On being a groupy

           Even today, China is not the most common tourist spot, and those who choose trips like this one tend to be nonconformists. I noticed this while I was doing the selection interviews, and working with our group is going to be a challenge. Speaking of the difference between chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras, the great flutist James Galway, once observed that the more who try to do something at once, the less latitude they will have in doing it. 

           It’s already an issue.  When one of the students arrived at the airport a few minutes late, I became decidedly grouchy.  Later, when Shelley Van Camp and I took a long walk in the Atlanta Airport at what turned out to be too close to boarding time, the others were grouchy with us.