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.