple, with 60 monks living there. It is the traditional place where the words of the Buddha were first translated into Chinese.<br />
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The concert in the evening was spectacular. We performed at the brand new Xi'an concert hall, a $100 million hall. The students were blown away to be performing in such an amazing space, and truly rose to the occasion. The nearly sold out audience were very welcoming, and called for three encores. One of my favorite moments of the tour happened at the end of the third encore, when the bass drum at the end of the fourth movement of Tchaikovsky's 4th was so loud it brought down a piece of the hall. What a spectacular ending to the tour.<br />
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Today, we're off to see the tomb warriors, then an overnight train to Beijing, and the flight home. This has been such an amazing trip so far, and I'm sorry that it has to end so soon, but am looking forward to being home.</span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-69006422123235658382011-01-05T09:47:00.000-08:002011-01-05T09:54:42.521-08:00MIchael Alexander: Cloud 9<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" width="132" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[Jan. 5, 2011 XI'AN] This is a hard blog to even begin. I don't know where to start except to say that what happened tonight was indescribable. The KSU Orchestra performed in a $100 million new concert hall to a packed house full of dignitaries from the entire province. The orchestra played the best I have ever heard and Sam Skelton and John Lawless were amazing. We had to do two encores (we only had one planned!!)! It was surreal and I could not be prouder of our orchestra. There were many tears shed tonight before the concert when Sam Robinson addressed the orchestra about what this experience meant to him and our university.<br />
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I think to sum up, the provincial government presented every member of the orchestra with an incredible gift bag. We ate lunch with the director general of the province's culture agency and he presented us with two terra cotta warrior statues that are amazing. The KSU Orchestra was invited back anytime to perform in this hall where next week Tan Dun and the Shanghai Symphony will perform.<br />
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I am too close to the experience to put this into words, but I know that I am lucky to work with students and colleagues like these. KSU is now on the map in Xi'an, China in a huge way.</span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-19553201777565224002011-01-03T14:12:00.000-08:002011-01-05T09:57:28.752-08:00Michael Alexander: Great Wall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" width="132" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[Jan. 3, 2011-BEIJING]</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; line-height: 18px;">]</span>Today was another spectacular day. We started by going to the Great Wall. Normally it is about a two hour drive, but we made it in about an hour because today was a holiday in China. Also, the bus drivers here do not wait for anything. There is only one traffic rule in Beijing, that is to just go. They do not yield to anyone including pedestrians.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Great Wall was incredible. We could climb to the top of the pass we were at, which was about half a mile straight up. It was an exhilarating feeling to reach the top. Lots of smiling faces and huffing and puffing from the orchestra. The vendors at the bottom and at each outpost were also fascinating. The students are getting quite good at negotiating with them to get good prices.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The afternoon was devoted to shopping as we visited jade and pearl factories and an antique market. Many students bought traditional Chinese instruments to bring home. After another great dinner, we watched the first part of the Peking Opera and then returned to the hotel.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">We leave very early tomorrow to head to Xi'an. I feel like we have done so much in two and a half days here, but Beijing is immense. We really started to get that sense today after driving out of it towards the Great Wall. High rises as far as the eye can see. I feel like we are getting familiar with the customs in China now and I look forward to more adventures and two more concerts in Xi'an.</span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-10528328701910846262011-01-03T14:10:00.000-08:002011-01-05T09:57:02.188-08:00Samuel Grant Robinson: Day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s1600/robinson+sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s200/robinson+sam.jpg" width="166" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[Jan. 3, 2011-BEIJING]</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; line-height: 18px;">]</span>Day 3 is now one for the record books. After breakfast, we drove an hour and a half north of Beijing to see the Great Wall. It seemingly comes out of nowhere because the area around the city is so flat, then all of a sudden you find yourself in the mountains. We all had a great time climbing up the wall, although some made it higher than others. The greatest surprise to me, and the hardest challenge, is the fact that the steps up the wall are very irregular. No two are the same height. Makes for very challenging climbing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">After lunch, we visited both a jade and freshwater pearl market, then had an opportunity to explore another shopping district. Many of the students were excited to be able to buy some of the same instruments that they heard the Chinese Youth Orchestra play last night. There's even some talk of starting a traditional Chinese orchestra when we return to campus.