Violin
I've been playing the violin since I was six. I've studied with Anne Pfeiffer,
John Huwiler, and Nancy Cirillo. I spent three summers at New
England Music Camp. Orchestras I've been a member of include The Norwalk
Youth Symphony, MIT
Symphony, Wellesley College
Philharmonic, and Santa Clara University Orchestra. Currently I'm with the
Saratoga Symphony.
I've also done heaps of pit orchestras, tons of Gilbert & Sullivan. Recently
I've been playing a lot with the Lyric
Theatre of San Jose. In August '99 I psyched myself up to have fun playing
solo at a friend's wedding and succeeded in proving to myself that I don't need
to be a nervous wreck to produce quality sound.
A Cappella Singing
I started a group with Renee Ting around the beginning of 1999. There are usually
seven of us and we have an eclectic repertoire (hey we actually have a repertoire!).
We're trying to walk that thin line between serious and casual: fun but high
quality. CASA is the best source for a cappella
info.
Guitar
Somewhere in 1992 I decided that I should learn to play the guitar. I own a
beautiful George Washburn acoustic with
a birds eye maple back and sides. My progress has been slow because I rarely
practice, but it's been fun to learn an instrument that doesn't require intensive
training in order to eke out a decent performance.
What I Listen To
Some of my favorite performers/musicians:
David Bowie (he has to top my list
because I used to be a very serious fan)
Elvis Costello
Yo Yo Ma (I love the cello)
Shawn Colvin (perfect for Sunday mornings
and sometimes antisocial Saturday nights)
Aretha Franklin
(she is soul, in a beauteous femininist package)
Melissa Etheridge
Peter Gabriel
many more could go on this list, but I'll opt out of being exhaustive.
Very Random Favorite Songs:
Oblivious by Aztec Camera - optimism set to a jaunty beat, this one always
cheers me up!
Life on Mars by David Bowie - surprisingly inspiring for an apocolyptic
melody.
The entire Juliet
Letters album by Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet - I am so glad I
saw them in concert at Davies Symphony Hall. I wouldn't have known what a remarkable
experience I missed.
Coming Up Close by Aimee Mann
- you know her, she sang "Voices Carry" while in Til Tuesday. I can
actually play this song on guitar and sing it at the same time (wow, such multitasking!).
Me? Sports?
Not too long ago I played roller hockey
every Sunday with a group of friends. I actually got to the point where I didn't
completely suck and I had the puck-shaped bruises and wheel rotation skills
to prove it. But we didn't keep that up. Much much longer ago I played softball
on company teams. I don't do any organized sports now, but I do try to get out
and rollerblade regularly. Less regularly I extract my mountain bike from the
closet and ride somewhere non-threatening like Shoreline.
And I own a NordicTrack. (Yes, I know
that doesn't count as a sport.) Scintillating Lilly sports trivia: I've never
been downhill skiing. I used to be an avid Mets
fan.
Somewhere in my closet is a bag full of crocheted squares. They are supposed to be stuck together to form a big quilt. Since I haven't worked on making any new squares in the past few years, I am thinking that maybe I should just make it into a baby blanket. I did complete a crocheted scarf for Andrea when I was in college, and I've made quite a few pot holders (easy!) so I do feel some crocheting accomplishment.
During college I started making collages out of magazine and catalog clippings. This was the perfect procrastination activity, especially during first semester finals when there was an abundance of Christmas catalogs, but it grew into a real hobby. I suppose I can call it "art", but I don't know if it has any merit (though a lot passes for art these days). I've produced a few works that I am extremely proud of; unfortunately they don't scan in very well. The color and layering is important to the work and that doesn't translate well onto the screen. My favorite theme is the hypocrisy of women's magazines. But usually I just aim to create something beautiful. Anyway, if you are ever at my place and wonder why the heck I keep so many outdated magazines and catalogs -- well, this is the main reason.
I've made an indoor fountain for my cat. You've probably seen those small tabletop fountains that they sell at arts & crafts festivals for $250+ dollars. Well, I thought I would buy one for my cat (an exceedingly expensive, but very elegant kitty water fountain) (if you don't know, cats are very finicky about their water and a bubbly fountain is perfect). But it finally dawned on me that this was something that I could make myself.
My primary avocation and creative activity is writing.