Busy in Bali

The last few days have been really weird. My accommodation bliss fell to shambles but has now been rectified and I am once again at peace.

A "communication breakdown" occured - much as it tends to happen around here - and I was abruptly evicted from my lavish digs at Bali Putra. Apparently I was signed up for two days and not two weeks. However, I know that I have enough Indonesian and the owner of the homestay has enough English to be able to properly communicate dates. In the end he got a bonus couple of days pay before his reservation arrived and I got a whirlwind tour of all the other homestays and hotels on the block - total scam. I am now settled into my new "treehouse" across the street. Of course, I'm out another $10 CAD a night, but I think I'll manage. Did I mention that I get a clean towel everyday?? Woo hoo!

Musically speaking things are progressing well. Yesterday afternoon we worked on the ending of Michael's piece and now we're working backwards to connect the piece somewhere in the middle where we left off last week.

As with all the sections of this piece it sounds like a gong show (no pun intended! seriously!); but then it has a way of becoming clearer the next rehearsal or two later. Part of this process, though, has been to re-orchestrate as we go and thin out the texture. Nobody really needs blastissimo trumpet and trombone mixed with gong kebyar for 25+ minutes on end.

In addition to Michael's piece I am working on a piece for sax and trumpet (we premiered it in Vancouver last spring but here we will perform it with a newly composed introduction). So tonight I have four consecutive hours of rehearsal.

I often wish I were playing gamelan here and not trumpet...it is so much more conducive to never-ending rehearsals...plus it is my true musical love. Ah well...hopefully I will be able to squeeze in a few more lessons before I leave. Unfortunately the race to the finish line (performance/end of trip) is on and my time is being monopolized by rehearsals and the (damn!) film crew.

This morning the film crew followed Lesley, Nicole and I through Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud. The monkies were wicked cool and hilarious (Nicole took a photo of me sitting next to one who was snacking on a banana - but when we looked at the shot later the monkey looked like he was deep in conversation with me...nevermind, it's hard to describe, I'll have to post the photo when I get home).

Anyways...of course when you're with the camera they're constantly setting up shots so nothing is natural...Denis will ask us to go back up some stairs so he can shoot us coming down, oh...but first we have to line up in the order that we were walking in the last scene he'd shot, etc. etc. You get the idea...but I'm sure it will make for a marvelous documentary (?!)

In about half an hour the camera and crew are back at my treehouse to shoot Malcolm and I in a sectional. Yet again, an authentic rehearsal not set up by the musicians but by the film crew!

Oh well...it will do us some good to get a bit of practice in before tonight. Michael has written a section of kotekan (interlocking rhythms characteristic of gamelan music) that finds all the western musicians on the beat (polos) while the gamelan is off the beat (sangsi). Of course, as with every other section of this piece the rhythms are complicated by the constant leaping of pitches. Bee boo.

Ahh...what else. Saw the kecak/Indian dance performance at the PKB on Sunday - magnifique. A few people went to an Indian dance workshop this morning...I was too busy chilling with the monkies. Tomorrow we're going to a shop that makes gamelan instruments and on Thursday we've been invited to STSI (the Balinese arts conservatory in Denpasar) for lunch and a tour.

Busy busy...but we're into the home stretch. The performance is less than a week away and I'm definitely starting to look forward to coming home (ahem...Jon). Hope all is well in Vancouver or wherever you are reading this!

R.