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">After dinner, we had the opportunity to experience traditional Peking Opera, which was quite interesting. This ancient art form combines elaborate costumes, acrobatics, martial arts, and traditional music to tell some of the most important stories in Chinese culture. It can be challenging to follow, as much of the toon is symbolic, and only a small portion of it is translated, but is still very beautiful to watch.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I am happy to be back in the hotel a bit early tonight as we need to have our luggage down to the lobby at 5:45 a.m. for an early flight to Xi'an. I'm sorry to be leaving Beijing, as I feel as though we have only scratched the surface of all this wonderful city has to offer, but am excited to go to one of the oldest cities in China, and one of the cradles of civilization.</span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-4505369079017251262011-01-03T06:40:00.000-08:002011-01-03T07:22:07.858-08:00Samuel Grant Robinson: Amazing Second Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s1600/robinson+sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s200/robinson+sam.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">[Jan. 2, 2011-BEIJING]</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span>What an amazing day our second day in China was. We started with a wonderful breakfast here in the hotel which was a mixture of both traditional Western and Chinese items. My favorite was the Hawthorne juice and steamed buns. Following breakfast, we went to Tian An Men square. It is very moving to be there, especially when you consider the monumental history that has occurred there. To see the main gate, Chairman Mao's mausoleum, and the national flag was absolutely breathtaking. The students really enjoyed bargaining with the local vendors, and many were able to supplement their cold weather clothing (it is quite cold here now).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">From the square, we entered the Forbidden City, the traditional home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. You enter nine gates, and as you pass closer to the center, it gets increasingly more peaceful and spectacular. Eventually, you end in one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. I will be forever grateful for the comprehensive knowledge of our tour guide.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">After lunch, we went to the Temple of Heaven, the spiritual home of the Ming and Qing dynasties, then back to the hotel to grab instruments and concert dress before heading to the Beijing Conservatory for our first concert. After a brief rehearsal, we had dinner with students of the Chinese Youth Orchestra. It was wonderful to see our students interact with these young people, and I'm sure that this will be an experience that they will treasure for the rest of their lives. The concert was amazing. Our orchestra was in very fine form, and was warmly greeted by the sold-out audience. The Chinese orchestra was incredible, playing traditional Chinese music with great virtuosity. My favorite moments were hearing two young soloists playing traditional double reed instruments (they were absolute rock stars), and chatting with a group of students from a Beijing university after the concert, and seeing our students interact with the young people from this country.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Tomorrow, it's off to the Great Wall and a performance of a Peking Opera</span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-60856498822515448232011-01-03T06:30:00.000-08:002011-01-03T07:21:46.835-08:00Samuel Grant Robinson: Never Been Prouder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s1600/robinson+sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s200/robinson+sam.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">[Jan. 1, 2011-BEIJING]</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span>We just finished our first day in China, and all went exceptionally well. It was a long day, since we left campus at 4:30 a.m., and spent over 15 hours in the air, but everyone seemed in very good spirits. Most of this is due to the hard work that Dr. Alexander and Susan Grant Robinson put in to preparing for the trip.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The pre-tour rehearsals were wonderful, and I've never been prouder of the orchestra. They sound wonderful, and the soloists, John Lawless, Sam Skelton, and Sam Cauthorn are terrific</span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-34822260291753115352011-01-03T06:24:00.000-08:002011-01-03T06:25:03.820-08:00Michael Alexander: What a Start!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" width="132" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">[Jan. 2, 2011-BEIJING] I am not even sure where to begin so I will start with trying to describe the day we just had. After a great breakfast, we headed to Tian An Men Square and the Forbidden City. To describe it as immense would be an incredible understatement. We witnessed over 4,000 years of history and walked for over two hours in the freezing cold and only saw a very small portion of it. We were overwhelmed and awe inspired! Another great lunch and then we saw the Temple of Heaven on the way back to our hotel to grab our things for the concert tonight.