Sphinx Chamber Orchestra Tour

This is my first tour with the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra and it's certainly been an adventure. Many wouldn't consider Elyria, OH or Bravard, NC to be exciting or exotic places but such small towns in America are what make tours colorful.
For example, the best sushi I've had in my life was at a small town shopping mall in Elyria. So good, in fact, that I went all of three times while there culminating in what was possibly the best hibachi show I could have imagined. Also while in Bravard I visited the Biltmore estate, former residence of the Vanderbilt family. The home was epic in its proportion and the grounds themselves were breathtakingly beautiful.
Possibly the most unexpected aspect of the tour so far has been the hospitality we've encountered while on the road. Being away from home for so long can be very difficult for a lot of people and so it makes all the generosity of the presenters and all those who've hosted us at their homes that much more special.
The tour hasn't been without a few hiccups, however. The Hotel was about as nightmarish to a New Yorker as Jason on Friday the 13th. Dark, dirty, and infested with bedbugs the Hotel was anybody's worst dream, but thanks to Andre and Nick we were out of there and at a new hotel in under an hour. A truly heroic feat considering it was 11:00 pm on a Friday in a college town.
We are now headed back to New York which is home to me and I'm excited to show some of the out of towners a good time and true New York experience. And the band plays on.

How many miles has it been, it's nearly impossible to count. But I must say each one out on the road with "La Familia" has been beyond memorable. When we returned from our respective home cities for the first day of tour in Bowling Green, OH back in September, everything felt amazingly familiar. We sat down in seats seemingly warm, gazing across the orchestra at smiling faces we've seen for years now. Working through the repertoire with Maestro Gupton with so many insightful ideas coming from everyone in the orchestra as well. I LOVE IT! It's like no other experience playing here. And it's not just being around these amazing artists for a month that keeps me smiling; we're traversing through parts of America I never expected to get to see! Every city we've been to so far has it's own special flavor, literally. We always manage to stumble upon some of the most interesting and often tasty local fare: a private room at a small hibachi in Elyria, OH, giant margaritas at a small cantina in Bowling Green, Wine Tasting at the most fabulous Biltmore Estate, and the most heavenly seared tuna/salmon salad and assorted mussels (judging from the yums surrounding the shellfish platters, I didn't partake) I've encountered in awhile, and I can't possibly forget the lovely dinner party hosted by Jim Rose in his beautiful home in Akron. Then there's the fall, a season I miss very dearly living under the forever blue skies of Los Angeles and growing up in Las Vegas desert. COLOR!!! What a concept!!! It's like watching little explosions of red, orange, and yellow fireworks as we speed through the countryside in Eddie's autobus :-)

Oh yes, and the yoga! Our group yoga sessions have really made this tour special for me. I've had the amazing opportunity to lead yoga "classes" 3-4 times a week at all hours of the day/night: Sometimes inside sometimes out, sometimes by candlelight and other times in the hotel hallway. We even had a few random wanderers join in, inspired by the good vibes we must have been emanating! I feel very honored that my colleagues were open enough to give me a shot at teaching, honing my skills and solidifying this as a fixture in my life,and I honestly LOVE looking across the orchestra and seeing people reeling from a "yoga high" (which translates to relaxed and at ease, kind of oxymoronic :-)). Two of my passions, yoga and music, all linked up in one place. . . BLISS.

So many heartening experiences and more to come as we move closer and closer to our Carnegie climax. Leaving Rochester now en route to NYC with Virginia looming on the horizon. Can't wait to see what's next!

Namaste!

Kaila Potts

Greetings ALL!!!

We have just completed our 8th concert on our 13 city tour. For this particular concert at Eastman, I had the pleasure of sitting in the audience and listening to SCO, and actually feel the energy from the audience. The aura in the room was truly amazing and is a feeling that I will never forget. I had the honor of sitting in front of an elder couple who was unaware that I was affiliated with Sphinx. This couple proceeded to comment on every detail after every piece of music, singing nothing but praises. Comments such as "This orchestra is one of the most exciting orchestras I've ever seen", "Oh my, they are just so beautiful", "Are you sure they aren't all professional musicians", and several other comments as well. It was great to hear.

Today, we are off to NYC. This ride should be easy in comparison to our 14-hour drive from Greensboro, NC to Rochester, NY. I look forward to another great performance.

Stay tuned.

It is Monday, September 28th, and we are on our way to Rochester, NY on out longest bus trip yet--14 hours door-to-door! As I write with blood-shot eyes, I recall that our performance last night at North Carolina A&T University was one of our best performances yet. The crowd, though small, was extremely receptive and gave us a lot of suport with a standing O at both the end of the first and second half. So far it has been the case where, no matter what the size of the audience, or what their initial vibe is like when we begin the
concert, we always manage to bring them to their feet at the end.
Personally, this is
my first time experiencing this in succession and I have to say, it's a big motivator knowing that the audiences are most of all in support of our music and our mission.

On to the conservatory audience in Rochester! I'm looking forward to seeing old friends from Eastman and being back in my home state! For now, its back to catching some more Z's

-Jessie Montgomery

Hello again, friends and family of Sphinx...
I apologize in advance for both the questionable grammar and lack of substance in this segment -- we arrived in Rochester a few hours ago after a 14-hour bus trip; needless to say, my brain is - understandably - mushy! Although I'm sure many of my Sphinx family members would fervently dispute my stance on this, I personally had a lovely time on the bus ride up from Greensboro, North Carolina. Unlike last year, where double-digit-hour bus rides became part of the routine early on in the tour, this was our first, so there was some question as to how the group this year would fare. As for me, I enjoyed multiple snoozes, a viewing of Slumdog Millionaire, and the opportunity to be alone with my thoughts for a few hours. There's something about the slow hum of moving vehicles that makes me feel at peace, and gives my mind the opportunity to wander at its own leisure. The later hours of the trip also provided absolutely gorgeous scenery -- the first traces of autumn have begun to coat the Northeast, and the evening light bathed the sprawling fields and trees in the most beautiful golden glow. It was a lovely backdrop for what was, for me, an already very cozy trip with my beloved Sphinxies.
It goes without saying that this has been a wonderful musical experience, just as it was last year. While the schedule itself has been much more vigorous last year (almost double the amount of performances and venue changes) and thus the risk of burning out has become more imminent, the sense of comaraderie is at its usual high. It has been a somewhat difficult last few weeks for me, personally, and I can't thank my family members here enough for having my back. My roommate, Melissa, has been an unspeakably patient friend, listening to me blather on incessantly, and the smiles of everyone in the orchestra and the Harlem Quartet are a constant reminder that I am amongst a very, very special group of people.
So, though this entry is admittedly a little light on the musical/tour-related content, I would just like to express, once again, how grateful I am to be a part of all of this. When I step back and think about how Sphinx and all of its many components is helping the world, I am left speechless at the fact that I am allowed to contribute to it in some small way. So thank you, everyone, and to the orchestra/HQ: so many thanks and hugs for all the music, support, and love!
Elena