It's because of this guy:
Calvin. The French Horn.
He's a pretty good kisser, too. If you've got your technique down. But he can sure play hard to get when he's been neglected for a while. Don't you just hate that game? If that's really his case then it's about time for him to give because this relationship is down to crunch time! We have 4 concerts this weekend (3 of them Handel's Messiah), and I need something to show for our long hours of lip lock these past few weeks!
Speaking of Handel's Messiah, I think this is a good time to point out how far I've come in my appreciation for that work of music, since my first traumatic experience with it almost 5 years ago.
I remember it like it was yesterday. Brother Nielsen (my college horn teacher) handed me the music a few hours before the performance. Said they needed another horn and that the experience would be good for me. I trusted him like a little child, with eagerness and a willingness to please. Skimming thru the music, it looked easy enough. Mostly because I didn't read the top of the page where it stated the key. And notice how each movement was in a different key (that's only slightly exaggerated).
So I showed up at the dress rehearsal a bit nervous but mostly excited. The setup was amazing....I'd never seen so many microphones! And the choir. Huge! I felt pretty cool to be a part of it all. Until the music started. And I realized that what Ben-Jammin (my first horn dude) was playing sounded very different than what I was playing. Yet his sounds seemed to mesh with that of the orchestra and choir sounds better than mine did. That's about when I noticed the key. Maybe because of the corner-of-the-eye death glare Ben-Jammin shot me? Panic! My sight-reading skills are less than stellar. My transpose while sight-reading skills? They might turn any deceased music teacher into an irate, flesh-eating zombie. And maybe some live ones too. (a clue? that's bad).
I think I played all of 5 notes during that entire dry-run. Maybe 2 of them confidently? As soon as the conductor put down his baton on that rehearsal, I rushed home to do some damage control. And by damage control, I mean write all the fingerings in for as many notes as I could decipher during the 1 hour break. Which was maybe half of them.
Excellent.
It just got better, believe it or not, because when I showed up for the performance, they had relocated a microphone just below my bell. Oh bad. I just about cried. Until I realized there was an "off" switch on the microphone. That problem was easily solved. But there was still the whole "play notes" part. So, I put my best concert face on, quietly played the notes I knew, and tried to look pretty and focused on the ones I didn't know. And, also, ignored a few pained looks from the conductor.
"Easy buddy! There's a 150 piece choir and 80 piece orchestra. I'm not even on mic!"
I felt like the worst horn player ever. I was so glad when it was all over. And I swore NEVER AGAIN.
Fast forward 5 years thru a few performances of Messiah (with music in the proper key) later, and voila! We're friends now. I'm almost a fan. There is a powerful spirit to be felt with that music. And I'll admit it, some of the vocal solos are fun to attempt. With my bestest and grandest opera voice, of course.
Yes, the Gregman eats that UP. (read not). (he used to be a choir boy). (and it would make him writhe). (worth it).
So I can honestly say I'm excited to be part of the performances this weekend. And actually play this time, too.
If Calvin decides to be forgiving by then, that is.
Have a great day :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment