Ossia is an Italian word: it’s a path away from the main course of music, suggested either because that passage may be too difficult , or because the composer is offering the performer some agency and choice in the performance. You choose whether to play it or not, and then you return to the main line afterwards. And it’s also the name of the student-lead new music ensemble I played in at Eastman, an experience that gave me a lot of joy and inspiration for my own later musical path. It’s a word I’ve been thinking about a lot as representing the coming school year. We are taking a different path for the year, then coming home. Christopher and I are taking leaves from our jobs, taking the boys out of school to homeschool them while we travel the world. First chapter will be Mexico, then Europe, then Japan. The news is out- Aryeh in particular told his whole class and all his teachers months ago- but it still feels a bit scary to share the news. As a freelance musician, there’s some fear I have of being forgotten or replaced. I know that’s silly, 9 months goes by in a heartbeat, but still I have to be open about the darker side of the excitement in finally making this dream of ours happen. I’m going to use this space as a travel log, and very much hope to keep in close touch as best I can with loved ones.
(PS I published this almost a year ago, just switching this page to a blog, so I’m reëntering everything…)
