Music Connections

Now if you've paid attention, you might notice that all of the previous posts were all published on the same day, and yet mention other times (especially the Valentine's one). Don't be confused. I had originally started this blog on another website and then a friend graciously brought me into 2012 by gently reminding me that the previous site was rarely used by anyone anymore. This site is also more customizable anyway, so it all works out for the best.

But with that out of the way, let's go back into my rehearsal notes on my phone. These two little snippets will feature the orchestra conductor (we'll call him Maestro), rather than Doc.

We were working on the Sound of Music at the time, and in rehearsal without the singers, Maestro began singing the words slightly under his breath to give us a better idea of where we were in the music (when all you're playing is the underscore whole notes, it is quite easy to get lost without any melody, especially for musicals) . I'm sure you all know the tune, "My Favorite Things." (If you don't, shame on you. Anything live is obviously better, but at the same time, not enough praise can be given to the Julie Andrews masterpiece that you can pick up literally anywhere in DVD/Blu-Ray and possibly even VHS if you look hard enough. No excuses!) Except that Maestro had a little episode of what I like to call "verbal dyslexia" and the words of the verse became "Whiskles on klittens." We almost fell apart in the middle of the song. And that's hard to do on whole notes!

To be fair though, got to give the man some credit. As I've discovered during some of my own rehearsals, it's not near as easy to be a conductor as most people think! At a bell choir rehearsal a few weeks ago, a player was missing and I decided to take one of her bells that the other ladies couldn't cover. So here I was, conducting the piece with the baton in my right hand, yelling out measure numbers in between counting out loud and commenting on other individual's playing, plus trying to find the one random note I was supposed to be contributing! Let me tell you, I messed up several measure numbers that I called out, and more often than not, discovering I'd missed the note only afterwards when I tried to fuss at someone else for missing it. Ah, conductor's problems. XD

Later on, Maestro began telling us about an opportunity to view a local philharmonic's rehearsal and a student asked "Can we bring people?"

Maestro: "I'll check on that. Probably we'll have some space for your music lovers." He paused as the realization of what he'd said sank in, and then quickly corrected himself  with a stutter. "That would be friends who are musicians, not your lovers, unless they're one and the same."

Students: *awkward turtle*

You know how it goes, Hobey-ho!