Premier

There is something pretty magical about playing a world premier. No audience has ever judged the music, each part is created by the performers around you, with no looming prior performance by John Mack ( or pick your favorite musician) to make THIS first playing of the piece less.

Our jazz piano concerto (which our little symphony commissioned!) was amazing last night- not perfect playing (except perhaps by the soloist/composer Brent Edstrom), but thoroughly appreciated by the audience. What a great experience.

The Beethoven 3 was certainly the best we'd ever played it, so wish we could afford at least one rehearsal in the concert hall! It sounds very different in there. But we pulled it off, and my idea to dedicate the Heroic Symphony to our local heroes was inspired and tragic, as just yesterday a planeful of our local servicemen exploded over Afghanistan. The tribute to those heroes and the ones at the concert was very moving, one of our violinists spoke in his full army dress uniform, don't guys always look amazing in uniform?

Today my son and dh are coming, D will usher for the first time and to mark the occasion he decided he needed new pants! This is amazing since he refuses to wear anything but sweats normally. But even more thrilling is that when I was debating how to shop for pants in my insane schedule, dh volunteered to go to the MALL (synonymous with hell for him). But pants have been procured and the show will go on--

Concert Attendance

I am feeling really bummed that I can't seem to give away tickets to our final symphony concert. Seems that this time of year is difficult, but it is our season finale! Since I have taken on the uneviable position of Public Relations Chair (volunteer position, mind you) in addition to the Graphic Design position (also volunteer) and Multi-media...person (again, volunteer) I have been bustin my (*&#$(* trying to get the word out about concerts and events. I don't think I do a bad job. Here is the cover of our brochure for next year I thought this was fun since we are doing Pictures at an Exhibition next year... Maybe I'm just doing too much. No one seems to care if our little symphony continues or not, and I do get that this isn't saving the world or anything. I just want to play and have other people be on the board, take care of details like ticket sales and marketing. But there is no one. Literally no one. Maybe this means this group should die (like so many others) and I should get on with my life. I do have other things I could be doing! I'm thinking I will resign at least two positions at the next board meeting and see what happens.

Passing the torch

Hey this is my first blog using the iPhone! I know it's been a long time but at least I can try to keep up if it's on the phone.
D had his first band concert, Which was a big event in my life too. As you can see he's playing the bassoon which was certainly not my choice! He loves it and I'm so proud.
In symphony we just finished our young artist concert which went very well, I had several exposed moments but nothing huge. For our finale concert in May, I have Beethoven three, otherwise known as the oboe concerto...so I'm not feeling too left out!
We had a band concert last week also, I was playing bass clarinet for this. Really fun to play all that low stuff, as long as you have the right reed! I'm also in the middle of the Drowsy Chaperone, a musical that is very hilarious. Playing bass clarinet, B-flat clarinet, and Bari sax, super fun music-20s style jazzy.
Looking forward to a little respite from the insanity, the show closes next week and I can't wait! We will be playing for Easter at church, I'll be doing euphonium again which should be amusing. Also appears I will be doing a stint on that recorder, an instrument I never expected to get paid to play. Funny I never realized the alto recorder has the same fingerings as the lower register of the B-flat clarinet. Hopefully this will make it easy for me, but I am not very good on the clarinet either.

So my browser is not supported by Blogger - but the computer I'm using won't support the newer browsers! Jim would say this is the conspiracy to force us to buy new equipment, and I suppose that is true, but I just want things to work! Just finished playing the Producers - what a fun show. I played books 4 & 5, mostly bari sax. Honk honk honk, what a fun change from the oboe! Not that the oboe isn't fun too... I played for Carmen in September this year, the orchestra wasn't as strong as it has been in years past and we lost 2 rehearsals (budget cuts), but it was still great to play. So intense to play an opera - different from anything else. I love the chance to play this fabulous music, even though Carmen isn't the biggest oboe book. The Little Orchestra moved to new digs this year - we are in a smaller venue (400 seats) so we will have two performances instead of one. Everyone seems to like the idea, and we have a matinee now which I think is a nice option for some, especially in the winter months. Our first concert was a "Scottish" theme, although no scots were represented! Mend Scottish Symphony and Hebrides, then the Bruch Scottish Fantasy. I biffed the solo but only after the other winds came in, you can't hear it on the cd. So frustrating to finally get the chance to play that piece after millions of auditions playing the excerpt. But it's hard! Oh well, overall the concert was great, we sounded the best we ever had. The hall is terrific and the people seem extremely accomodating - sort of the opposite of the treatment we've been getting at the larger hall. Can't wait to play there more! Right now we are on a little break, but will be starting up White Christmas (my third production) in a week. LOTS of services, not a difficult book. I'm really looking forward to playing Amahl again, this time with my little orchestra in the cool new venue. Kind of worrisome to have all the singing/dancing but I think audiences will like it. It is too bad that most of the orchestra has time off until March though... Hoping to start a saxophone quartet - seems like there is more interest in that direction than woodwind groups (yeah, I know saxophones are wws). Would really like to find other people who can rehearse in the day, since my nights are completely booked. May even update my blog if I get something going!

