Klarinet Archive - Posting 000207.txt from 2002/05

From: BEresman@-----.com
Subj: RE: [kl] Speak!
Date: Wed, 8 May 2002 10:33:58 -0400

Nancy Buckman asked:

> So what's your worst gig? 8^(

To which i somewhat belatedly reply:

I've played a few hot gigs in summer band (and a few cold ones, and windy)
but one of the most memorable was actually very pleasant weather-wise. The
temperature was in the mid-80's, i suppose, an evening concert. Clear
skies, absolutely no wind. The concert was held in the middle of a bridge
directly over the Great Miami River. There were lights on the band and we
each had a stand light. As dusk fell, the bugs began to congregate around
our stand lights. With no wind to keep them away, they came up off the
water thick and fast, swarming around the lights and walking all over the
music--to the point that i could not tell which were notes and which were
bugs, unless they were walking. Some were small, but a few were large
enough to be intimidating. Many would fall down to the bottom of the
music, until i had a layer of bugs a half-inch thick on the bottom of the
stand. My neighbor, in a fit of orneriness, turned his stand, aimed it at
me, and blew his layer of bugs in my direction. I had bugs under pads, and
was afraid to breathe, knowing it was likely i would ingest some. I turned
my stand light off and tried to read the music with just the lighting from
behind the band. I managed for the most part, although i suspect it wasn't
the cleanest of performances.

Every once in a while we'll pull up a piece and find that there are bugs
stuck to it--something we played that evening.

Brent Eresman
YSI Precision Temperature

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