November Music: Norm and Trace in The Netherlands – #1
I will admit, it’s a real relief to travel without that cello! Even with heavy cases, and carbon fibre construction, there is a layer of stress that I am happily not feeling right now. Travelling light is amazing….
I’m on my way to Amsterdam and Den Bosch in The Netherlands thanks to Trace, a Canadian project aimed at building and maintaining collaborations and exchange between Dutch and Canadian artists, composers, and arts organizations. I’m a representative of suddenlyLISTEN, and a representative of myself as I continue my amazing ongoing search for new music, knowledge, inspiration, people and new energy!
I feel pretty fortunate to get to go on this trip. I’m still pretty fresh as a freelancer and I can tell you that I wouldn’t be here if I were still with SNS. It’s a big week as they undertake final audition concerts for the final two Music Director candidates. Exciting times for Halifax and SNS, but not my direct scene anymore! Instead I’ll be a Canadian representative, listening to concerts, meeting Dutch artists at the New Music Conference on Nov. 8. Equally exciting to me is the chance to hang out with my fellow Canadians Jeff Morton (one of the principals of Trace along with Jennifer Waring), Allison Cameron (composer, improviser and a beloved collaborator and friend!), Juliet Palmer (composer and AD, one of the smartest and most compassionate people I know) and Roxanne Nesbitt (who I haven’t met, but whose work sounds really interesting from my quick look at her website!).
I will meet up with Allison in Toronto (in the inevitable backtrack we make when flying internationally from Halifax….) and arrive in Amsterdam tomorrow morning.
I’ll try to post a little each day to try to document my impressions of what I hear and experience on this trip. Maybe I’ll get to ride a bike too…..