What can I say? Yesterday wasn’t too bad. I played a service, did a choir rehearsal and played a show. Usually this would devastate me, but I seem to have a bit more energy lately. Not sure if it was the New York trip (which definitely perked me up) or my persistent daily treadmilling.
Kind of funny that I do the treadmill now. My dead guru, Ed Friedman, used to use “treadmill” as a metaphor to contrast with persistence. Are you persisting in the face of pathology or are you on the treadmill. Hmm. I guess I’m on the treadmill. Heh
Yesterday I was able to point out to the author of a book on group Jazz improv that I saw his book at the Strand in NY recently. He beamed. He confessed that he checks for his book in bookstores but doesn’t usually find it. I told him I didn’t buy it (since I have a signed copy) but left it for the next person.
My work on Saturday was fruitful for yesterday’s choir rehearsal. I taught them some german pronunciation including the pronunciation I want of the umlaut in “flüchtig” We began rehearsing mov 1 of Bach’s BWV 26 ” Ach wie flüchtig.”
In the pit orchestra yesterday the flute player confessed to being a lapsed Episcopalian and asked questions about the church where I work. She asked what kind of music we did. When I replied we “do it all,” she said she preferred traditional. Sooprise sooprise.
I did okay as the synth player in the pit yesterday. I only got lost once which is pretty good average. I think there might have been a cut no one told me about. But I might just have turned too many pages and then couldn’t quite figure out where we were at.
I arrived an hour before show time. The director and the bass player ran a number with the cast before the show. I played along. Afterwards, the lanky bass player told me I passed the audition. Good to know.
They are paying fifty bucks a service on this gig and only that much because I wouldn’t come for their lesser offer of a hundred dollars for three shows. Sigh.
I did manage to squeeze in a few minutes on the Messiaen Nativity movement I have scheduled for my organ recital in Dec. But mostly didn’t get to organ rehearsal yesterday.
I will try to do better today. The recital I have scheduled pretty much demands daily rehearsal. I do have an Oklahoma pit orch rehearsal this evening. I sure am busy for someone whose self image is one of a bum without a steady gig. Heh.
