DAY BY DAY: Violin Auditions : CHECK !

Sorry, I didn't post since .... wow, 3 days !!

In fact, I didn't have the time to.

Today was the Violin Auditions, the Orchestra was recruiting new violinists...

On Tuesday (because, Monday was a holiday for us), one of my boss (let me name him, it will be easier : Cyrille) came to my office to have some news : What's up ? How are you since your first day ? Is the Audition ready ? How's the concert of November 10th ? For Thursday, don't forget : this, that, hum this, and this too, and and and ...

Only 15 candidates, Jury of 4 people. I needed to print all the résumés and scores for all the members of the Jury. 4 people, 15 candidates. Easy ?

NO.

My Wednesday was HORRIBLE.

I tried my first copy around ... 10:00 (on morning, I arrive around 09:30 - 09:45...) and the copy machine yelled "PAPER JAM !! PAPER JAM !!"

Ok, take it easy. It's nothing, when you need copying something you always hear that.

I clean everything. Second try "PAPER JAM !! PAPER JAM !!"

WHAT ??

Clean, again, check my watch, WHAT ??!! Already ??

Third "PAPER JAM !! PAPER JAM !!"

W.T.F ?!!! (Ooopsy Sir, I didn't know you were here today --- a guy from the other society, the one that shares our offices) "Some issues ?" "Nooooooooooooooooo"

I tried 10 times.

And I heard "PAPER JAM", 10 times !

No kidding !

So I went to see Emilie

"Emilieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, the copy machine hates meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !"

And of course, Emilie comes, Emilie tries, Emilie wins against the machine !

Thank you Emilie !!!!!

I lost something like an hour ! Stupid machine.

Around 11:something, all the score were copied (but not sorted, not yet)... Now, résumés and registration forms ... 15 people ... Easy. Just, don't forget to take off the staples before making the copies (well, when the "fast copy" works ... The one that well 10 times "PAPER JAM", so I had to print my 20 different scores (x4) one by one ...) ANDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD :

PAPER JAM + 10 pages in one time ...

So 10 résumés and registration forms missing in my copies ...

I think that everything was really ready around 13:00 ... (When we talked about copies the day before, I said to Emilie "oh, that will be all right, I will program the copies and will have the time to call the guys for the 10/11 concert... I won't be long ..." No, not at all ...)

Of course, at 13:00, you realize that you have something like 20 phone calls to make before leaving around 14:30 ... Yes.

Second funny thing...

Last week, Emilie told me that we needed to distribute flyers about the first concert (that is on November 14th). I said ok, and I had to do it on Wednesday. So yesterday.
Because the concert will be some Yiddish Music, I had to find places that will be interested by those flyers... So, I chose to go to the 19th district, were there is a lot of Jewish Places.

The thing I didn't forgot was : wearing Converse and no high heels.

The thing I forgot was ... 19th = Buttes Chaumont ... Buttes Chaumont = Mound ...

The thing I wanted : walk in the fresh air...

The thing I forgot : 19th is not 10th, yes, I took the street in the wrong way ! Fortunately, now, I don't need to buy subways tickets anymore, I have my unlimited pass ! Yipi !

So, back to Wednesday, 13:00.
"Did you call the guy of the Théâtre de Ménilmontant ?" (the place for 10/11 concert)

"Yes, busy. No answer... I try around 14:00 and hope I will be able to leave around 14:30 for the flyers"

"Deal"

...

14:00

First call : nothing

Second call : answering machine

Third : answering ...

Watch : 14:30 ... F*

One more time : answering machine, AGAIN !!! WTF ????!!!

I sent an email "I NEED AN ANSWER QUICKLY THANK YOU"

What was the problem ?

We needed to know if the musician could have all their rehearsal in the same place, so ... At the Théâtre, the one that is not answering !

In the same time, I found the bakery for the little after-concert snack (it's a concert for children, followed by a little snack)

Backery - no answer for the rehearsal - I don't care, I need to go.

See you later girls !

And I walked, walked, walked.

My bag was terribly heavy, I was leaving flyers in bars, libraries, shops...

Why is it still heavy ???

Why ???

Oh, it's not heavy anymore, I check : EMPTY !

Time to go back to the office, watch : 17:15 ! WOW

Ok, on Wednesday, my day finish at 16:30 ... But, it doesn't matter, I heard only "OH Yiddish Music, wonderful !!"

Back to the office, Emilie tells me "We have the answer"

Ok ... I wanted to leave, go back home, but I'm not working on Thursday and Friday, the concert is next week, first rehearsal on next Monday. Ok, I call the musicians...

I left at 18:something.... SO TIRED ! And back with a big heavy bag : Scores, Résumés, everything for the audition.

I fell in my bed around 22:00. And slept.

