FREE PINBALL - best job perk. ever.

This week the BSO's Marketing/PR team went on a field trip to a $10 million dollar, 93,000 square foot office paradise. It's the headquarters of Vocus -PR/Marketing software company-  in Beltsville, Maryland. We were meeting with their marketing staff to do some collaborative brainstorming about the industry, etc. And as awesome as it was to meet them and generate new ideas about reaching broader audiences in unique ways, the event was somewhat overshadowed by their overwhelming facilities.

Their offices are a town within a building. It's built on the idea of an integrated workspace, like that you would find at Google or Apple, where employees can find find social, physical, intellectual, and artistic renewal right down the hallway from their desk. As such, they have a gym, game room (with pinball machines!), massage and spa center, basketball court, juice bar, dry-cleaning service, coffee shop and several themed conference rooms (like The Surf Shop and Theater Room). If I worked there, I would never be at my desk.

And yes, they're hiring: http://www.whyworkatvocus.com/opportunities.asp

It looks so unassuming on the outside...

but there's a little town in there!

A shared space with lots of books and records

Coffee Shop

Gym

Surf Shop conference room

Basketball court

January, and I'm still a BSO intern

So because of personnel changes at the BSO, my internship has been extended . Originally, my internship was supposed to end 2 weeks ago, instead I'll staying on until the end of January.

Since November, I've been working 30 to 40 hours a week with pay, primarily because I've been overseeing BSO's Overture and Applause magazines until they hire a new publications coordinator.

It's been challenging, but totally worth it. An unexpected blessing.  

clarinet neglect

Today I practiced my clarinet for the first time since I don't know when. It's hard for me to believe that it was just 8 months ago that I used to play anywhere between 4 to 10 hours a day. Now I can't seem to find 4 spare hours in an entire month.

And there's this tremendous guilt wrapped up in it. Being a clarinetist is something so central to my existence - it's a huge part of my identity. So when I'm unable to play for maybe 3 weeks at a time, it's like I've lost a part of myself; I'm a stranger in my own skin.

I'm willing to bet there are millions of people like me around the world - people who for whatever reason are unable to pursue the interests and passions that resonate with their very soul, whether it be painting, running, gardening, or whatever else.

I'm not going to tolerate anymore clarinet neglect in my life. When I find my next semi-permanent place of residence, I need to find more opportunities to play and perform, because  my   life    apart     from      music       is        just           hollow

poor clarinet. spends all his time locked up in a case. he deserves better.

Baltimore

As I approach  my 4-month anniversary with downtown Baltimore, many people have been asking me about my feelings towards the city... I figure the best way to express my mixed emotions is with a few mixed anecdotes: 

- Zachariah is the man who sells roses and teddy bears at the intersection of North Avenue and Mt. Royal. I see him everyday when I walk to and from work. He always greets me with a big smile and a "Hello! How are you? You know, you remind me of my daughter, she is very smart!" I've never seen him actually sell anything to anyone. It's a shame. He's really nice. 

- The selection of FM stations in Baltimore is worse than in Kenai. But I listen to NPR when I get ready in the morning, like I did when I was in college. Schools here are delayed because of "fog warnings." It wasn't until recently that I learned what in the world that was all about. 

- I've had to say "No, thank you, I don't drink" more times in the past 4-months than I have in my entire life. 

-Why don't the grocery stores keep their shopping carts inside the store? It took me 2 months to train myself to grab a cart before I enter Safeway. 

- I thought I was such a burdened undergrad, always packing around instruments everywhere; but this morning a saw a MICA student in orange tights carrying 3 canvases, a sleeping bag, a bag of laundry, and a backpack. You'd think with their crazy tuition prices, each student would get an alpaca to aid in transportation of personal items and art materials. 

- Women here are really serious about their boots. It's December and it hasn't even snowed; your $200 boots are pointless. It's the female equivalent of wearing sunglasses indoors. 

- I know that when I leave, I'm going to desperately miss my friends at the City Cafe. They're some of the best people I've ever worked with. 

