A concert oboist who once performed with Pavarotti, he had developed a deep affection for the herb during his time on the road, yet managed to conceal it from his fellow musicians even after once losing concentration in the middle of the Messiah and playing all the notes in the wrong order.

I’m having a very difficult time believing no one knew. Perhaps no one acknowledged it. Or perhaps the oboist was so stoned he didn’t know they knew. I wonder. Maybe I’m naive. Maybe my colleagues are stoned and I don’t know it. But I sure have my doubts!

Drugs are a big deal for a number of traveling musicians, from what I’ve been told (by traveling musicians). I remember playing one touring show where nearly the entire traveling band were doing the cocaine thing. The conductor told me he had saved absolutely no money from the tour and didn’t know what he was going to do when it was over. (Get straight, maybe?) It’s sad, but I guess the boredom of the same music every day, along with the boredom of the road can really do a person in. Maybe dealing with the same people day in and day out adds to that misery. (I sure wouldn’t want to deal with me day in and day out. Oh. Wait. I actually do have to deal with me. Oh well.)

I once had the joy of working with someone who couldn’t tongue eighth notes due to being drunk. (Funny that it was at a Messiah concert, considering the article’s mention of that work.) It wasn’t pretty.

Medicinal marijuana is a different story, and I won’t get into that here, but thinking no one notices if you are high or drunk is … well … I’m guessing you are probably just too high or drunk to realize people not only know, but some are mighty ticked off.