Snow Day #4

Hello everyone!

By now you probably have guessed (since I am back on the blog) that we are having another massive snow storm here in Boston.  BU has cancelled classes for the 4th time in 3 weeks!  I have lived in many different parts of the world, including northern part of Michigan, and I have NEVER seen so much snow in such a short period of time.  I mean, it's like every week we get a 'historic' blizzard/winter storm like clockwork.  Incredible.

I tried to get a shot of the winter wonderland outside of my window for you guys, but this was all I could see!

The other side of our apartment doesn't have the best view, but I think it shows the effect of the snow a bit better than my frozen-over window, so...

and the swirling snow!

We have gotten enough snow quickly enough that within an hour, the foot tracks that Shawn left on the way to the gym had disappeared by the time she came back!

Before we got buried in snow, we tried to dig ourselves out from the previous 2 storms, and lead normal lives!  one of the highlights from last week was this concert I played with my teacher here at BU, Bayla Keyes, and 3 other BU faculty members, Robbie, Rhonda, and Michelle!  We played the Martin piano quintet, and I loved it!  He's not a very well-known composer, but he has very unique and interesting harmonic language, and some really beautiful melodies  =)

The few days before the storm was made even better because!!!   Abers (April) was in Boston!!!!  My soul sister, my sister from another mother!  we were attached at the hip throughout our undergrad years, and it was so good to be attached once more  =)

We had an incredible night during her visit when a whole bunch of our friends came over and we played board games. I did take some photos, but... I didn't have the SD card in the camera... epic fail.  le sigh...  ah well, it will just have to happen again some day!

We did, however, take a walk in our beautiful neighborhood in search of some lunch one of the days that she was here. I know, not as exciting as the board game night, but isn't our neighborhood so beautiful?  I love it here  =)

The walk was very cold and snowy, but the lunch we had at Buk Kyung was tottaallly worth it!

mmmmm  there's nothing more satisfying than a table full of awesome Korean food!

obviously, we were thrilled!

ahhh.  I 'm drooling just looking at the pictures and thinking about that meal right now...

April's flight was cancelled, and we were afraid that she would not be able to get out of Boston before this massive storm hit, but thankfully, she did get to fly out of the Beantown just in time!!

It was such a fun weekend, and I'm so glad she got to visit  =)  It was a nice warm fuzzy spot in this frigid snowpocalypsemarathon we've been having.

I hope you are all having a wonderful beginning of the week, and stay warm if you are around the New England area!

--Janny

Photo Shoot at Avaloch Farm Music Institute

Hello everyone!

While we were at Avaloch, we decided to do a little photo shoot because literally everywhere we looked, we saw pictures.  Avaloch is just so photogenic!!

so I got ready, got abers and timmay ready, and was set to go!

We began with a few head shots of each of us, so here are a couple the solo ones  =)

and here are a few trio ones  =)

Hope you enjoyed these photos, and hope you had a wonderful weekend!

--Janny

Loving the Avaloch Life

Hello everyone!

We have been at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute for almost a week now, and it has truly been an incredible time.  Amazing food, wonderful company, and great music-making.  Could not ask for more, really.  Especially after a day like yesterday when we were treated to an incredibly intimate and wonderful house concert!

After dinner, all three of the groups currently at Avaloch got together for a very small group of friends (including the 4-legged), and just performed whatever we were working on during our stay here.

It was such a fun mix too, because the Diderot Quartet opened the concert with some Mozart and Haydn on their period instruments which had gut strings tuned to 430, which is about a quarter tone lower than A440 (a more 'standard' tuning pitch for instruments today).  It was a simply delightful experience, especially because I had never heard or seen pieces performed on period instruments before!

Then we performed our Ravel from memory,
and then the CMW quartet played the Beethoven Op. 130, which they learned during their short stay here, and played beautifully.

I really loved playing chamber music in this intimate setting, which was what chamber music was originally intended for, among good friends.

