Unfortunately, cursing at the etude book doesn't help.

I constantly forget that sometimes, professors come back to Whalen after they're done with the day for important job-related things, like oh, you know, RECITALS.

I'm sight-reading the third movement of the Ferling double concerto with a soprano sax player (who is ridiculous and sight-reading and transposing simultaneously. Props to you, Andrew), and at the very end, I leap up something like an octave and a half to play a Bb major arpeggio...from high F. Not so hard if you practice it, but when you're sight reading, it's a little bit of a shock.

We finish the duet and Andrew, whose part does not have this leap from hell (not to diminish how hard the part is), sight-read half the damn concerto perfectly. I'm gigglingly frustrated at Ferling, so I half-shout "FUCK YOU FOR THAT HIGH F!"

Of course, that's the exact moment when Paige, my oboe professor, decides to walk into the room.

Of course, I react in the typical awkward Rachel way of laughing hysterically and then trying to explain the situation. Paige, luckily is cool about EVERYTHING, and once she figured I was cursing at Ferling and not Andrew, laughed with us.

I am lucky. Lucky to have teachers who understand my awkwardness.

Unfortunately, yelling at Ferling did not make that section any easier.