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.