This time I come to bring my participation in the Steemit OpenMic week 95. I want to thank @pfunk, @curie, @luzcypher, @meno and all the people who make this wonderful contest possible.

The last time I played this piece, it was before my injury. It was December of 2016, at that time I was preparing for an audition of the National Orchestra of Venezuela, for the final tests of the university and at the same time I was looking for my sustenance by playing in the depths of the Caracas Subway system. They were days of 10 and up to 12 hours with my instrument —that was the reason for my injury — but the pressure to want to have a decent job, to fulfill my tests and have the money to buy something for Christmas, was enough to get me launched those musical marathons for nothing healthy.

As I said in a previous opportunity, The Partita in A minor by Bach, is one of the most requested pieces at the time of auditions anywhere in the world; it's interpretive complexity adds to the technical challenges (audible in the movement that I share today) that it presents. Very wide intervals, speed and an uncomfortable articulation, are some of the challenges to be overcome in order to play this beautiful piece correctly.

It was in the basements of the emblematic Teresa Carreño theater in Caracas where those auditions were held. It was a terrible day for me, the public transport shone by its absence, I arrived just 15 minutes before the draw to know the order in which we would pass the 15 people who competed for the same job. Bad luck was on my side next to the number 2 that marked the paper I had chosen. I had to quickly enter the room where the jury was, only 15 minutes of warm-up was not enough for such a big challenge. I did not feel comfortable, much less confident.

Upon entering the room, a large wooden panel with wheels covered my identity. The familiar voice of the first flute of the orchestra welcomed me, and asked me to start playing the Corrante of the Bach Partita (the second movement that I will play for you today).

I miss played, and a lot! about 2 times to be exact. It may sound a little exaggerated, but miss a note in the world of academic music is death, a single stumble is enough to get you out of any competition. I had 2. They did not let me finish playing the whole movement.

 
A couple of weeks after that experience, the flute stopped sounding completely. That's a story for another publication, but I want to mention that, i was not able to play even the simpliest note in the flute. I have been struggling for 2 years to recover, and thank God I have received the support of wonderful people who have made my progress possible.

Being able to play this music again at an acceptable quality is an experience of strong emotions for me. It's like going back in time -the power I dreamed of during these 2 years- and going back to where I started before the injury. I feel that I have advanced, that I have overcome many obstacles that have cost me enormous amounts of time making faces with my mouth in front of the mirror, on public transport and even at family dinners. This video means a lot to me, I'm not just me playing and experimenting with audio editing, this video is proof of my progress, of my slow but sure rehabilitation of my voice, of my way of expressing what I have to say to the world.

There is still a long way to go, I depend a lot on the amount and speed of air, the sharp register is not polished, the articulation is weak because the more incisive it demands the lips, anyway ... The important thing is the advance, important is that I'm already making music again.

If you liked the result, thank the wonderful rehabilitation team and the doctor who accompanied me during these torturous 2 years. I do it every day of my life.