Last night I forgot how to play the clarinet and how to read music. This was most unfortunate as I was at a 2.5 hour long orchestra rehearsal when it happened. All was fine as I warmed up* and practiced my solo. I played through the tough passage at least 15 times which should have been enough to ingrain it in my memory. Then, we played a super easy piece so I thought all was good.
But then...then it was time for Carmen and my solo. I may as well have been playing with my feet while my eyes were closed. I played a D as Eb! My fingers wouldn't move! The entire passage I had just played 15 times in a row? I played it so badly I started laughing. And then, of course, I got the giggles and was a mix of embarassment and apathy so the rest of the song just went downhill. Clarinet Dude kept teasing me and saying, "We stopped because you messed up" which, of course, wasn't true because the stopping was for the choir. I think Maestro ignored my sudden inability to play because he heard me practicing it before rehearsal and it sounded good. And besides, tons of people were messing up last night. Even the oboe ringer funked up a solo and in Carmen one of the flutes played most of their soli parts like she was back in 6th grade. It does bother me when I mess up but at the same time, I know it will be fine on the day of the concert.
Last night was still fun though because my sister, Ali, came and watched. She sat in the audience within my direct sight and we texted the whole time. She made me laugh out a few times with the following:
"I bet "the wife" is pissed she didn't get this solo"
"Bless you!" (I sneezed)
"OMG Lame. I'll clap if she does a backward flip" (When I texted that they will clap for the cello solo-ANNOYING)
"I hate the cello. So did Dvorak"
"You have a really bad staring problem"
*I don't warm up like a "real" player would. I don't do scales and long tones and all that crap. I put my reed on, play a note, and if it comes out to my satisfaction, I am "warmed up."
3 comments:
You're allowed to use phones in band? Wow - meanwhile, your sister sounds like a rockstar in every good sense of the word, as do you as well. Is it genetic?
I was afraid warming up too much would just make you too tired for the performance...at least that was my excuse. : )
i hate it when i forget how to play. have a couple drinks as a warm up, then you play great!
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