Lock me in the practice room, and throw away the key! Here’s the music I should be practicing instead of updating my blog.

For piano:
SCHUMANN Liederkreis Op. 24
TAKTAKISHVILI Sonata for Flute and Piano (1968)
TANSMAN Suite for Bassoon and Piano (1952)
BEETHOVEN  Mass in C (Despite all my whining, the choral parts require a lot more practicing than the orchestra part.)

For voice:
MENDELSSOHN Lobgesang
My super top secret package of five arias*

For brain (i.e., memorization):
WAGNER Die Meistersinger

*Just kidding!
MOZART Durch Zärtlichkeit
DELIBES Bell Song
BELLINI Ah! non credea…Ah! non giunge
MOORE Willow Song
RAVEL Fire Aria

1. Declare valiantly that you will learn the orchestral reduction exactly as written because of the small fortune spent on fancy conservatory training.
2. Develop insecurities about your technical ability, practice habits, and value of aforementioned training.
3. Curse the editor, who forgot that humans have only ten fingers and probably couldn’t play the stupid reduction either.
4. Listen to recordings and/or study the full score. Recognize the ingenuity of the composer while continuing to curse the editor who tried to cram every note into the reduction.
5. Swallow pride and reduce the orchestral reduction. Does this make it an orchestral concentrate? (Tee hee. My husband will be proud of that one.)
6. Practice, practice, practice.

I may or may not be married to the witty fellow who wrote this guest post.

1. First instrument: Mom’s pots and pans, several wooden spoons
2. Age at first music lesson: Before seven? I wouldn’t exactly call them lessons, but my brother did show me how to hit the pans.
3. First piece performed in public: ”In a little while” from my starring role in Once Upon A Mattress (Did I mention I am tone deaf and can’t sing?)
4. Piece most recently performed in public:  99.999% sure it was “Oooooooooooooooooooooh the weather outside is frightful.” I sing the first line at least three times a day while doing errands.
5. Band camp: No
6. Marching band: No
7. College a capella: I went to lots of concerts, does that count?
8. Absolute pitch: Is this a type of vodka?
9. Moveable do or fixed do: Moveable do — I LOVE dynamic systems. Or how about fried do?
10. Faux pas: You mean like a rabbit foot?
11. Favorite conductor hair: Jimmy’s ‘fro!
12. I wish I could play: Yes

1. First instrument: Piano
2. Age at first music lesson: Six
3. First piece performed in public: Sugar Cookies by David Carr Glover
4. Piece most recently performed in public: A really appalling arrangement of “Joyful, joyful we adore thee”
5. Band camp: Yes (flute)
6. Marching band: No
7. College a capella: Yes
8. Absolute pitch: No
9. Moveable do or fixed do: Fixed
10. Faux pas: Accidentally wore my Hello Kitty sweater on stage at Weill Recital Hall
11. Favorite conductor hair: Masaaki Suzuki
12. I wish I could play: In an orchestra

Thank you to bloggers oboeinsight, Jarrett House North, and Angelina Calderón for playing along!