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">We had a brief rehearsal in a great hall that seated about 800 people. After, we met our colleagues from the conservatory for dinner in their dining hall. It was incredible to watch our students interact with them. Both groups were shy at first, but that did not last long and soon they were having impromptu performances for each other.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The concert was beyond amazing. Probably the most knowledgable audience you could ever play for. Although it took a while to get adjusted to the way Chinese audiences talk while you play, it was refreshing to play for an audience that really understood what we were doing. They were conducting along and made incredibly insightful comments about our performance.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Chinese Orchestra played after us. It is the best traditional Chinese Orchestra in the entire country and that was obvious from the first note they played. We performed at the school that has produced musicians like Lang Lang and Chen Yi, whose music we performed tonight!! They were beyond description. Not only did they play beautifully, but they moved incredibly well together with virtuoso technique and a clear love for what they are doing. At the end, our students came on stage and we exchanged gifts. They gave us a commemorative CD and DVD collection from the Central Conservatory for our library. This is something we will cherish.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">What a day. I can't believe have only been here for a little over a day. I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings. Our students have already been transformed in the last twelve hours. You can see it in their faces, which brings me great happiness.</span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-10738318105504936722011-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:002011-01-03T06:00:47.659-08:00Michael Alexander: Safe Arrival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" width="132" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">[Jan. 1, 2011-BEIJING] </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This will be a quick post because we are really tired, but we have had an amazing trip already. Smooth flights and everything has been on time. We were welcomed in Beijing with huge bouquets of roses and made it through customs after they counted every instrument we brought in! We had an amazing Peking Duck dinner at the same restaurant that Chairman Mao ate with Henry Kissinger. The food was amazing. The hotel welcomed us with a huge banner across the front of the hotel. We have been awake seemingly forever so off to sleep before a huge day tomorrow and our first concert.</span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-4551934788597233012010-12-31T10:15:00.000-08:002010-12-31T10:15:48.322-08:00Michael Alexander: Proud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" width="132" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is exciting to see students grow. The last three days of rehearsals have made me even more excited (if that is possible) about the trip to China. First, the musical growth of the orchestra is amazing. The students continue to raise the bar and I am happy to keep setting it higher. This trip will give us the rare chance to play amazing repertoire three times in quick succession. They sound great now, I can't wait to hear the last concert in China!<br />
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I am also proud of the maturity and personal growth that the students have shown in this whole process. They gave up part of their winter break, they all came prepared and clearly worked on their "vacations". They are learning to be professionals in every sense of the word.<br />
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After spending three days with these students I am continually amazed at just how lucky I am to do what I get to do. The fact that I get paid for it continues to boggle my mind. It is a pure joy to work with people like I do. How fortunate we are to have the support of a great administrative team, an incredible staff, colleagues with staggering talent and class, and students that are not only talented, but hard working and always seeking to improve. <br />
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I travel today to China not nervous, but simply proud. I am surrounded by great people and musicians doing what we love. We will return having represented KSU well and will be changed forever by the experiences we have over the next week.</span> Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-26818234826807966902010-12-30T15:58:00.000-08:002010-12-30T15:58:39.109-08:00Holly Botella: Counting the hours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76jc6VZlitXWyNMWSoG0bAuqBbQlmmBBmU6MuoXbUfpLzU3RmLuwZLmXqbJdIS53-g0WcIIZVKVap0gSsZvTb1Q4ERXaUnpxw6QDNTE7bvffYRYKYXDUbyYckIHPK_E34QeEYXx4oUso/s1600/IMG_2025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76jc6VZlitXWyNMWSoG0bAuqBbQlmmBBmU6MuoXbUfpLzU3RmLuwZLmXqbJdIS53-g0WcIIZVKVap0gSsZvTb1Q4ERXaUnpxw6QDNTE7bvffYRYKYXDUbyYckIHPK_E34QeEYXx4oUso/s200/IMG_2025.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We'll be boarding the buses to take us to the airport in less than 12 hours! It's going to be extremely hard to sleep at all <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT23"><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT24">tonight</span></span>. I'm about to pack my suitcase while dancing around my apartment to whatever happens to be playing on 99.7 at the moment! I'm so pumped for the trip!!! We had our three pre-trip rehearsals this week and I think they went very well. I'm absolutely amazed at the difference in sound of the orchestra between now and my freshman year, which was three years ago. When I tell people where I go to school I realize that more and more people are beginning to notice the enormous growth of the music school at KSU. I think this trip will not only help us to mature as young adults and musicians, but it will also be a great opportunity to get our name out there and be recognized internationally! I'm anxious to meet the kids in the other orchestras in China. We'll have a chance to interact with them on our trip. I'll be interested to see how differently they perform/practice. It's hard to say exactly what to expect until I actually get there. I really have no idea, except that I know I'll have a great time and it will be a life-changing experience.