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This Audition really happened ....... a keeper

Author: DavidBlumberg  Date:   2008-09-18 18:32 This Audition really happened - I just confirmed it with Michele Zukovsky true ........ My Bassoon Audition ~ Practical Joke: The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra announces auditions for a bassoon vacancy. Bassoonists from all over the world will try out for this prestigious position. The Auditions Committee consists of principal players from each section of the orchestra. Woodwinds, Brass, Strings, and Conductor, Esa-Pekka Salonen will make the final choice as to who will win this coveted bassoon position. Unknown to the Auditions Committee, except the regular bassoon section, (David Breidenthal, Alan Goodman, Patti Kindel), an unusual event is about to take place...... Ray Pizzi, jazz bassoonist, is surreptitiously invited to join the audition finals. He will be the 75th audition the committee will have evaluated in the past 2 days..... ......listening to the same audition pieces, played over and over and over again. With everyone in place, Ray Pizzi, dressed in black, wearing a wide brim black fedora hat, walks out on stage, sits behind the music stand, nonchalantly looks through the required music excerpts, then arrogantly shoves the music stand aside. The Auditions Committee gasps! Wow! he doesn't need the music? Very impressive! Ray starts the audition with the difficult opening solo to Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" .....when suddenly, he launches into a funky, bouncy, swamp blues solo bassoon piece of his own, called "Ode to a Toad." As Ray continues to play, the Auditions Committee members start giggling, ......they've been had.....victims of a practical joke...... .......except for one person......the Chairman of the Auditions Committee..... ........who jumps out of his front row seat, clipboard in hand, and attempts to stop Ray, who is certainly NOT playing the required material! Suddenly, the entire bassoon section jumps up and pushes him back into his seat and is respectfully, yet forcibly, advised to shut up and listen! By this time, Ray is really huffing, puffing, stomping, building the intensity to the big finish, the Committee is applauding, laughing, howling, whistling, cheering. Finally...... the last note...... a humongous low B flat...... So humongous, that it causes a large yellow rubber glove to fill with air and slowly emerge from the bell of his bassoon......defiantly displaying the middle digit finger! With his elite audience in total hysterics, Ray, taking advantage of the situation, slowly turns and flips this gigantic "bird" at the Chairman of the Auditions Committee, who is now laughing and applauding wildly along with the rest of the audience...... .......On his final encore bow, Ray shouts out........"Did I get the gig???" http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com

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Re: This Audition really happened ....... a keeper

Author: DavidBlumberg  Date:   2008-09-19 13:03 Ahh, just give it to Pizzi Here's a quote from him: (Conductor to Pizzi) "Bassoon player... you are wearing a Hat... will you be able to see me conduct?" Pizzi replies: "I am happy to remove my hat, maestro, but I play with my eyes closed anyway" http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com Post Edited (2008-09-19 13:40)

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