I'm working on Mozart this month. On March 24, I'll be playing the Mozart Oboe Concerto with the Northwest Indiana Symphony . It's a piece I've performed many times, but it never gets easy. Working on it in my room was feeling more like a chore than a pleasure - all those scales! All that busywork! Last week I went in for a lesson with a colleague, which was intensely inspiring, and exactly what I needed. It was a stand-out moment - I've known the Mozart for a long time, but I've been out of the habit of thinking of it as a big deal. I started at the beginning and immediately she stopped me and demanded MORE. More energy, more quality, more sparkle, more PLAYING. We spent two hours working through the entire piece and I was glowing with effort and joy the whole time. THIS is what working on a concerto is supposed to feel like. The soloist's job is to be the hero. To bring the appropriate energy to the piece of music, to set the tone for the orch