 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Cindy
Date: 2002-03-16 05:58
I had a big concert tonight, and it was my first time as "concert mistress" where I go onstage and tune everyone before we actually perform. Well, I was sitting off stage when my entire band went silent. My band director was on the other side of the stage, and he waved his baton in the air, which I took as a signal to go on. Well, I went on and thought something was wrong, so thankfully I didn't play. I glanced back, and saw my band director frantically waving his hand in the air. I turned bright red, and calmly walked off stage. Well, when my band director came over to my side of the stage, he explained that he was motioning for the band to keep playing. So, about 10 minutes later I actually went on, tuned the band, and the concert went on without a hitch. Luckily the few people who were in the audience who I asked about it said they thought I was making sure the band was set up correctly, so it wasn't too bad. But, it gave me a story to my name that my band will undoubtedly bug me about for a few years to come. Okay, I know some others have stories of mishaps like this one. Feel free to share!
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Author: Gene Wie
Date: 2002-03-16 09:39
Back in high school as a junior, I was up in the lead seat (violin) for the first time with my local youth orchestra, and one of the pieces on the program was Kabalevsky's Third Piano Concerto (with another concerto competition winner that year).
I walked out to tune, and looked down at the piano and thought, "oh geeze, do I remember where 'A' is?" After a few seconds of just looking at the darned piano, I established the proper key to press...
...except that I pounded it so hard while gesturing to the orchestra, the pitch actually started warping. =)
The teacher of the competition winner happened to be sitting behind my family, and to this day my sister still recalls her comment: "Oh my lord, what is he doing to that piano!?"
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-03-16 10:35
I was once playing a concerto with a small local orchestra and I'd agreed to play clar. in the orch. for the overture (not something I'd care to do now) The piece finished and I went off-stage to meet the conductor before making my grand entrance. When I went through the door at the side of the stage I was greeted with the sight of a load of brushes, mops, buckets etc. hanging up; I'd wandered into the broom cupboard. When I eventually plucked up the courage to go out again the audience started applauding so I just had to go on. The confused conductor joined me from the opposite side of the stage.
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2002-03-16 15:07
Recently, I was playing a medley of folk tunes with a fiddle player at a "ceilidh" (sort of talent show). He switched to the second tune before I did. Well, I kept on playing the first tune for a bit, then gave him a pretend look of disapproval, which drew a laugh from the audience; then I joined in on the second tune as soon as I figured out where he was.
My rules: 1. Never panic, and 2. Think, now what would Victor Borge have done in this situation? :-)
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Author: Kai
Date: 2002-03-17 17:00
Our Orchestra had started rehearsing when my 2nd player came rushing in late and sat down beside me. We had already starting playing so without even giving herself a moment to take a breather, she went on to set-up both clarinets frantically. I think, at this point in time, she was just so worried about being late that she thought nothing about checking her reeds, reed position etc.. she just wanted to join in ASAP.
When she eventually did, she was way out of tune! It sounded like a semitone (or maybe even less!)off. She checked her instruments and nothing seemed out of place and she tried again. The tuning was the same!
She decided to stop playing and examine her instruments. When we stopped playing, she turned to me and showed me what was wrong.... she had the 'A' top to the 'Bb' bottom and vice versa!
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Author: Jas
Date: 2002-03-18 08:45
A fellow first clarinet player in my community band invited me to play with another, smaller band of which he is the conductor. I agreed (seeing as the gigs are paid -- for a change) and dropped in on their next practice. I was asked to play lead that night... my first night... in a new group... with new musical aquaintences.
Very first piece... an Italian march I had never seen before... on a march card....
I'm plugging along in the stratosphere of the leger's above the staff... the only guy up there, when I reach the end of the piece. The band, however, continues to play! I'm confused! I asked the third clarinetist where we were and she said through her mouthpiece and not missing a beat, "comin' back to the melody". I didn't see a repeat sign, so I looked back through the piece, matched what I heard with what I saw and joined in again.
I was pretty content that I had caught up with them... giggling in my head over the guy who notated the arrangement. One musical phrase later, the band suddenly stops... they have reached the end... and I (remember, way up in the stratosphere of the staff) continued to belt out the notes in typical double forte fashion for a couple of beats.
The band howled ! So did I, when, after asking her what the heck just happened... the third clarinet player (I'm sure by now questioning who did what to whom to get me in the lead chair) told me what when wrong.
And to this day, at EVERY practice I get told..."Hey.. don't forget... ya gotta turn the page".
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