As I sit here writing to you, I am FINALLY realizing that all the waiting and wondering is nearly over. We are just about ready to start back as a musical ensemble.

The insurance company has been contacted and we have liability insurance…Our new church home has been unbelievably gracious about facility usage…I have the key! I am working on website updates. We have a vaccine policy that will shadow the requirements of professional orchestras (Thank you Pacific Symphony for all the work to keep us safe on stage and allowing me to piggy back from your work with UCI public health department). Music is being pulled. New Christmas music has arrived. I’m listening to brand new pieces from the NFA convention. I am SO happy I made those Excel sheets of library inventory last year: It’s easier than ever to locate music now as I know exactly where it is. I’m making folders for sight reading. We are hosting zoom workshops to anticipate our return to live rehearsal.

These are the ‘nuts and bolts’ of our re-boot: All the necessary things to run an ensemble are re-emerging from the pause of 2020.

What REALLY excites me the most however, is the concept that my musicians are COMING TOGETHER to make live music for the first time in 18 months. There is a powerful need to express ourselves through music and I can’t believe how lucky and blessed I am to facilitate this group of flutists.

For the first time ever, we will host THREE GENERATIONS OF FLUTISTS FROM THE SAME FAMILY. How about that? New friends are joining…we bid a fond farewell to some old friends who have moved away. We await the return of some members as they build their confidence returning to the musical world. Decisions are personal….

It’s going to be an emotional experience for me. It might sound raw…who cares! It’s going to be magical and it’s going to be very special. We will connect in a very powerful way….We will be making music TOGETHER. What could be better?