Letters from our Director
MARCH 2011
Congratulations to all my Flute Frenzy friends! |
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I heard you had a wonderful concert Saturday night! Bruton Parish Church is a beautiful place to perform! Congratulations are also in order for being invited to perform for the NFA annual convention. What a wonderful experience that will be for you! When Flute Frenzy went in 2002, the group had a fabulous time.
I last wrote you before Christmas and before my family arrived to spend the holidays with us in Mainz. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment, so 6 grown adults were a bit squeezed, but we had a good time. There was no room for a traditional tree, so we put lights on a ficus tree that was already in the apartment.
One of our goals was to visit as many Christmas markets as possible (and the cities connected with them of course). We traveled by train. Germany has a wonderful program for group travel on the trains, which is relatively inexpensive if you take the slower trains. We visited a number of cities close by, including Trier, Heidelberg, Cologne, Wiesbaden, and Speyer. We climbed through the snow-covered wine fields on the "mountain" just behind Rüdesheim to an old monument. Our feet were so wet that we had to buy dry socks at the Christmas market and warm up with Glühwein and Reibeküchen!
New Year's Eve was quite an experience here. I felt like I was in the middle of controlled chaos. It seems like fireworks can be set off by anyone anywhere, although I believe there are some regulations now about staying away from old historical wooden houses. The city does not purchase the fireworks. The general public purchases whatever they want, including many that look like the displays we see at home. Many people gathered on the riverfront to celebrate with fireworks and beverages. We had to watch where we stepped and be careful not to be in the line of fire. Even so, we came home with debris in our hair! The streets were really messy the next day, but I guess the city's part in all this is to clean up.
I continued to do some traveling after Christmas. One highlight was visiting Bonn, where I walked in the footsteps of Beethoven. His birth house is a very nice museum. I also tagged along on my husband's physics conferences to a ski-village in Austria and later to Munich. We spent one weekend in Paris where we visited my niece and her husband, who live in Versailles.
And then, of course, there was Fastnacht in Mainz. Mainz has one of the three biggest celebrations in Germany. Beginning in January the department stores set up huge rooms with costumes for the event. It looks like our Halloween, but much more elaborate! Although there are events beginning January 1, most of the celebration took place the first weekend in March. There were parades every day, with the Rosenmontag parade being the biggest. There were floats and bands, like we see at home, but much different "uniforms". Some bands were dressed in traditional German uniforms, while others were dressed as goblins. There were groups of witches, etc. Every time a float came by the people on the float tossed out candy or gifts. And of course there were booths selling hats, food and drink! I think we stood at the parade for 5 hours!
It was beginning to be springtime in Germany when we left. The crocus were blooming there, and shrubs were beginning to bud. Now I am in Stockholm, Sweden. We got off the plane here to "minus grader," which means less than 32 degrees F. There was still snow on the ground and the waterways were covered with ice. Today was in the 40's ( heat wave!), and the snow has mostly disappeared and the ice on the waterways is now in chunks instead of being a solid sheet. I suppose that means it is spring here also.
I have some great pictures! I hope I have a chance to show you when I get back. I picked three to include with this letter. Above you see, from left to right, me with Beethoven, one of my favorite walks which goes by a ruined castle, and one of the bands from Fastnacht.
See you in a couple of weeks!
Mrs. Carlson
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DECEMBER 2010
Merry Christmas to all my Flute Frenzy friends
I've been watching the web site, trying to keep up with what you are doing. I hope the Barnes & Noble fund-raiser was as fun and successful as usual! I sure would love a pumpkin cheese cake!
Germans love pumpkins. They think they have some special qualities for improving health. Pumpkin soup is a favorite. I was very surprised that they celebrate Halloween here. It seems almost bigger here than at home! And they have the prettiest witches hats I have ever seen! And frozen french fries shaped like jack-o-lanterns, bats and ghosts.
It seems like it is one party after another. On (November) 11, 11 at 11:11 a.m. (and 11 sec.) Carnival officially begins in Mainz. There were thousands of people in the square just down the street from me, many with entire costumes and most with fancy hats. There were speakers on balconies giving proclamations, a stage with musical acts and food and drink vendors. This particular day is a special historical date in Mainz. The "real" Carnival begins before Lent. So this event only lasted the day, but gave a good example of what to expect every day for a month before Easter!
