Practice, Practice, Practice...

So, initially I came to Europe for a cello program in Neuburg.  I knew I would have to do work, but it was never on the forefront of my mind and I was just worrying about sight-seeing.  Then it hit me, hours and hours of practice cello each day.  What joy.

In the practice building (the local Volkschule), I found my favorite practice room that was a little smaller than the other ginormous rooms in the building.  Inevitably, after a few hours of practice I would get fed up with myself and sit on the floor to read a book.  After a few minutes of reading I looked up and noticed this awesome view out the window.  It's nothing to write home about, but it has a quaint awesomeness about it.  The tree with red flowers, the church clock tower, and a quintessential German house.  Love it.

Note to Lauren: if you don't play the cello for more than a week your calluses go bye-bye.  This was the result of my thumb after hours of practice on the Dvorak Concerto.  It doesn't look too bad here because the swelling went down, but the day before I'm fairly sure it was infected.  Hey, there ain't no art without suffering, right?

Oh Lauren, if I only could have forewarned you that this would not be a week of leisurely enjoyment, but tons of practicing and spending hours each day in the same building.  Hey, at least it was in Germany.

Also, I may look like a suffered, I was playing on a rented $30,000 cello and by the end of the week I didn't sound half bad.

Thanks Deutschland.