So, for the news
I mentioned that I had news relating to my band(s), although not much of it and it's fairly insignificant. This is all true, but all the same I promised that I'd post it, and so I am.
I can't remember whether I mentioned that I'm playing in a brass choir (nonet, really, if everyone shows). I am, and I've done a several arrangements for it, as well: a couple renaissance motets in five parts, Erik Satie's "Gymnopedie No. 1" in six parts (which sounds nice, but is excruciatingly boring to play), and Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" in six parts, which I'm currently putting the finishing touches on. I'm looking for more ideas, but I think the next one will be Cesar Franck's "Panis Angelicus" for Easter.
I've also officially decided to stop playing with the Beaver County Symphonic Wind Ensemble, mainly because I'm simply sick of that group and their apathy toward the music. I realize that politics will reign in just about any group, but I swear the people in that group would rather sound bad playing bad music than sound good (okay, merely passable) playing good music as long as it meant they got their way. And so, because they've gotten their way by retaining the "easier" of the two conductors, I've decided that I'd just vote with my feet instead.
So, a couple web searches later, and I began researching new bands to play with. The first band I've decided to try out is the West Hills Symphonic Band, which was convenient, if for no other reason, because I know a couple people in the band already who could get me in easily, and while the drive is more than I'd normally care to make, it's not that far from there to evenstar253's apartment, and their rehearsal ends about when I'd head down to see her anyway, so I'm not really going much farther than I normally would be.
The interesting twist in this little story is the identity of that band's associate conductor--one Clem Rolin, who was director of bands at the high school a number of folks on my friends list attended. He came up to me and started to introduce himself at my first rehearsal. I told him my name, but I also told him that I already knew who he was, which caught him a bit off guard to say the least. He asked how, so I mentioned evenstar253's name, and his eyes got big:
"Why doesn't she get her ass in here and play?!"
I started to stammer something about how she surely didn't know he was conducting the band, how she's in grad school, and so on, while trying not to break into a fit of laughter, but he leaned in a bit closer and said, in hushed tones, "Let me tell you, Justin, I taught for 35 years and she was the best clarinet player I ever had." And later, during a break, while I was talking with the guy who referred me to the band, he came up and told him the same thing, which I couldn't say anything to, considering the guy who referred me also plays clarinet, and I didn't want him to feel threatened...but he also said that he was going to bug me every week until evenstar253 shows up at a rehearsal.
Thankfully, I didn't need to tell that whole story to get her to agree to show up...sooner or later.
I can't remember whether I mentioned that I'm playing in a brass choir (nonet, really, if everyone shows). I am, and I've done a several arrangements for it, as well: a couple renaissance motets in five parts, Erik Satie's "Gymnopedie No. 1" in six parts (which sounds nice, but is excruciatingly boring to play), and Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" in six parts, which I'm currently putting the finishing touches on. I'm looking for more ideas, but I think the next one will be Cesar Franck's "Panis Angelicus" for Easter.
I've also officially decided to stop playing with the Beaver County Symphonic Wind Ensemble, mainly because I'm simply sick of that group and their apathy toward the music. I realize that politics will reign in just about any group, but I swear the people in that group would rather sound bad playing bad music than sound good (okay, merely passable) playing good music as long as it meant they got their way. And so, because they've gotten their way by retaining the "easier" of the two conductors, I've decided that I'd just vote with my feet instead.
So, a couple web searches later, and I began researching new bands to play with. The first band I've decided to try out is the West Hills Symphonic Band, which was convenient, if for no other reason, because I know a couple people in the band already who could get me in easily, and while the drive is more than I'd normally care to make, it's not that far from there to evenstar253's apartment, and their rehearsal ends about when I'd head down to see her anyway, so I'm not really going much farther than I normally would be.
The interesting twist in this little story is the identity of that band's associate conductor--one Clem Rolin, who was director of bands at the high school a number of folks on my friends list attended. He came up to me and started to introduce himself at my first rehearsal. I told him my name, but I also told him that I already knew who he was, which caught him a bit off guard to say the least. He asked how, so I mentioned evenstar253's name, and his eyes got big:
"Why doesn't she get her ass in here and play?!"
I started to stammer something about how she surely didn't know he was conducting the band, how she's in grad school, and so on, while trying not to break into a fit of laughter, but he leaned in a bit closer and said, in hushed tones, "Let me tell you, Justin, I taught for 35 years and she was the best clarinet player I ever had." And later, during a break, while I was talking with the guy who referred me to the band, he came up and told him the same thing, which I couldn't say anything to, considering the guy who referred me also plays clarinet, and I didn't want him to feel threatened...but he also said that he was going to bug me every week until evenstar253 shows up at a rehearsal.
Thankfully, I didn't need to tell that whole story to get her to agree to show up...sooner or later.