My First NMSO Gig

Tonight, and earlier today, I played with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra for the first time ever. It was a sureal experience, one that I had expected to happen, yet not in the manner in which it did. I recieved a phone call last night at around 9pm from Mark, the personel manager: "Robin, can you play a concert tomorrow night? Rehersal is at 10am." "Yes." There is no other answer when the big boys call. I will play. Stop everything else and play. The rehearsal and the concert went great, and all the members of the orchestra were very supportive. Derek Develder, my stand partner and the guy who recommended me, graciously introduced me into the NMSO bass section practicing the ancient art of coyote teaching: one dog helps another one along. I owe you Derek! Jean Luc, the principle was pleased with my playing and said he would have me back.

Ya llegue a casa

I arrived back in Albuquerque yesterday at 11:30am. Since then, less than 48 hours, I have moved out of my house and up to Santa Fe, Played a gig, and been called for a gig by the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. I cannot believe that the day before yesterday I spent 12 hours at the Universidad Mayor, oh yeah..... Here's the rest of my Chile trip:
So I was only in Santiago for 4 days total. I spent my time on Monday buying Bombos (a folkloric drum), and touring the neighborhood of Los Condes. I had lunch with Kelly and met a few more of his artists before spending some time preparing for my "audition" at the school the next day. I gave the second bombo I bought to Kelly to bring up to Mirabal. It is an amazing drum, a wooden tom with skin of goat. They leave the hair on the skin so the tone is so mellow and warm. Perfect.
I woke up early-ish on Tuesday and found my way to the Universidad Mayor's music conservatory. It is in the nicest nieghborhood in Santiago. The school itself is very new, only 4 years old, and has over 230 music students. 30 of these are bass players!!! I met the teacher I would study with if i attend: Elian Ortiz. His is a very nice guy and has a lot to offer. Instead of a formal audition, he requested I sit in on a few of his lessons, and then take one from him. I was very impressed with his teaching style, being very similar to Mark Tatum Maximous himself, and his comments were very musical and relevent. His students play very well. I was allowed a couple of hours before my lesson to practice on a school bass, which was rather playable. Elian was very happy with my playing and gave me a lesson the next day as well. The next day carmelo and his trio gave a master class at the Music Conservatory and I sat in on some of it. The students of the school played very well and I was impressed by the level of musicality they expressed.
I spent some time that day being interviewed by the school newspaper as they were very interested in my want to be an exchange student there. "Why Chile?" "What do you have to offer Chile?" "What will you have to offer our school?" Damn! I felt like I was running for office or something!!! I just want to play music in a cool place! Is that so much to ASSKK?? Really I was honored to be the center of attention and it seems as though Carmelo is already recruting Chilean violinists to fill the UNM orchesta.
Elian said he would be happy to have me in his studio, I feel the trip allowed the connection between student and teacher to begin. I would like to study with him, but the jury is out until end of the summer. I have promised myself and melissa that I will check out the schools in Spain and give all of this a lot of time and thought. Really, these are the choices I am lucky enough to have to make. My over all impression of Chile is that it is a great place and I would do well living there for a while. There are some challenges to face, such as pollution and a school in it's infancy. I would have to change my style of bow from French to German, Yet the school is open to me as no other school has ever been. The are welcoming me with excitement. I finally saw the Andes, looming high over Santiago, covered in Snow, Rigged, Arched, and calling my name. Hasta Pronto, un abrazo a todos.

Santiago, First Impressions

After a nice lunch with Kelly at the airport, in which we caught up and discussed the ups and downs of the music business, we boarded our plane to Dallas. Nothing could have ever prepared me for who was on the flight for Santiago though. As I was walking down the aisle to me seat, I saw Carmelo de los Santos, the UNM violin professor. "Que estas haciendo?" "Playing a concert in Santiago!" "Where?" "Universidad Mayor!" AAAHHHH!!!
Thanks guardian angel, you once again have proven you've got my back. I really am supposed to be here doing what I am doing. Carmelo and I sat together and talked the whole way. I have always respected him, and the fact that we are only a year apart has always been comforting to me. We connected on a level that only such a happenstance could have allowed.
Kelly and I spent the rest of today walking around Santiago, getting to know the place. We visited Santa Luica (the birth place of the city), Bella Vista(the main live music district) and rode the subway. The parks are clean, and so are the streets. Much cleaner than Buenos Aires. My fear of pollution has been subsided. My throat has been raw from the trash fires, though. The smell brings me back to Jamacia. It is foggy here, and I have yet to really see the Andes, though I can feel them looming.
Tomorrow I hope find the school and get my hands on a bass. Carmelo seems to think he can get me in there even though it is a holiday. I will meet more of Kelly's friends tonight, a bass player and a band on his label. I've already hung a little with his manager Ignacio (whose uncle owns the hotel we are staying at). The hotel is my father's dream. Made of wood and has a mast and sail coming out the front. All the doors have circular windows and the Helm is located in the Restaurant. Mermaids and Ships fill the lobby. El Hotel Cap Ducal is our vessel setting sail over Santiago. Dad, you would never leave. I have a good feeling so far, flamenco, jazz, and salsa, as well as classical music are very present and alive. German speakers are here as well, they even have their own TV station. The architecture is very German as well. Alpacas are the streets. all for now.

I leave for Chile

Tomorrow at 5pm I board a flight for Chile. My traveling companion is none other than Kelly Rudy. Kelly owns Petroglyph Records, a small record company based in Taos, NM. He specializes in the music scene of Santiago. A few years back, I played a CD pre-release party at Kelly's house with guitarist Antonio Restucci (Antonio's album features some of my flamenco heroes like Carles Benavent and Jorge Pardo). We jammed on some flamenco and latin jazz standards. I remember Sr. Mirabal came to hang. "I liked how you're vibin' it bro." It was one of the few times he has been in my audience as a listener. I expressed interest back then about someday visiting Santiago as I drove Antonio around Taos drinking maté, but never dreamed of traveling there to audition.
This particular opportunity came about while I was visiting the International studies fair at UNM. Robin Coté, the study abroad coordinator, answered my question ("where can I go to study music in a foreign county?") by pulling out a brochure to the Universidad Mayor in Santiago. I contacted the school and eventually heard back. They have pretty much accepted me, yet I insisted on visiting and auditioning live for them, more for my benefit than theirs. I want to meet the bass professor, to see if he could possibly stand up to the greatest bass player in New Mexico, my current teacher Marcus Aurelius Maxi mus Tatum, the first. We'll see....
The odds are stacked high on this trip for a few reasons. I am not bringing my bass, as of 1:30am, right now. This could change if I have a bad dream. The school will provide me with an instrument, one I have never seen before and know nothing of its quality or playability. One of the two pieces I am playing I have never played for anyone before. I will not be able to practice for two days, and have no idea how much time they will give me alone with the instrument before they ask me to play. My girlfriend wants nothing to do with Chile. There's more, but no need.
Kelly has promised a tour of the city and to meet some more artists on his label. He has been an amazing resource and friend. When I first mentioned I was trying to get down to Chile this summer, he got on the horn right away and the next thing I knew I was tagging along with him. Mirabal just finished an album produced by Andy Bird, the same guy who did the Antonio album. My emotions for taking on a summer that set me on a different path from the Mirabal Clan have been present, yet it is so amazing how life cycles back on us. I feel such a connection with the past and present. It is almost as if they are the same. I am on a musical journey, there are so many to play with, again and again. For music truly is enough for life, yet life is not enough for music. Take care, and mom I love you.

Good Snake, Sit! Cabazon Jemez, May 13

Check out more of Lazlo's Pictures at www.mezoarruda.com/gallery/CabezonPeak

The Jade

"Work like you don't need the money
Love like you've never been hurt &
Dance like nobody's watching"

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope you all had a good mothers day and called your mamas. Mom and I went hiking in the santa fe mountains with ses the dog. then we BBQed some steaks and talked about what if all night. love you mom!

Starting Out

Greatings friends, family, and new comers. This is my blog, I set it up for an english class this year. I got an A in that class. I erased all the nonsense, and now I own the blog. I will journal my summer adventures here for you all to share. I finished my Junior Year of College tonight by emailing my last paper in. As of right now, I am on summer vacation. Vacation is hardly what it will be. I will be traveling to Chile, Canada, Spain, and Italy this summer. All to play classical music. Please come along, comment, keep in touch, and keep me true to my word. I will document this summer for it promises to be epic.