</span> </div>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-63070196820448796362010-12-24T08:14:00.000-08:002010-12-30T16:02:09.729-08:00Levi Cull: One week to go!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/IMG_2179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/IMG_2179.jpg" width="148" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The trip is now seven days away!!! As this day gets closer I’m getting more and more excited. Since the semester got out I’ve been doing nothing but preparing, such as: looking over my music, practicing, listening to reference recordings (such as our performance), and figuring out what I am going to bring with me on this trip. It is really starting to sink in to me that I will soon be a world traveler and see other parts of this beautiful world. There are many places on Earth that I would like to see, and going to China is only the beginning!</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next week we'll be rehearsing for a couple days before we leave for the trip. In these rehearsals, we will be going over all the music that we will be performing for Chinese audiences, all the music we have previously played this past semester. As long as everyone has been practicing, the music should come together very easily. On the contrary, these rehearsals could go south quickly if the opposite is true. But, I am very confident in my fellow musicians. No one in the orchestra wants to make himself or herself or our school look bad. For that reason, we will do the best that we can to have stellar performances in China!</span></div>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-114829103193641172010-12-17T10:30:00.000-08:002010-12-17T10:30:03.338-08:00Samuel Grant Robinson: Looking forward to an exciting trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s1600/robinson+sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2x-Gb4mdlf37CpBRHRz6UEfliYZ3mkZ-zQD9ek8c6to2UTLI7y0StRlSK4jtuOzK36jobiy7eddizhrAdcKDkV8TOQBCXISArEV0JoE7WqalQYcCOcYbdftoFpt5ckpVrIHFPnFWxnw/s200/robinson+sam.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">With only two weeks left before we leave, the reality of the trip to China is finally settling in. What an incredible experience this is going to be. I'm so excited that our students will get to have this wonderful opportunity. Not only to travel abroad, many of them for the first time, but also to get to see a part of the world that many here don't get a chance to see. In our final meeting, we went over the itinerary, and it's incredible! We'll get the chance to see the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, Tian An Men Square, the Terra Cotta Tomb Warriors and all the other amazing sights. And to have the chance to perform not only in Beijing, but also the new concert hall in Xi'an! It's really amazing. I'm so looking forward to seeing how our students will interact with the students there; this opportunity to see the similarities and differences between them will give them a chance to grow in very significant ways.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">It is going to be a challenge as well. The logistics of moving this many students this far away are daunting. And it stands to be a cold trip, as well, just adding to the sense of adventure. But I know in the end that it will be well worth it. It has been my experience that these kinds of trips can be transformative. Past tours that I have been part of have helped to widen my world view, helped me to understand others in ways I didn't before, and made my life richer by far. I can only hope that our students have this same experience, as I'm sure that they will. As an administrator, I am so proud of the work that our students and faculty have put into preparing for this trip. I know that they will represent themselves, the School of Music, and Kennesaw State University in the best way possible.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-80084607023855111562010-12-14T11:48:00.000-08:002010-12-17T10:30:32.633-08:00Michael Alexander: Opening doors, final details, and waiting...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" width="132" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our trip is just over two weeks away! I can feel the energy starting to build toward the trip as we make final preparations. Some amazing things have actually occurred even before we go. First, we have a new friend in Chen Yi. We performed her piece </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Momentum</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on our last concert of the Fall and it was amazing to see the reaction it got and how powerful the music is. What a learning experience to be exposed to music like this that fuses a Western orchestra with Chinese music and philosophies about sound. When we sent the recording to Ms. Chen, she responded with great accolades and some tremendous suggestions for how to make the piece even better for when we take the piece on tour.<br />
