A week of String Quartets at the Smithsonian Institute with the Axelrod String Quartet - Four Amati violins, Four stellar musicians, and three concerts.

It's hard to explain the feeling when you walk on stage holding an absolutely invaluable instrument, and you are in the presence of three really great musicians that have spent their lives playing this repertoire. James Dunham, my new inner voice hero - told stories of being a member of the Cleveland Quartet, and so much more - his perception for the detail, the subtleties, the rhetoric, Ken and his incredible giant brain of knowledge and skill, Marc for his human - ness, that might not be a word, but I describe him like this, a sense of understanding much, in the music and outside, enjoying the pleasure of this music very deeply. It was an interesting team, as I stepped in for my past teacher, Marilyn McDonald as she heals from a car accident, where she was not wearing a seatbelt. WEAR A SEATBELT EVERYONE!!! She is doing well, and we are in touch, and her spirit was with us this week in DC. 

It was a strange thing for me, growing up on a farm in rural Ontario, walking around the giant capitol building of the United States everyday, and working in a museum that had serious metal detectors, and hundreds and thousands of kids and people visiting everyday. Our rehearsal/concert space had a double paned window into a hallway so we often were being watched as we rehearsed, with people taking our pictures, I wonder if they thought we were literally an exhibit - I'm not saying we are all that old, but it crossed my mind, and made me smile.

Performing Beethoven Opus 59 number 1 for the first time this week was an absolute dream. We also performed Haydn Opus 50 number 6 and Mozart K 387... all incredible pieces, but the Beethoven is a monster in the repertoire, and goes really really deep. It was just a fantastic experience, and one for the books. I look forward to continue my hunt for a string quartet of my own -  I would love to be part of one, however, it has to be at the right time, under the right circumstances, with the right people, sound familiar?!?

with admiration to these gentlemen,

Edwin
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