In New Yooooorkkkk

....make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire yoooouuuu....
(Sing it Mary J.!!)

So as most of you know I spent last weekend in New York.  The orchestra had the opportunity to open the 2012 Spring for Music Festival at Carnegie Hall.  After a year (or more) of booking flights and hotel, arranging ticket requests and buses, and dealing with every tour related detail you can imagine, I was blessed with the opportunity to accompany the orchestra as a staff member.  And, not only was I able to achieve one of my career goals of taking a group to Carnegie Hall, but I also got to achieve a life long dream that I really, truly thought would never happen:

I performed at Carnegie Hall. *Insert squeal of delight here*

It was a strange set of circumstances that put me on that stage.  The first half of the program is a great piece by Shostakovich that is basically a parody of a Communist Party meeting.  There is a baritone who acts as the four main speakers (he switches hats to demonstrate who he is at any given time) and then there is a 'chorus' of "Musical Functionaries" who chime in with applause and rousing interjections of agreement in response to the speaker.  Our music director did not want the 'chorus' to be made up of professional singers.  He wanted it to be a mix of 'everyday' types, though they needed to still be able to read music and know how to follow a conductor. 

In January, we were doing an open rehearsal to give our donors a sense of what the piece was about.  We tried to wrangle some orchestra musicians to participate as chorus members, but we didn't really get enough.  So my boss asked if I would sit in the rehearsal and wanted me to rope a few other musically inclined staff members into helping out as well.  I was a nervous wreck for that rehearsal; it had been years since I had been in rehearsal and here I was sitting on a stage with our orchestra.  However, as the rehearsal got underway I felt more and more comfortable; in fact, I even had a bit of fun.

Flash forward a few months, and we needed to figure out how to fill out the 'chorus', as Carnegie was fast approaching.  So my boss asked if I wanted to participate again, and I think I interrupted his question with a very loud "OMG YES PLEASE!!"  I was so excited that I was getting the opportunity.

It was everything I could possibly imagine and more.  Surreal on so many levels.  Carnegie is a beautiful hall and the orchestra sounded amazing.  Not only did I participate in the 'chorus', I also got to be an 'anti-percussionist' on the second half - the percussion section needed two people to help muffle the huge chimes so our assistant personnel manager and I got to sit on stage and help out.  I had the best seat in the house!!

Here are some pics:
 

 The view from my hotel room

I was the main contact for the hotel, and I was welcomed with fruit!  Big Pimpin'!!

Our hotel had the best burger place.  I ate there twice.  

Before devouring the best burger and fries I've ever had

The next day we walked around Central Park.  I ate a hot dog from a cart!

 The view from our table at the Central Park Boathouse

Champagne!!

I went out Sunday night.  Times Square!!

Monday we got down to business

 My view during rehearsal (and the concert)

 On stage at Carnegie!!

 Carnegie Hall Stage Door

Post Concert.  I was on such an adrenaline high!!

So there you have it.  It really was a dream weekend and I can honestly rank it as one of the best weekends of my life.  I am so lucky and so happy to be where I am.