oboeinsight

I’ve really thought of myself as an average joe (or joeette). But when I took the “how normal are you test” I found out otherwise. How weird is that? I’m still trying to figure out what it was I answered that made me so odd. They had no oboe or music questions, so they can’t know about my insanity in pit & stage. 😉

You Are 35% Normal (Occasionally Normal)

You sure do march to your own beat… But you’re so weird, people wonder if it’s a beat at all You think on a totally different wavelength And it’s often a chore to get people to understand you

—–

… with the way my sick mind works (now I’ll have The Roches’ song My Sick Mind in my head) … I was playing opera last night and things were feeling fine. Really fine, in fact. I was enjoying the solo I have during the first act duet between the Dutchman and Daland quite a bit. But don’t you wonder what might be going through the mind of this nutty oboist as she is playing? Of course you do. (You may think you don’t want to know, but I’m sure you’re mistaken.)

Was I thinking “I love music! I love Wagner! I love making music with this group! Ah … delight. Wonder. Marvel at fine music!” …? WAS I?

Not quite.

I’m playing the first phrase. Feels good: “Oh. This is feeling fine. Yes. I like my reed. Oh dear. This feels good. I’ll probably blow it.”
Second entrance: “Still feels good. Hmm. Confidence. That could be a bad thing.”
Third entrance “Yep. Still feels nice. Good reed. Yay good reed. I’ll bet it’ll change by the end.”
Fourth entrance: ” Oh dear. This still feels good. You are getting too comfortable, Patty. You know this will come back to haunt you.”

… and so it goes.

Yes, I really do think these things (or something close to these things). I realize this is sick, but I’m just that way. And I’m honest, so I tell readers what’s going on. Probably a big mistake on my part. But oh well.

What a silly person I am. But at least I know it; acknowledging your illness is the first step to recover … right? 😉

PS I hated my first note on the Big All Alone Solo. Will I never be totally content?But would total contentment cause me to worry and be discontent? Ah, what a dilemma.
—–

… from the same anonymous reader who pointed out the error of my ways regarding the SFCV review:

If you’re willing to stretch a point in your search for literature about
the oboe, I recommend a wonderful fantasy story called “Flight” by Peter
Dickinson, which concerns a kingdom whose ruler is called the Ob, described
as an archaic word for elephant in their language. The immediate past
ruler is called the Obo, or was-elephant, and the Obo’s predecessor is
called the Obolo, or exceedingly-was-elephant. The only musical instrument
mentioned in the story, however, is the nose-flute.

Yes. this made me laugh (And I think I’ll order the book at some point soon. Even if it mentions the nose-flute rather than the oboe.)
—–

Someone pointed out that the San Francisco Classical Voice did actually have many good things to say about our production of The Flying Dutchman. So I stand (or, at this moment, sit corrected. The reviewer did, in fact, mention the orchestra’s performance of the overture in this way:

Conductor David Rohrbaugh’s orchestra gave a vigorous account of this magnificent piece, with muscular horncalls, tempestuous runs and tremolos from the strings, and exquisite playing by the woodwind choir at each statement of the “Redemption” melody.

How did I not see that?!

Well, let me explain (although those of you who know me will already know how I missed it!): I see the negative. I rarely see the positive. If someone does happen to say something positive I often see the negative even in that.

For instance “Great performance tonight, Patty!” means “You sure sounded rotten last night.” “You really look nice today” means “Finally, I can stand to look at you.”

So you see? It’s the (sad) way my brain works.

If you knew me face-to-face you’d grow to love this in me.

Or maybe not.

But you’d grow to understand how my mind works. And probably decided it’s not worth complimenting me! 😉

In fact … suggesting I will change has already implied something positive, don’t you think?
—–