TODAY

20. October 2006 · 2 comments · Categories: Announcements, imported

Happy Birthday to Charles Ives!

We should hold a parade in his honor, don’t you think?

Or play a hymn.

Or maybe do both at once.

You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

20. October 2006 · Comments Off on You Gotta Be Kidding Me! · Categories: imported, Ramble

Dan’s music page has a link to an article about a trombonist. I clicked the link, and didn’t see the little blurb I saw at Dan’s site, but it must have appeared at some point. It reads:

The humble trombone, of all things, gets a moment in the spotlight.

Now I’ve met a lot of trombonists. Really. And the little sentence above could imply two things I think are untrue. At least in my experience.

  • I’ve never met a humble trombonist. I don’t believe you can play that instrument and be humble. Now of course the author of the statement is really referring to the trombone, not the player. In that case, fine. I can handle that.

    Tee hee.

  • Trombones DO get the spotlight on occasion. Really they do. And Berlioz thought so darn highly of them it’s really quite sad. Makes me weep. You know?

    But Berlioz took drugs.

    Okay, okay, there probably is a humble trombonist hiding out there somewhere. But he or she will never come forward—too humble, I’m sure. And yes, the trombones often don’t get much to play. (Maybe that’s why they blast me out of my seat when they finally play?! JUST KIDDING, folks. Really!)

    Okay … enough funnin’.

    UPDATE
    My dear husband, who played trombone for many years, says my post on t-bones was misguided and ignorant.

    Can you BELIEVE that?!

    This week has been a week of cancelled lessons. Students are getting sick, it seems. All I can say is better that they stay home than visit me, as I have an extremely busy schedule beginning next week. I can’t afford to get sick. If I miss too many rehearsals I lose the job. (And, to be honest, I don’t like to miss even a single rehearsal if I can help it; I’m much more comfortable when I’ve been at everything scheduled.) Symphony Silicon Valley overlaps with American Musical Theatre San Jose overlaps with Opera San José. Then I have Symphony Silicon Valley again, followed by Ballet San Jose (yes, by then it will be Nutcracker season).

    Whew. I get tired reading that. I’d better not think about it all at once. One day at a time … breathe … one day at a time ….

    Hmmm. But this coming week I even have one day with two musical theatre rehearsals and one symphony rehearsal. (Yes, I’ll find time to breathe … no, I couldn’t find time to teach my students that day and had to cancel or reschedule three lessons.)

    But work is good. Especially when work is playing.

    And not only that! This gives me so much to whine about. I won’t be running on empty—when it comes to Whine Mode™—for a looooong time. Ahhhh. My poor family! 🙂
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