Final Rehearsal before Showtime

May 17, 2006 at 5:57 AM

Tonight was our orchestra's dress rehearsal before concert time. I can only count my blessings that the concert is on a Saturday and not the normal Friday nights. When I rush from work to home, scarf down a quick meal, then rush to rehearsal - well, my playing is definitely NOT the best it could be. The tension from a hectic day destroys my ability to relax within a 15 minute warm-up time to play anything properly. A Saturday concert gives me the time I need to totally wind down from work mode to music mode and provide enough warm-up time to get the tempo and dynamics down right.

At the start of rehearsal tonight, the celli couldn't see their music due to the lighting being set-up for a choir concert sometime this week. Talk about playing from memory!!! After rehearsal, you could really see where the brass sat - there were little puddles to the left of each chair. YUK! Aren't there the equivalent of spittoons for brass instruments? The woodwinds didn't seem to have the same problem, except for the English basoon. (Reminder to self, do NOT wear the black shoes with slick soles!)

So, the concert is this comming Saturday evening. I plan on practicing in little spurts throughout the day and giving my father and step-mother a small private concert on some solo pieces I've been working on. My dad hasn't seen the new viola yet, so I'm just dying to show her off. Then we go for a late lunch, then off to set-up and (TG!) a longer warm-up time before showtime. The orchestra puts out CD's of the concert a week or so afterwards. So far, I have requests to order about a dozen from family and friends.

NERVES!!!!!

From parmeeta bhogal
Posted on May 17, 2006 at 10:53 AM

Mendy, woodwinds only wipe reeds constantly, (see links I posted in You Tube thread for daughter's clarinet group).

Nice plan for the concert, sure it wil go well!!

From Terez Mertes
Posted on May 18, 2006 at 5:16 PM

Oh, how cool, Mendy! Hope you have a ball with it all on Saturday.

From Wanda Jenkins
Posted on May 20, 2006 at 2:08 AM

Mendy,
I heard the announcement for tomorrow's Pro Arté concert at Marylhurst U on KPBS, 88.9FM (www.allclassical.org). Is this the group you're playing with? I enjoyed them a couple months ago when they were at a small local venue near my home.

Have a great time, hope all goes well!

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Final Rehearsal before Showtime

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