woo-hoo!

Huge congratulations to my brother Sean, a professional cellist who is, at long last, breaking into the big time. He's gotten news that he's made it onto the "sub list" for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which will give him crucial networking opportunities when they call him. Sean is happy to have gotten onto the list after an audition that was, he felt, below par. His self-critical nature may have led him to harbor modest expectations, though, which explains his surprise at having made it onto the list.

Sean has had only two major auditions. His first was for the Seattle Symphony; he didn't make it to the second round, despite massive preparation. Although he was crestfallen, he also knew to keep the experience in perspective: he'd been told that most of the pros go through dozens of auditions before landing their dream job. By that standard, making the sub list of a large orchestra after only two auditions is quite a coup, and we can only hope that this will continue to lead to bigger and better things.

In the meantime, Sean has been working on a large chamber orchestra project-- about which I can say nothing, because it's still in the works. He continues to teach, to perform in various local orchestras and chamber groups, and to do his standard slew of gigs. Weddings, mostly. Sean gets raves from his students, who see him as a talented teacher. Many of his students have gone on to win first-place awards in a variety of local and regional competitions; such wins are feathers in Sean's cap. Long may he rock. Long may he roll.


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