Klarinet Archive - Posting 000067.txt from 2005/07

From: "Theresa Morris" <theresa.morris@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] RE: A long concert
Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2005 11:47:04 -0400


Subject: A long concert

****What's your story of playing a long concert?
Curtis Bennett****

Well, it wasn't a concert, but my old army band (from Ft. Monroe, VA)
marched in the 1983 Tournament of Roses parade. In keeping with
tradition, we were very near the beginning of the parade, just in front
of the float carrying the Grand Marshall (Merlon Olson-football player
and FTD spokesman). Some of you who have seen or marched in that
particular parade know that in the first 1/2 mile, bands are to play
nonstop because that is where all the tv cameras are located. Just
ahead of us, about 5 units up was a float that was hinged in the middle,
When it made the turn onto Colorado Blvd, it got hung up and the parade
bogged down. It stayed stuck and the parade came to a screeching halt.
We couldn't see that far ahead, obviously, and had no reason why we had
gone to a mark-time, then a halt, while still playing. Our plan
through this first half mile was to play 2 marches (one of them was Army
of the Nile) and the Army Song (all memorized, of course), with 8 bars
of drum cadence between them. We were stuck in front of the NBC cameras
for at least half an hour, playing nonstop. This was after we had
crossed 3 timee zones the day before, gotten up at 3:00 am that day,
ride the bus for an hour, walk about a mile to go stand for 2 hours at
the staging area of the parade in a residential area (no sitting, so we
didn't wrinkle our uniforms). After the float was free, the parade
continued on. I don't think we played a march again for about a mile!
We marched the next 5 miles, hiked another mile to where the busses were
parked. A very long day, indeed. That is indeed a parade for the young
or one to be watched from the sidewalk. It's great to be able to say
that I marched in it, but it was very tiring! BTW, you can smell the
floats and the tv picture doesn't do them justice in their beauty.

Theresa,
<A survivor--hahaha>

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