There’s a short article about the upcoming Symphony Silicon Valley concert. I’m on pieces one and three. I don’t get to play the O’Connor. Too bad. I like doing something new.

Of course much of what I do get to play these days is new … to me at least. Having been “merely” the English hornist of the San Jose Symphony (RIP) I rarely played the second oboe parts to things, much to my delight.

Second oboe. Sigh. Much of the time we are unappreciated. We are noticed, for the most part, when we miss an attack, are too loud, or aren’t in tune with the principal oboist. It’s pretty thankless.

Except last night!

Last night the maestro commended me for the beginning of the second movement of the Dvorak. How ’bout that?!

Now … if you know me at all you know what this means. Double sigh.

If I had messed up the opening last night, I would have thought, “I’m doomed. I’ll never get it.” But now that I’ve managed to play it (several times, too) and play it just fine, the pattybrain™ says, “Well, that’s it, kiddo. You’ve nailed it. This is the end. No more good stuff for you. Too bad, eh?”

Don’t you just love the way my pititiful (or is that pattyful?) brain works?

Um, well, yeah. Me neither.
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