A few months ago Katie's high school music director, Mr Janson, asked her to play in his spring orchestra concerts and he invited me, as well. So about a month ago Katie and I packed the astro van with violins and some large items from her dorm and headed to Cleveland. We arrived in Brunswick Sunday morning about 11am, where we picked up her sister, Christine, and drove to West 25th street and St Ignatius. Unfortunately, Katie had an unknown ear infection and an upset stomach and puked a few times before getting to the school. There we found the St Joseph Academy girls orchestra rehearsing for a Sunday evening concert with the St Ignatius boys. There was a women's choir, a men's choir, a freshman boy's choir, various solo and ensemble vocal groups, a bell choir, St Ignatius jazz band and the St Joseph orchestra. Since the St Joseph orchestra is mainly composed of flute and clarinets the director had asked Katie and I to play our violins to help balance the group.

After finding the one of three gymnasiums where the groups were rehearsing, we spent an hour or so rehearsing with them before having dinner with them in their cafeteria and then playing their concert. We played a Leroy Anderson piece, some Holst and a hymn combining all the groups. Afterwards Katie and I returned to Cincinnati arriving about midnight.

A few weeks later Katie and I again returned to Brunswick and then to St Joseph Academy to rehearse with the orchestra on a Tuesday and play a spring concert with them on Thursday. After the Tuesday evening rehearsal we volunteered to help the strings during the following day. So Katie and I woke early and arrived at St Joe's for rehearsal. Katie was completely in control of the sessions, and we played for over an hour before leaving for lunch. That Wednesday evening we had another full orchestra rehearsal before the concert the next day. Thursday morning before the concert Katie and I went for a bicycle ride on the local metro park trails. Katie had some issues with her seat and we had limited time, as we had to drive her dad to get the car from the mechanic, so we only rode a short distance, but it was nice to get outside. When we returned to Katie's house I realized that I had forgotten to bring a dress shirt. Fortunately Katie's dad had a shirt from long ago that still managed to fit me. So we dressed and finally made our way to St Joe's for the spring concert, which included the orchestra, some solos and the bell choir. After the concert Katie and I spent one last night in Brunswick before returning to Cincinnati, where her graduation festivities awaited.

Waite Wedding
Posted by: Adam Fuson @ 2007.08.24.1632

Friday morning several weeks ago Katie and I left Cincinnati for her hometown of Brunswick, OH (Cleveland). Arriving that afternoon at her house, we unpacked a few things and headed to Painesville for the wedding rehearsal of Steve Waite and Erin Bartholomew, Katie's cousin. While the wedding party walked through the ceremony, Katie and I met the organist and the vocalist. The vocalist, Mary Anne, was extremely friendly and cordial but in a way that came across as being completely funny. For the remainder of the rehearsal we practiced in the basement of the church, but before leaving we took some time to practice in the choir loft. From the church Katie and I drove to the rehearsal dinner at the Waite house, where a huge grill was cooking burgers, brats and my favorite, some especially meaty ribs. I indulged in two tall plates of ribs, which were both messy and filling. After dinner Katie's dad was telling me about his aspirations to be a chemical engineer and his boyhood bike rides around Painesville. When we parted, Katie inquired about our conversation, and I told her, that he had insisted that "5 years was too much." However, the joke was on me, when Katie then informed me that her father had married her mother when he was 26 and she was 21.

Saturday morning we woke and ate pancakes for breakfast at Katie's house before driving to the church for the actual wedding ceremony. Katie and I arrived with just enough time to tune and warm up before the ceremony. For the most part the music was wonderful having only a few minor errors. We played a few duet items such as Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Katie performed Meditation from Thais and we both joined the organist and vocalist for several hymns. During any down time Katie and I quickly took as many photos as possible. After the ceremony there was some free time before the reception for photos to be taken of the bridal party and for other things. Katie, her family and I spent some time at Rita's, her paternal grandmother's, house in Painesville. We enjoyed some fruit and light snacks and got to know each other, while some of the girls changed clothes and touched up their hair and makeup.

From Rita's we drove to the reception hall, where the usual reception activities occurred. After the bridal party had danced all of their special dances, I found Rita and danced the first dance with her. She commended me for my bravery, and then fought her way back to her seat. The remainder of the evening Katie and I spent eating cake, dancing, and trying to embarrass her younger sister, Christine, who was being followed around by some boy, who was hopelessly taken by her. Late in the evening Katie, Christine and I drove back to Brunswick, where we spent the night. Sunday morning Katie and I packed the car and returned to Cincinnati enduring the most rainy and humid drive before ending at UC where Charlie and Melissa eventually met us.