BSO Twitter Chatter

Since I began my internship, I've been religiously monitoring twitter chatter surrounding the Baltimore Symphony. From this, I've identified some of the BSO's Twitter Heavyweights.

#BSO TWITTER CHAMPIONS#

HALL OF FAME

@LeeTMills - Lee Mills

Mr. Mills is the BSO's Peabody Conducting Fellow, so he receives personal instruction from Music Director Marin Alsop and serves as cover conductor for many of the orchestra's concerts. Also, he probably tweets about BSO happenings more than any other person. 

“Who is coming to the #Offthecuff concert tomorrow night at the @BaltSymphony? I hear it's sold-out!”

@clefnotes - Tim Smith

As classical music critic for The Baltimore Sun, Tim Smith is no stranger to the BSO. In his blog Clef Notes & Drama Queens, the Baltimore Symphony is a very common topic. I heard that he thought my write up on the WhoIsJoan? landing page was funny, and for that, I love Tim Smith. 

“Enjoyable delivery of Mozart, Debussy standards last night from Langree, Baltimore Symphony. http://bsun.md/nYyEe4”

@bachtrack - Alison Karlin

Alison and her husband David are the founders of Bach Track, a website which brings together a wide array of information about what's happening in the world of classical music: concerts, recordings, musicians, events, and trends. They take a considerable interest in the BSO and often send writers to review our concerts.

“Marin Alsop revives Honegger's Joan of Arc @BaltSymphony @carnegiehall "A fascinating journey" wrote @ZerbinettasBlog http://www.bachtrack.com/review-honneger-joan-of-arc-alsop-baltimore-symphony”

@ChivalrousNoble - Brian Donnell

Plays trombone and is a fervent supporter of the BSO. He participated in Bolt for the BSO (the orchestra's team of runners in the Baltimore Running Festival) and frequents the Meyerhoff. Donnell tweets about a lot of things, and the BSO is a recurring subject. 

"Support me & the @BaltSymphony in my 1st #5k Run w/ @BoltfortheBSO in the @BaltRunFest Oct. 15 by donating here: http://www.active.com/donate/Bolt2011/BDRun2011

http://www.active.com/donate/B..."

As tempted as I was, I didn't include myself in this list, but I nonetheless encourage you to follow me on twitter @TashinaLyn, because sometimes I can be pretty adorable and others... I could use a swift kick in the shin. 

stepping with confidence

Through years of coaching from my music professors, I've learned to walk on stage with confidence, purpose, and a welcoming smile. With a love for the drama and excitement of live performance, I would always wear a look that said, "I've got something really cool to share with you and I can't wait to see your reaction!"  But lately I've been envying that girl I once was, wishing I had that same confidence in other areas of my life; with my speech, with my opinions, and with the half-dozen guys I have my eye on (except that most are fictional characters). Most especially, I wish I had more confidence when I'm working at the BSO.

For me, confidence comes from knowledge. I was always able to walk on stage with confidence because I knew my music inside and out. But I'm still in the process of learning all the different policies, procedures, and standard practices at BSO's admin office. The perfectionist in me wants to acquire a thorough knowledge of every piece of relevant information before I act, and in this situation that's just not possible. I have to learn as I go and submit to the fact that things aren't always going to turn out the way I want them to.

I'm not sure how I will accomplish it, but I need to make a change in how I conduct myself in the workplace, because I feel that by allowing this passive demeanor to dominate my life, I do myself an injustice.

"What gives you confidence?" 

- Responses from actors & directors at the Toronto Film Festival -

changes

This last week there were some rather unexpected changes in BSO's PR department. A sudden and substantial staffing alteration occurred. I have no interest in discussing the details, but I feel that because these events have had a big impact on me and my internship experience, it is fitting that I share a little bit about the changes on my end:

1) I will now be helping produce publications for BSO, such as Applause and Overture - magazine-style programs that are distributed at BSO concerts at Strathmore and Meyerhoff, respectively.

2) I will be maintaining BSO's online Press Room, which requires basic HTML formatting.

3) For the remainder of this internship, I will be paid a reasonable wage (what!?! crazy, right?)!

4) No more pizza box desk! I am now at the height of luxury:

I'm so spoiled!