And now we are into Advent here. There are Christmas Markets in all of the big cities, and many smaller ones as well. It is sort of like the Occasion for the Arts, with booths of vendors selling crafts, bakeware, food and hot drinks, stages with musical performances, merry-go-rounds, and sometimes pony rides. Mainz has a big German wooden "pyramid" in the middle of the square. If you are down in Merchant's Square in Williamsburg sometime, take a look at the German "pyramids" they have in Binn's. They are wooden structures, usually with several circular stories of figures that turn around when candles are lit. (There are wooden blades on top which are activated by the burning candles and turn the rest of the structure.) Anyway, there is an absolutely huge one of these in the Christmas Market in Mainz, and many lights all over the entire market, of course.
Yesterday (Dec. 6) was a big deal for the children. It was St. Nicholas day. I am told that they receive candy and toys in their shoes, although I did not observe that myself. Certainly some of the "markets" were specifically St. Nicholas Markets and ended last weekend. Most continue every day until Dec. 23.
We were told that Mainz was one of the mildest climates in Germany. Well, it has been cold here! The air is the kind that sort of stings your face with the cold, even though the temperature is not lower than 19 degrees F. I think we have already had more snow than usual for the year. It doesn't accumulate (sort of like Williamsburg), and so is not very deep. I heard that you had snow in Williamsburg also! People here cope by going to the Christmas Market and drinking glühwein, which is a hot spiced wine. It is traditional all over Germany, and every market has its own special cup.
Mainz is in the midst of wine fields. Just 10 minutes away one can walk through miles and miles of wine fields along the Rhine. This is a favorite activity among the locals, and then, of course, stopping in at a restaurant at one of the wineries. In most restaurants it is cheaper to buy a glass of wine than a bottle of water! The drinking age here is 16!
I really haven't been doing much traveling around. For the most part I have been experiencing the culture, both in Helsinki (Finland) and Mainz. In Helsinki I did a good bit of touring within the city. The Senate Square there was a venue for many activities, including concerts, and other special events. Just before we left the "Buddy Bears" were visiting. We heard a couple of concerts in Helsinki, and I've heard quite a few concerts here in Mainz also. The "procedure" at concerts here is a little different than in the US. The entire orchestra (or whatever the group happens to be) walks on at the same time to applause. All warm-up is done backstage. The oboe gives the tuning note, first to the low instruments (string bass & cello, or tubas & trombones), and then to the violins & violas, and then the brass, followed last by the woodwinds. At the end of the concert the director and any special soloist performers may or may not receive flowers here in Mainz, but they always receive a bottle of wine!
Every time I go to a concert I think about you! I miss all my wonderful students! I don't know if you heard that I am playing in a "Flütenchor" (flute choir) myself. I searched the internet for one when I first got here and found one at a small church a short bus ride away. I met with the director before I went to the first rehearsal, but with my limited German and her limited English, I guess we did not realize that we were talking about different "Flüten". At the first rehearsal they all pulled out their recorders! They handed me an alto recorder, so I am now playing that in the group. There are only 7 of us, and we play for occasional church services. It is fun, and I am learning to understand more German, although I still cannot speak well!
I hope I can figure out a way to send Mrs. Ceriani some pictures of the places I have been. My internet service comes through a "surf-stick", which is similar to a thumb drive. Apparently I can take it anywhere. but there is a limit on how much I can download and upload.
I invite any of you who happen to have an account on Facebook to friend me! I finally set up an account, although I don't know all of the ins and outs yet.
I know you enjoyed your concert at the Landing. Last time we were there, we had a big snowstorm. Do you remember?
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your families!
Mrs. Carlson
Flute Frenzy Workshop for 5th & 6th Grade
This introductory flute choir program is designed specifically to give first and second-year students an opportunity to learn and perform chamber music with their peers. In the process, they stretch their musical skills and become more confident performers. They’ll be introduced to ensemble music and will have the opportunity to learn about the other members of the flute family (piccolo, alto and bass).
WHEN: To Be Determined
Cost: Tuition for this 6-week program is $75.00. Need-based tuition assistance is available.
To register: Visit www.flutefrenzy.org to download a registration form.
FLUTE FRENZY WORKSHOP 5th & 6th Grade FLIER
REGISTRATION FORM
Flute Aerobics 2009 |
To begin our 10th season we refreshed and rejuvenated our flute skills by exploring a variety of basic and extended flute techniques in a flute choir setting. Students through grade 12, who played the flute for at least one year, were invited to participate. Flute Aerobics is designed to shake off the summer and have fun getting our flutes and ourselves in great playing condition to start the school year. For infomation about joining our regular season Flute Chior and to arrange a placement audition, please contact: Margaret Carlson, 757-253-0850.
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| When: |
Tuesday, September 1st - 3rd 2009 |
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| Where: |
Williamsburg United Methodist Church |
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Flute Aerobics 2009 Photos |
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Flute Aerobics Flyer |
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