Cincinnati Pops Play John Williams
Posted by: Adam Fuson @ 2007.07.30.0614

Two Wednesdays ago I was riding with Bob Schoettinger in Newport and telling him of my plans to attend the Pops - John Williams concert the following Saturday. Bob was excited and told me he would see if he could get some tickets for himself from work. I as excited as I had never been to Riverbend. The following day Bob secured 4 tickets and with the 6 that were already going, we planned to have 10 people at the Pops that Saturday. As it turned Bremer and his wife, Mandy, were interested in going and scooped up Bob's extra 2 tickets. I was bestowed the additional parking pass.

So Saturday after racing in Woodlawn I was greeted by 4 Xavier students (Katie, Meghan, Kyle, and Jenny) at my house at about 6:15. We drove to Riverbend together, where we met Chris Hartman, the final Xavier student. I never actually found Bremer, but Bob and I met to exchange the parking permit. Katie Bartholomew had been fortunate enough to find 6 available tickets in the 3rd row of the pit. Three of us sat in the pit for the first half of the concert, which included a medley of movie sounds - Olympic Overture, Jurassic Park Themes, and especially Schindler's List. From my vantage in the pit I noticed that John McCloy of testing company was also present with his wife - the usual coincidences. For the second half of the concert, which was all Star Wars, we sat in the lawn as a group of 6 and watched 'light-saber fights' from the big screen.

Symphony With Schoettingers
Posted by: Adam Fuson @ 2007.02.27.0025

A few weeks ago Bob Schoettinger invited me to a Saturday evening symphony concert at Music Hall. I was fairly confident that I could find someone to go with us, but late Saturday afternoon I was still having trouble convincing anyone that the concert was worth attending. To my surprise Nieport was interested in going and I arranged to pick him up near Clifton before the concert. Then I prepared myself for the concert and drove to Bob's house in Ft Thomas, Kentucky. Malissa was still sick, but she was feeling well enough to attend the concert. The three of us drove in the Schoettinger Audi to Clifton and whisked Nieport to Springer Auditorium. Luckily, I remembered his cell number, as I did not have it in my phone, and apparently he could not hear me moaning or yelling outside his new apartment.

The Cincinnati Symphony and the May Festival Choir performed Berg's Sieben Fruhe Lieder ("Seven Early Songs") and Mozart's Mass in C Minor. I enjoyed the Mozart much more than the Berg. Additionally, I have only been to symphony concerts and this was a treat to see the May Festival Choir perform with the symphony. Four vocal soloists were featured, two men and two women, each with a unique voice and style. The ladies performed for the majority of the concert, but the finale of the Mass in C Minor involved all 4 voices and the May Festival Choir. The size of the groups were impressive and I was glad to have been able to attend with Bob.

Chamber Complete
Posted by: Adam Fuson @ 2005.04.20.1549

Saturday morning I woke at 7:00 and prepared for Xavier chamber orchestra. Sitting in my car I looked at the schedule and realized that warmup was not until 8:30, so I spent an extra half hour in the house uploading images and cleaning the house. Arriving at the Cintas Center I was uncertain if we were to wear tuxes or not, but I was dressed appropriately in my threadbare tux as the orchestra filtered into the north concourse of the Cintas Center. As usual we were performing for the Honors Awards Ceremony held every spring to recognize accomplished students and faculty. We played Kindermarch, a simple march, as the students entered and exited the ceremony and Vivaldi's lute concerto accompanying Chis' lute solo. The highlight of the event was a humorous speech given by Dr. Edmund P Cueva, a classics professor, including several Greek and Latin quotations and jibes at other faculty.

Afterwards Mr Swisher and I shared breakfast at The Echo in Hyde Park Square. This week is the final week of chamber orchestra this year, and for the first time I have completed an entire year with the group. Rehearsals will be held normally this week on Monday and Wednesday at 5pm, and our final performance of the season will be Saturday evening at 7pm in Gallagher Center on Xavier's campus. The concert will be solely orchestral and last about an hour. Unfortunately, there will be a $2 entrance fee.