The show was fantastic tonight! I love being in the orchestra, I love being on the other side of it all. Don’t get me wrong – in high school I was absolutely in love with the acting and singing part, but this is way better. I am so pumped right now, I can’t imagine how I’m going to get to bed tonight.
One show down, three to go.
(Oh, and Denis and Carolyn both survived her very first bedtime without me. I’m not sure whether to be happy or sad about that…)
Tonight was the community band (and chorus) concert. It went really well! It was about a million degrees up on stage, though, and I flubbed a note in my solo. Ugh. But I don’t think too many people noticed, and I played it better than usual besides that.
Oh, I’m going to miss this music. The Star Wars theme was just so fantastic…and the Pirates of the Caribbean medley was so much fun. And everything else had great, wonderful, no, terrific horn parts too. I don’t know how we’re going to top this concert in terms of great horn music.
Little Miss Carolyn was quite good through the whole thing – which is even more impressive considering it was almost two hours long! – probably due to the fact that Nana and Poppy made it here just in time to come with her to the concert.
I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and I thought the movies were fantastic, but the idea of it becoming a musical sort of scares me.
No, not the email or comment spam kind – although now that I mention it, I haven’t had a comment spam attack in a while…I wonder why? Anyway, we’re going to see Spamalot for our anniversary! We bought front row center balcony seats – which I personally think are way better than orchestra seats, and I’m glad that the rest of the world doesn’t think so, because this way they’re also cheaper. (They also require significantly more stair-climbing, so we’ll get our exercise too!)
Now I just have to wait 86 more days…
Oh. My. God.
I went to the first band rehearsal last night. I haven’t played since the June concert. (And when I say I haven’t played, I mean all of the valves on my horn were stuck from disuse!) Despite this, the other horn players threw the first horn parts on my stand. Guess what we’re playing? No, really, guess!
John Williams – Saving Private Ryan and a medley including the Star Wars theme. Michael Kamen – Band of Brothers theme. The first movement of The Planets.
I have been waiting all of my horn-playing life to play the first horn part of the Star Wars theme. And all of the music has fantastic horn parts. Better than any I’ve ever played.
But.
(You knew there was a “but”, right?)
The concert is the same night as the (mandatory) orchestra sound probe rehearsal for the musical. Ack. I have to see if I can get out of that, because I have been waiting my whole entire life to play John Williams’ music in a concert! Maybe they really won’t need the piano at that rehearsal? Or for the whole rehearsal? Wish me luck…
I’m probably crazy, but I agreed to accompany the high school musical this year. They’re doing Anything Goes, which I’ve never actually seen. I’ve been immersing myself in the music for days now, listening to the CDs and playing through the accompaniment book. I even put De-Lovely on my Netflix list.
Carolyn is going to accompany me to a lot of rehearsals over the next three months. She’ll either really love theater when she gets older or really hate the whole concept – and she may not even know why. I have to be totally insane to have agreed to this, though. I mean, what if I’m in the middle of playing a song and she totally freaks out? Or gets hungry? Or…? (Not to mention that some of this music is kind of hard, and my practice time is somewhat limited at the moment.)
Oh, well. I’m just going to have to trust that it will work out. And bring lots of fun, quiet toys…
Today Carolyn went to her very first show. I played piano for a musical revue put on by Cobblestone Arts Center, and she came with me to the rehearsal last night and the performance this afternoon. Thankfully, she slept through everything!
I’m considering accompanying the high school musical (they’ve asked me), but it’s a much bigger time commitment, so I haven’t really decided yet. Somehow, I doubt Carrie would sleep through all those rehearsals – especially since she’ll be a bit older and more mobile – so I’d probably need to arrange for someone to watch her.
Incidentally, this is the first piano I’ve played for anything more than personal enjoyment since June – I stopped playing at church around then. It felt good, but it was much scarier than it used to be.
…for a duck may be somebody’s mother…
Oh, sorry, those lyrics to Stars & Stripes Forever will forever be ingrained in my head. Too many cartoons when I was little or something…
Our outdoor concert last night went, well, ok. It went from gray and rainy to pleasant and sunny just in time, and it really was a nice night to be playing outdoors. The performance wasn’t the best we’ve ever done, though. It’s hard to hear each other and balance when you’re sitting in the great outdoors. I did make it through both Sousa marches we played without hyperventilating, though!
I’m a little sad – I won’t be playing again for several months. Band doesn’t start for the next season until late September, for the holiday concert. Somehow I think I’ll be a little busy for most of those rehearsals. If I’m feeling up to it, though, I’m going to try to go back for the spring concert, since rehearsals for that start in late January. (Of course, in the interim I’ll be practicing on my own so I don’t lose my chops, really I will…)
Quick Baby Note: Today marks 20 weeks of being pregnant. If you go by the standard 40 weeks (which can be off by 2 in either direction) I’m halfway there! Oh, dear…there’s still an awful lot to do before the baby comes…
I’m playing in a concert tomorrow night.* We’re playing really tough music, and I’m playing first horn for most of it. Some of it is just a bit above the comfortable upper end of my range. I should be practicing.
I’m knitting instead…
Seriously, what good will an hour or two of practicing do, anyway? It’s not like cramming for a test or something. I’m either going to hit the really high notes tomorrow night, or not. No one will know, or care – well, at least as long as I don’t try to hit the high notes and miss!
Oh, dear, I just remembered that half of my concert outfit is buried in the laundry bag, and if I don’t go wash it, I will have a much bigger problem than not practicing…
* Victor Community Band and Chorus – Wednesday, March 31, 7 PM, Victor Intermediate School Auditorium, if you’re interested. (Yes, that’s the same place that the June outdoor concert was moved to due to rain, for those that came to that one.)
Do you have any idea how hard it is to play French horn when you can’t hear? My ears are still stuffed up from my cold last week. Last night’s concert went pretty well, but I didn’t play my best. Fortunately, it was in the mall, where there are so many other noises it wasn’t too obvious. And next week I have a chance to redeem myself at the concert in the school auditorium.
I have to admit, I was somewhat surprised at how many people came and stayed for the whole concert – I think the community band and chorus have somehow acquired a fan base. And thank you to everyone who came out to hear me play! :)
In other news, we’ve had our tree for two days now, but we were going to put it up last night (before the concert) and the chainsaw wouldn’t work to make the fresh cut. So, I still don’t have my tree up, and it’s only 2 weeks until Christmas. How long can you keep a tree bundled up in the plastic mesh before the branches stay that way permanently? Anyway, at least I’ve managed to clear a spot in the living room, and a path to that spot. The rest of the living room is literally covered in Christmas gifts, and yarn to create the rest of the Christmas gifts with. The dining room also has gifts spread from one end of the room to the other. I’d like to start wrapping things, but I don’t think I’ll be able to find a large enough flat surface!