Re: Name That Chord Gig


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Posted by Wade on December 15, 2003 at 17:23:35:

In Reply to: Name That Chord Gig posted by Marty Neilan on December 15, 2003 at 16:26:50:

Marty -

Once upon a time, back in 1993, I had somehow got the music from my symphony folder switched with the music from a student's folder.

I know. Go figure.

I got to Rehearsal 1 for the program without ever looking in my folder, as it was all things that I knew well or could read, except for working on the breathing on the Mahler 1 solo; BUT - I did that from my Torchinsky book.

So, I get up on the riser in our hall, set up, and realize that I have somehow done this incredibly stupid thing because I am staring at a folder full of college band music. No Mahler 1, no other stuff. Nothing.

So I play by memory, looking at the Bass Bone part and reading over the shoulder of the last chair bassist for rest counting help; I managed to play everything right.

Included in the other stuff was a pops arrangement of something (Rock Around the Clock?), and it was full of full-section, major excerpt quotations. (It was pure cheese, but it was a board member's b-day or something.) I guessed right on most of it and apparently filled in some spots where I was supposed to be resting. The score was condensed, so the conductor had no idea.

Come the next evening, armed with the correct music, I get to the big part where I am not supposed to play and I lay out. The conductor stops and chews me out for not paying attention. I figure out what is up, so I play by ear in that spot and he is fine. I have always played there since, but I actually copied the bass part into mine so that I am not just getting lucky guessing.

Thank goodness for all of the jazz bass and dixieland tuba stuff I get to do - really sharpens up the old ears to the harmony and what is going on around you in the group!

At that rehearsal, I just kept my folder with the wrong music up there so that he would see it and not be tipped off. While playing the Mahler "solo", the bass boner got the attention of the rest of the brass and slowly turned my stand where they could see a folder and no music out. They thought I was trying to show off, but I was really sweating bullets!

Wade "much more careful around students now" Rackley


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