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We had an terrific orientation session with Dr. Barry Morris, Vice Provost for Global Engagement at KSU. His energy was wonderful and I think he gave us some great tips on what to expect in China. The whole staff of the Confucius Institute has been such a pleasure to work with and we look forward to telling them all about our trip. All of the details are coming into place now and I must take a moment to thank Susan Grant Robinson and Dr. Harry Price for all they have done to support this venture from within the School of Music. We could not be doing this without them.<br />
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The hardest part now is waiting. The orchestra rehearses again on December 28. That feels like an eternity, but is only two short weeks from today!</span> </span> </div>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-22509023978389902272010-12-01T07:26:00.000-08:002010-12-02T12:03:05.714-08:00Holly Botella: Learning Chinese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76jc6VZlitXWyNMWSoG0bAuqBbQlmmBBmU6MuoXbUfpLzU3RmLuwZLmXqbJdIS53-g0WcIIZVKVap0gSsZvTb1Q4ERXaUnpxw6QDNTE7bvffYRYKYXDUbyYckIHPK_E34QeEYXx4oUso/s1600/IMG_2025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76jc6VZlitXWyNMWSoG0bAuqBbQlmmBBmU6MuoXbUfpLzU3RmLuwZLmXqbJdIS53-g0WcIIZVKVap0gSsZvTb1Q4ERXaUnpxw6QDNTE7bvffYRYKYXDUbyYckIHPK_E34QeEYXx4oUso/s200/IMG_2025.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">The trip is getting close! We had our last Chinese lesson in Orchestra on Monday. I think I've learned enough of the basics to keep myself socially afloat in China, however, I wish I would have learned how to say "Have you seen a group of Americans?" and "Which way did they go?" but I'll be sure to leave a trail of breadcrumbs back to the bus from wherever I go, just in case. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Overall, I think the most useful knowledge I gained in the Chinese lessons was how to bargain shop. Our teacher taught us how to say, "That's too expensive. Can we lower the price?" We also learned numbers, days of the week, time, and how to say the names of our instruments, which I thought was pretty cool. The Chinese language is very difficult to speak. They pay close attention to the tone of your voice, so the same word can have two different meanings just based on how you say them. Today is the last time we meet before the trip. We will be told what to pack for our trip, and they'll walk us through the itinerary for the week. I'm excited for our three performances and equally eager to begin siteseeing around China! 30 DAYS!!!!!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-64647133227668094352010-11-29T06:20:00.000-08:002010-12-30T16:03:50.555-08:00Levi Cull: I Cannot Wait to Go!<div style="font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/IMG_2179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/IMG_2179.jpg" width="148" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Upon hearing the news that the orchestra could possibly be going to China in the following year, needless to say I was a little skeptical. So many things are required to get a group as big as our orchestra to travel to another state, yet alone another country! But, I stayed optimistic, thinking of how great an experience it could be. Sure enough, the next semester arrived and Dr. Alexander (the director of the orchestra) said that we were officially going.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can imagine how all of the students in the orchestra responded; we were all ecstatic to find this out! Yet, many of us did not have our passports (like me for example) and had to go through many lengths to get them by the date we needed them. I had to pay about $215 for mine! I was not very happy about that at the moment, but I came to accept that it was for a great cause and something that I would truly learn a great deal about not only myself as a musician but also more about other cultures and the way music affects the entire world.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On New Year's Day, when we get on a plane as one big group embarking on a trip halfway across the world this will be the first time most of the students in the orchestra will be leaving this country. For this reason, we have been having sessions with an instructor from China that has been teaching us cultural and economic information about the country so we will know how to survive better. One of the most interesting things that I have learned so far in these meetings is that Chinese language uses a great deal more voice inflection and pitch changing than does the English language. In comparison, the English language is very flat and the same throughout while the Chinese language changes many times in just one word! In the next couple meetings, we are expected to learn more about what to bring with us to China and what exactly our itinerary will be while we are over there.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The date is continually getting closer and closer. It seems as though just yesterday we had three months, but now it is almost one month out! I am getting more and more excited at every rehearsal, meeting, and information session that we have. I cannot wait to go on this tremendous journey!</span></div>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-52814453394830948642010-11-23T08:42:00.000-08:002010-11-23T08:50:41.498-08:00Christina Volz: On Learning Chinese, Chen Yi & More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbeZb1nQen0SFwjO0_SFSro1oLwVbBEpd-z8uQR-vpbXg7_myl0pz1_dfoTBsAphN7aD9298OvEbAOLhjTFaZ0C4JhXmjJGfmwToIrwRBIdBD0tbB-6Ugks6t8DzRMVmmBBlVJQpM9Nw/s1600/volz+christina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbeZb1nQen0SFwjO0_SFSro1oLwVbBEpd-z8uQR-vpbXg7_myl0pz1_dfoTBsAphN7aD9298OvEbAOLhjTFaZ0C4JhXmjJGfmwToIrwRBIdBD0tbB-6Ugks6t8DzRMVmmBBlVJQpM9Nw/s1600/volz+christina.