Hi Dulciana,
Lovely to hear from a fellow musician!
Here's a potted history of me -
I started playing the flute at 9 and passed grade 8 with distinction at 12, at which point I won a scholarship to study as a Junior on Saturdays at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. I went on to study full time there at 18, before doing a post grad at the Royal Academy of Music.
At 21, I trialled with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and then was asked to play for the orchestra of Welsh National Opera when I was 22. I played with them for 13 years, but also played for the Halle, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Sinfonietta, among others.
I played on tv, radio, CD (Charlotte Church's first album, among others!) and it was while playing for WNO that I met my husband, who is a percussionist. He still plays for WNO and also teaches at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. I don't really play professionally any more, but I teach and my son has recently started learning the cello. I play piano as well, which I find very relaxing. I miss my nights on stage and in the pit, all the lovely people I worked with, the excitement etc but I needed to be at home for my children.
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Hi honorsmum and thanks for your reply! I really enjoyed reading about who you've played with and where you've played. It must be so much more challenging, getting a wind-instrument job, as you've all got such soloistic parts within the orchestra. Hats off to you! Most of my orchestral experience (as a 2nd study violist) has been on the amateur circuit but I did do a year with the National Centre for Orchestral Studies back in the '80's.
I got grade 8 piano with distinction (though at 15, not at 12!!). I studied music at Glasgow University then did two years at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. I taught for 17 years while we lived in the south of England - we then moved back to Scotland in 2000 and I had to get some office work just to bring in some money during what was a very lean time for hubby and me. Going back a bit - in 1984, I had to get a crash course of 4 organ lessons in order to accompany a choir who needed an organist at short notice. This was the start of my passion for the instrument, although it took a back seat for a long while. Then nine years ago, I started taking organ lessons regularly and in 2008, I passed DipABRSM on the organ, then last year I passed ARCO and I've just started working for FRCO (this is going to take a while
!). I am the regular organist at a church in Edinburgh and I teach piano in one of their church hall rooms. Three years ago, I played the organ part in a local performance of the Saints Saens Organ Symphony and last year I gave a recital at our church that brought me some very nice feedback. (I love performing.) So that's me, in a nut-shell!
What sort of music do you like best (playing or listening to)? I love the French Romantics and Post-Romantics, also Brahms and Bach. To relax, I listen to gentle jazz.