Snoozer, the resident Avaloch pooch, was also there of course  =)  isn't he such a handsome pup?!

It really has been a wonderful week spent here at Avaloch performing, rehearsing, memorizing, and getting so much done.  But it never felt like we were working too hard, if that makes sense.  It's just that kind of a setting where you work extremely hard, and get an incredible amount of work done that you couldn't possibly do out in the 'real world', but it never feels like work.   It's going to be so sad having to leave this place...

If you are a musician, I highly recommend applying to come to Avaloch, because really, there is no place like this, and I guarantee you that you will fall absolutely, head over heels, in love with the place like we did.

I mean, how could you not?

Especially with a pup like Snoozer 

and the incredible director, Deb Sherr, (our Mama) around  ;)

We are so thankful, and feel incredibly blessed to have had this opportunity  =)

I hope you are having a wonderful week, and thanks so much for stopping by!
--Janny

Avaloch Farm Music Institute

Hello everyone!

The Meadowlark Trio is currently at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire for our residency, and we just cannot believe how amazing this place is...  I mean, we're here, so it must exist, right?  haha  but really, I can't believe somewhere this beautiful and divine can actually exist. But you know what they say, pictures are worth a thousand words, so let me just show you around a lil bit.

This is the view that greets us every morning in front of our rooms as we walk outside a few steps to the dining area.  Our chef Will creates magic in the kitchen, literally. and we are so blessed to have incredible food every single meal.

but let me show you where we live first.  Here is the lounging area, which looks like it's straight out of a magazine, doesn't it?

April and I are sharing the Debussy Suite, and Tim is in the Mendelssohn Suite, but as you may expect, he is at our place majority of the time haha

and this is my bedroom.  I mean.  Can it get any cuter?!

Right under our living quarters is our studio - the Stravinsky Studio!

it's really an incredible place to work all day, every day!  and that rug is simply divine, let me tell you what.. I know, because I'm usually on there sprawled out during every break  haha

Anyway, let's now go to the hall where we eat, perform, and sometimes, rehearse and record.

Right in front/next to the hall is this porch, and because the weather has been so wonderful, we've spent a lot of time chilling here in fantastic company, discussing music and listening to amazing recordings.  It really is a heaven for musicians...

I really appreciate all of the antiques that are everywhere.  It was built on a farm, so there are a lot of farm related antiques, and I love all of them!  haha

once you actually go into the hall, here is our little rehearsal/recording space in the corner with the most beautiful piano!  April is IN LOVE with it.

on the other side of the hall is where we enjoy our chef Will's magic.  I mean, the food here.  Ohh myy goodnesss.  It is so good.  And it's really healthy too, but what gets me in trouble are the cookies and the cakes...  mmm  they really shouldn't have it out all day,, my will power isn't that strong  haha

doesn't it look like it's straight out of Pottery Barn or something?  So beautiful!!

We take frequent walks here because,,, well, we have to burn off some of the calories we are consuming..  haha but also, why wouldn't we?  it'd be silly to not explore this incredible property Avaloch Farm is on.

See what I mean?  this is a few minute's walk from where we are living.  It's a boathouse, because, yup, you guessed it.  We are next to a lake.

An incredibly beautiful one.  Sorry the picture doesn't do it justice..  I'll try to take a better one later haha

We are just starting to see the turning colors on leaves, and it's so beautiful already! I can't wait to see fall in full-swing in New England soon  =)

oh, and have I mentioned that we are on an orchard too?  yup.  so many apple trees!  and grapes too!

and the corn field was only around for a day before it got harvested, but it really reminded us of our time in Nebraska where everything began for us as a trio   =)

We feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity to come here as a trio.  No place like this exists here in the U.S where musicians can come to really focus on one another without having to worry about life's distractions.  we are surrounded by incredible nature, amazing food, and wonderful company (including the 4 legged ones).   How could we not be inspired?!

We have a couple more days here at Avaloch, and we plan on enjoying it to its fullest!  Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

--Janny