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today is the Monday before Thanksgiving break and we have another Chinese class this morning. Our classes have been getting progressively more difficult and interesting as they go on (now we're expected to actually remember things... yikes!). It's been challenging to find the time and energy to study another language during this crazy period of finals at the end of the semester, but we're all trying to make it work. Hopefully, once school gets out, the orchestra will have a little more time to devote to our Chinese studies. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm very excited to perform the Chen Yi in China. It's become one of my favorite pieces that we've performed in orchestra this semester. This piece has brought about a curiosity of Chinese history for me that is actually making me more excited to go (if this is possible)! I'm nervous to perform at the conservatory, but hopefully they will enjoy the concert. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a struggle to come up with the payments for this trip (there were many days of eating ramen!), but the experiences one gains from international travel are priceless. I've never been to China and I'm incredibly excited to see what new experiences and perspectives this trip will bring!</span></div>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-70950160764743098252010-11-22T09:14:00.000-08:002010-11-23T08:51:00.585-08:00Michael Alexander: An Amazing Opportunity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.kennesaw.edu/music/images/alexander_mike2.JPG" width="211" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will never forget the day that I was able to announce to the KSU Orchestra that we had been invited to perform in China. The look on everyone's face was priceless. From that day last Spring until now, it has been a whirlwind of excitement and details.<br />
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First, none of this would be possible without the amazing amount of support we have gathered from KSU and beyond. Second, the students in the orchestra have done an incredible job to prepare what we needed to be able to have a successful trip. Finally, the trip itself will be amazing. In addition to being able to tour some amazing places, we will perform three incredible concerts, spend time with Chinese Conservatory Orchestras, and learn about Chinese instruments and culture.<br />
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This trip has already opened up so many doors for us. Chen Yi, a distinguished Chinese composer and graduate of the Central Conservatory in Beijing where we will perform, has worked with us on performing her music and understanding the differences in how to interpret Chinese music. We are so honored that a composer of this magnitude has taken such an interest in our work. I cannot wait to be able to perform it for Chinese audiences, which will include 2,000 people at the new concert hall in Xi'an and packed houses at the Central Conservatory and Jiao Tong University.<br />
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I am incredibly proud of the orchestra after our concert last night. What a thrill it is to work with dedicated musicians that are willing to share their passion. The hardest part right now is knowing that we have just over 40 days until we go. I wish it could be tomorrow!!</span> </span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020877876265524924.post-23980522362323147692010-11-19T07:52:00.000-08:002010-12-02T12:03:38.831-08:00Holly Botella: Extremely Excited!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76jc6VZlitXWyNMWSoG0bAuqBbQlmmBBmU6MuoXbUfpLzU3RmLuwZLmXqbJdIS53-g0WcIIZVKVap0gSsZvTb1Q4ERXaUnpxw6QDNTE7bvffYRYKYXDUbyYckIHPK_E34QeEYXx4oUso/s1600/IMG_2025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76jc6VZlitXWyNMWSoG0bAuqBbQlmmBBmU6MuoXbUfpLzU3RmLuwZLmXqbJdIS53-g0WcIIZVKVap0gSsZvTb1Q4ERXaUnpxw6QDNTE7bvffYRYKYXDUbyYckIHPK_E34QeEYXx4oUso/s200/IMG_2025.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">When I found out I was going to China, I was extremely excited! My friends and I celebrated by going to a Chinese buffet for lunch that day (although, I'm pretty sure they don't give you a fortune cookie after every meal in China, which is a little depressing). I've only been out of the country once and I was only nine at the time, so unfortunately I was a little too young to remember the experience. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Now that the hardest part of preparing for the trip is over—making payments (thanks, Dad!), renewing my passport, weighing my flute and piccolo on the hanging scale located in the fruits and veggie section at Publix because they don't weigh enough to register on a bathroom scale so I could record their weight for Customs, etc.—the countdown begins! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">I'm even more pumped for the trip after our <a href="http://bit.ly/9V97zQ">concert this week</a>! We performed three of the four pieces we'll be playing in China. I was imagining what it would be like to perform for an audience of two thousand people as I was playing in the concert. What a rush! We'll have a series of rehearsals leading up to our much-awaited departure on December 31st. I feel strongly that after tonight's performance we'll be very well prepared to represent the KSU School of Music in China. 43 DAYS LEFT!!!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span>Kennesaw State University College of the Artshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110190042585782912noreply@blogger.com1