Producing a Nightmare maybe?

OMG Can't believe it has been 8 months since I posted! I keep hoping the crazyness will subside but still waiting... Since this is my music post I will update - played Annie for the first time last spring, 5 weeks of "tomorrow" every night! Also did Les Mis at a local HS for 2 weeks, and in July I had my Euphonium time! We usually play in a teeny parade with another couple every July, we ride in the back of a pickup and it's usually 5-6 players. This year we had accordian, tuba, cornet, clarinet, euphonium and electric guitar! My baby played "percussion", mostly cowbell, and threw candy. Fun times indeed. I was feeling so good about my not too horrible rendition of Stars & Stripes that I agreed to go to the NW tubafest thing, which was the following weekend. Really fun and I didn't embarrass myself playing, although the concert was insanely hot (outdoors in a metal box). Then the next weekend they had the brass quartet play at church. This is more brass playing than I usually do in years! That being said, I didn't have much going on oboe-wise this summer, but we've been super busy. And orchestra has started up with our summer gigs (one more on Labor Day) - and I'm playing the Producers for 5 weeks, and two performances of Carmen (SOOO excited for that). It's going to be a busy fall, and there are many non-musical things going on right now, so who knows when I'll post again. This is turning into a report of my gigs, which was not my intention!

Christmas lull

Finally here, the Christmas lull! Every year it seems like I have this insane couple of weeks in early December, then nothing. Which is ok! And I have filled the musical lull with LOTS of other stuff, like gift shopping and parties and even a concert I'm NOT playing.

The overview since last blog, I played for the local colleged in their Pictures at an Exhibition on English horn, so fun to just sit there through the crazy chicken dance and out-of-control children (oboists know what I'm talking about!); just some purty stuff here and there. The orchestra did another Messiah this year, and then our christmas concert with a world premier of my friend WBs American Carols - 13 mvts for orchestra nd chorus. Some nice moments for the oboe but nothing huge. Also did 8 mvts of Nutcracker, way underrehearsed but fun since I never get to play those. I feel kind of sorry for my friends in the big symphony who play it so many times they just hate it.

For Christmas eve J and I are playing a duet - trumpet and clarinet(!) and it's kinda jazzy! Should be fun. Also some descanty bits for the hymns and a couple oboe arrangements of carols. AND I'm so excited to be playing in the bell choir, great to not be in charge.

In January I'll be judging for the concerto competition, always stressful but I really enjoy being involved. Later that month we have the symphony ball, hopefully I will get to play some bari sax on that, but then I'd have to lug that thing around which is a pain. I do love getting to play though!

English horn

So, why do I even bother playing the oboe??? If I play 3 bars of EH, and 3 hours on the oboe, people flock around and rhapsodize about my EH playing! Which is great, and I love it too. But it makes me feel really insecure about my oboe playing. Gurk.

Right now I'm doing Beauty and the Beast for the 3rd production, this is my first time being the only wind player. Literally - there is keyboard (poor woman!) bass and percussion. And me. I suppose I could have played some clarinet, but I'm just playing it all on oboe/eh. Mostly playing books 1 (flute) and 2 (the actual oboe book), but also lots of trumpet, clarinet and violin stuff. Just trying to help out the keyboard whenever I can. I am not really enjoying it, so stressful! The pretty stuff is usurped by the necessary parts, so I'm leaving a lot of my favorite lines out. Oh well, getting the big $$...

After this show I have an actual break though, SO looking forward to it although I have the freelancer's fear of never working again. But I know there will be a rush before Christmas, and they've asked me to play Annie (no oboe, eek!) in May.

BTW, Jane Eyre was quite fun, lot of playing (we did it inconcert) but nice melodies, great cast. And FULL orchestra. Sometimes I get annoyed when the flute or trumpet is doubling my line, but after this fiasco of playing EVERYTHING alone I will strive to be more grateful to my fellow musicians! Of course there are shows that one wind is plenty, but B+tB is so grandiose in places - one little oboe sounds pretty thin.