Unbanded, week 12 (or, not Summer Concert #1)
Normally at this time on a Thursday during the summer, I would be onstage right now, playing music I'd rehearsed the day before. But this is not a normal summer, and not a normal year, so I am at home watching a recording of an older show care of the website of the local town's cable access channel. Since they don't record every single concert, I was curious as to what concerts they'd be showing; this first one is from June 9, 2016 (posted on the 11th). I didn't write very much about that concert because I'd gotten sick that week, but I didn't think very highly of it, heh. I noted that I made a glaring error, but I'm about halfway through at this point and I've not heard it, so either it hasn't happened yet, or it wasn't obvious away from my ears.
(I am at the part where the 8th grade scholarship winners are being introduced...those kids just graduated from high school. Wow.)
It's weird to watch this version of the band. There are a lot of faces that are still there, because that's how we roll, but there's the director's daughter, who has moved out of state; there's the girl who went to a prestigious music college and has gone on to other things; there's Mr. C's friend who got kicked out of the band (I saw him early on, so I knew this had to be a few years old); and...aw, there's the 90-something cornet player who has since passed away. Oh, gosh, and now there's the piccolo player's husband who has also passed. To start it off, the emcee and the director sat in front of a green screen with a picture of the park behind them, explaining that we'll see everyone again soon when it's safe to do so, but for now we'll be live on tape.
They had their first Zoom full band meeting yesterday, during what would have been rehearsal time; I got an email with all the necessary codes and things in it, but didn't see it until today. No matter, since that is not my thing, but I hope there were people who participated. I did, however, hear from a couple people last week. I'd been thinking of the Eb clarinet player and wondering how she was doing, and next thing I know, I'm hearing from her. She's a band director in a small town, and she's been trying to come up with ideas in case she cannot have full band come the fall. At some point, though, she'll have to go back to full band, because that's part of the fun and camaraderie of even being in band. The director happens to be her neighbor, and I asked how he and his wife were doing; they seem to be fine, and she said they'd had a couple of driveway meetings to visit while distancing. A few days later, I heard from him, heh. He is looking to put together sight-reading folders for the band, and perhaps later in the summer he'll have a few people come out and stand strategically in the park so we can play for whomever wanders by, and would I be interested in that? Um...sounds intriguing... I didn't specifically say yes, but I didn't say no, either. We'll see how things are going at that time, and if I'm even in the area on Wednesday and Thursday nights. I am perfectly happy being home right now, to be honest.
I will say, I practiced on Sunday for the first time in a few months. I didn't have any issues with notes for the most part, but my jaw was sore. When those embouchure muscles don't get used regularly, they get soft. Yeah, I'd better keep this up somehow.
(I am at the part where the 8th grade scholarship winners are being introduced...those kids just graduated from high school. Wow.)
It's weird to watch this version of the band. There are a lot of faces that are still there, because that's how we roll, but there's the director's daughter, who has moved out of state; there's the girl who went to a prestigious music college and has gone on to other things; there's Mr. C's friend who got kicked out of the band (I saw him early on, so I knew this had to be a few years old); and...aw, there's the 90-something cornet player who has since passed away. Oh, gosh, and now there's the piccolo player's husband who has also passed. To start it off, the emcee and the director sat in front of a green screen with a picture of the park behind them, explaining that we'll see everyone again soon when it's safe to do so, but for now we'll be live on tape.
They had their first Zoom full band meeting yesterday, during what would have been rehearsal time; I got an email with all the necessary codes and things in it, but didn't see it until today. No matter, since that is not my thing, but I hope there were people who participated. I did, however, hear from a couple people last week. I'd been thinking of the Eb clarinet player and wondering how she was doing, and next thing I know, I'm hearing from her. She's a band director in a small town, and she's been trying to come up with ideas in case she cannot have full band come the fall. At some point, though, she'll have to go back to full band, because that's part of the fun and camaraderie of even being in band. The director happens to be her neighbor, and I asked how he and his wife were doing; they seem to be fine, and she said they'd had a couple of driveway meetings to visit while distancing. A few days later, I heard from him, heh. He is looking to put together sight-reading folders for the band, and perhaps later in the summer he'll have a few people come out and stand strategically in the park so we can play for whomever wanders by, and would I be interested in that? Um...sounds intriguing... I didn't specifically say yes, but I didn't say no, either. We'll see how things are going at that time, and if I'm even in the area on Wednesday and Thursday nights. I am perfectly happy being home right now, to be honest.
I will say, I practiced on Sunday for the first time in a few months. I didn't have any issues with notes for the most part, but my jaw was sore. When those embouchure muscles don't get used regularly, they get soft. Yeah, I'd better keep this up somehow.