I woke up before my alarm clock this morning ! I cannot be late for the auditions ! I am the girl with all the important papers !! I CAN'T, I CAN'T !!

I left home : bye-bye bus, I'll take the next one.

I arrive at the train station : full. People take to much time to get in the train, I feel the door on my foot, bye-bye train, I'll take the next one.
I check, next train for Paris in 15 minutes ... Here comes a train... "Does this train goes to Paris ?" "Yes Miss" "COOL !!" (Just needed to change the platform and wait 10 seconds ... great)

(oh, forgot to tell, this morning I didn't take my usual train. Because the Studios are in South of Paris, I took another one, from another train station)

Arrived at Paris-Montparnasse, too hot, already tired, need a Starbucks, I know there is one on the Boulevard, but don't know where... Let's check the number of the street (I only knew it was on 70 Bvd de Montparnasse)... Ok, so the other way ... Not a problem.

Coffee, now subway.
Need the Line 6, direction Nation to change at Denfert Rochereau.

Why don't I find it on the map ? Doesn't matter, the sub is here !

Ok, I'm suppose to be at Edgar Quinet, but, I'm at Pasteur... This is why I didn't see it on the map, I took the wrong way !

Off the sub, change the platform, this time it's good ! Too hot, too heavy, too angry.

And then RER B. Good direction, here is the Cité Internationale, now I have to find the Studio, it's at the Maison du Cambodge. Ok, it's here.

"Hi, I'm Flore, Orchestre Lamoureux. I come for the auditions."

"Who's the person in charge"

"Hmmmm ... Me (this is why I'm here Mam')"

"Here are the keys" (electronic keys, the same as the hotel rooms)

...

Doesn't work. Doesn't work. There are already 6 candidates. Doesn't work.

"Did you try all the keys ? Did you try to scrub them ?" (is scrub the right word ?)

"Yes, it doesn't work"

"Oh, my co-worker is here, she will come with you"

OK, didn't work because I put the smart card in the wrong way (and didn't admit it to the woman)

I opened all the doors, installed everything, first phone call "I'm cancelling", ok, number 1, 2, 3 ... Everybody's here, almost 10. Now you all need to pick a number, the audition will begin in a minute. Another phone call "No train, I'm late, please give me a chance" "Ok, you will be the last".

3 other people were missing : the first one "RER issue" " Ok, last one too" ... Pick a paper, I'll call the others in a minute...

They all picked a number. 2 people missing, the two last papers were : 1 and 2 ! Good !

We change everything, number 3 is now number 1 (you should have seen her face when I told her that... Awful !!)

I called the two others. One told me that he was cancelling (thank you, why didn't call earlier ???) the other... Well, at 21:00, I still don't know why she didn't come...

First round, 13 people...

End.

Bernadette (first violin of the Orchestre, and Big boss) calls me. (the candidates are behind, I spent 2 hours being nice with them, reassure them, smile... bla bla bla, perfect girl because I wanted them to be relax)

"We want to hear, for the second round, the candidates bla, bla, bla" (sorry, don't give the number)

Ok, and so.... I am the one who's giving bad news for some of them, good news for the others ??

So, I called the 5 lucky people, and saw that the others were really sad ! Sorry people !

Second round, 5 candidate.

End.

Bernadette calls me, again.

"The two finalists are ..."

Oh no. I can't !!!

Bernadette, it's 13:00, I spent the matinée with them, I want them all to win, they are all good ! Please !!

I gave the name of the two finalists and was soooooooo sorry for the 3 others !!!

Lunch break, and third round.

30 minutes later, Bernadette goes out to call us (the two and me), we all went inside the Grand Studio.

"So, Laure and Vincent, welcome to L'Orchestre Lamoureux, bla bla bla"

I am very happy for them. We had nice talks everytime they needed a little bit of support, and I'm sure the last round was really easy for them (I try to put off all the pressure they had on their shoulders ...)

The funny thing about Laure and Vincent is that they know each other since 3 or 4 years because they always present the same auditions. And so, knowing that now they will play in the same Orchestra is wonderful.
Their first concert, with us, should be the December one, on Dec. 12th.

I closed the door of the Grand Studio at 15:15, and felt so gooooooooooood ! They offered me a coffee because I was "really nice with them all day long and it helped them a lot". And then, back to the office putting back all the papers (I will sort it on Monday... after the rehearsal). When I left the office, my bag was so lighttttttttttttttttt !

I stopped at the EAC, left my last flyers, joked with Mister M. and decided that this day was... OVER !

Now, it's 21:12, I'm really tired. Tomorrow is off, just a lunch with a cousin. Perfect !!

Sweet dreams !!

Next auditions will be on November 22nd, Viola and Cello ...