Man in the Box

 

I'm always up for some equal opportunity birthday celebrating and as luck would have it there is another Blue Lake celebration to be had today!  More specifically, though, it's the first birthday of Giuseppe Mezzadri, the son of Danilo and Susan Ruggiero-Mezzadri (the flautist and soprano from our La Boheme production, respectively).  More specifically specifically, I was lucky enough to spend the mornings of first session here at camp babysitting this sweet lil' stinker!

Scrunch your nose!

 

As many of you wish small children are aware, sometimes it's the simplest things than can provide the most amusement.  For example…

Diaper boxes are waaaaay more fun than diaper changes

 

Don't worry, 'Seppe, you can still play with them when you grow up… as is evidenced by my former stint at Pottery Barn a couple of years ago. Though, from the looks of it you are a bit more adept at it than I was!

 

I'm pretty sure this was off the clock … ?? :-/

 

With the exception of the fact that he was teething, Giuseppe was absolutely no trouble at all.  After one of his bottles he fell asleep on top of me and I was too worried moving him would wake him and so I just let him snuggle for an hour :)

BABY ON BOARD!

 

Happy first birthday, boo! 

 

Artist: Alice in Chains / Album: Facelift

Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?

 

After my brief stay in Ann Arbor it was back to the campgrounds at Blue Lake for one more final round of concerts.  Sabrina and I were fortunate enough to get to stay with Leah and Josh as our host parents!!  Leah was technically my boss (though I do consider her a friend now) and was responsible for hiring me last year for the Elijah tour. Truth be told the only reason I returned this year to do the Brahms was because I failed to get one single picture with her in 2011—and you all know how much I love a good photo op!

As I feel I have already exhausted myself on talking about the camp itself I’ll just focus on all the fun we got to have in North Muskegon… starting with THE FOOD.  Bernie O’s is a local pizza joint that has been ranked nationally and even appeared on the Food Network (did you hear that, Jan?!).  One of their claim's to fame is the Firebird pizza, which isn’t so much an homage to Stravinsky as it is to the fact that it uses ghost chili peppers.  There is a competition to eat the pizza (at the third level of crazy heat) within a certain time limit and if you win then you get to go on the wall of FLAME!  Josh and I joked about doing it but you need a third person and neither Leah nor Sabrina were up for it.

 

Please notice how the wall is completely empty :(

 

We, however, opted for a couple of more sane options and they. were. DELECKER!!

 

Before Sabrina and I had to part ways again we needed to get a picture we’d been talking about taking for the whole summer.  It was noticed very early on that our computers appeared to match our respective sizes and here is the evidence to prove it:

Yeah, I’m pretty sexy in argyle sox and shorts.

 

Now, some of you may notice a certain toy of the equine persuasion trying to get in on the photo action.  Sabrina found it in the basement and naturally neither of us could resist a good opportunity to prove our ages.

 

 

Apparently we’re not very coordinated… It looks like I’m trying to speed up while BriBri is slowing down

 

There aren’t really words to describe how appreciative I am for Leah over these last two years doing the international tour.  She didn’t go to Europe this summer (she was busy coordinating all nine of the Blue Lake tours while concomitantly organizing over twenty European groups that were coming to the states to do tours themselves!) and was greatly missed by everyone.  I’ll never forget last year when sweating my way through 3 hours of Elijah in the summer heat every other day she was always there on the front row acting as our cheerleader.  I’m pretty sure she was contractually obligated to do so, but she at least did a good job of pretending to enjoy it each time ;)

Finally, as is customary for the last picture of these such posts, we got a family photo!

Leah and Josh: host family first timers NO MORE! I finally got to get my picture with yooooouuuuu!!!

 

Artist: U2/ Album: Achtung Baby

Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Dessert

 

After the Brahms concert last night, Sabrina (the soprano soloist) and I were invited by the founders of the camp, Fritz and Gretchen Stansell, to attend a small dessert party at the home of a local resident and composer who has worked with the camp since its inception.

Dr. James and Helen Niblock live on the edge of nearby White Lake and were kind enough to have us in their home for delicious cheesecake and, more importantly, wonderful conversation with human beings who are above the age of 15!

More impressively, though, was the view of the lake at sunset.  My camera didn’t really do it justice but I did my best!

Walkway to the beach house

 

TAH-DAH!

 

We leave tomorrow morning for a bus ride to Chicago and then it’s off to Paris for the beginning of the European tour.  What a lovely way to end the week!

 

Artist: Pink Floyd/ Album: The Final Cut

How Marvin Eats His Breakfast

 

Last night we had our first performance of Brahm’s Requiem at the Stewart Shell on the campus of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.  The orchestra and choir have been rehearsing all week (it’s not called “intensive week” for nothin’) and this was our first opportunity to publicly present the piece before we head out on our European tour.

In honor of the event I thought I’d post a (relative) oldy but goody.  Sure, I could put up a movement from the Requiem but let’s be honest, y’all probably wouldn’t watch it.  Instead, here is AmericansForTheArts.org’s PSA about arts education featuring BRAHMS HIMSELF!!!

 

Artist: William Finn/ Album: Infinite Joy