Not too many days left in what has been a kind of weird year.  A year that while seems full of loss in a certain way with the death of my Grandmother, was also quite full in terms of meaningful experiences and collaborations. In 2011, the musical highlights for me are: February Appalachian Spring and Rhapsody in Blue with Tatiana Roitman; March Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with Sadie and Sarah Hamrin, Dvorak New World Symphony, The Old Turtle with Keith Bear; April Lalo Cello Concerto with Wes Baldwin and Bolero, and on May 1, the monumental, unforgettable Defiant Requiem.  2 fun summer concerts with Post Traumatic Funk Syndrome and Chuck Suchy; a big Mozart tour to Europe.  September 11 commemoration concert with Mozart Requiem and 2 incredible new pieces by Eric Ewazen and Jay Greenberg.  October was Gershwin Piano Concerto with Jacob Adams and Afro American Symphony, and then the world premiere of Cowboy Land by Chris Brubeck with Clay Jenkinson.  November was one of the top 3 musical experiences of my life, getting to perform Christopher Rouse's flute concerto with Carol Wincenc.  And of course the usual suspects at the holiday concerts.  Reading highlights: I've read 5 books on Mozart, 3 on Dvorak, a couple on Copland.  Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, the Historian, The Swan Thieves, Sarah's Key, Ulysses, the Perfection of the Morning, a Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the Dubliners, A Free and Hardy Life, and most recently, The Character of Meriwether Lewis by Clay Jenkinson. Am currently reading a biography of Robert Oppenheimer and Undaunted Courage.  My favorite movies seen this year are: Midnight in Paris, King's Speech, True Grit, and Anonymous.  I made several 16 mile walks and got to play the organ at St. Stephen's Cathedral.  I've got a great life