Orchestral Exploits

Recently I've had the pleasure of playing with the Beloit-Janesville Symphony Orchestra for its past two concerts. Both of those shows I've played the harp part on their keyboard, a Kurzweil K2500x. The first show was the silent film Wings, where we were playing as the 'soundtrack.' The second concert consisted of Strauss' tone poem Death and Transfiguration op. 24, Lalo's Cello Concerto in D Minor, featuring Jian Wang as cello soloist, and Dvorak's Symphony No. 7 op. 70. I, however, only needed (got?) to play the Strauss - and on Harp II, no less. This meant that the first 320 measures of my music were rests (~20 minutes of the 30 minute piece). Sweet deal.

At rehearsal on Friday night, several people had 'Team Cello' shirts on. How big of a dork do you have to be... If Margaret (the actual harpist) had wanted to make Team Harp hoodies I definitely would've. Still might.

Here we come to the real motivation behind this post. Pretend, if you will, that you're an attractive cellist. Now, let's say a cool keyboard player who needed to shave came up to you and said "Cello!" (Wow. Not as cool in print. Imagine it's like saying hello but with a ch- at the beginning). Is that a good line or what? Vote in the comments.

Now, I can't take credit for the line - my friend Dave Buss first mentioned it to me while talking about a good-looking music student at school. Here's the thing - I HAD A CHANCE - A GIFT-WRAPPED CHANCE - TO USE IT. The lead cellist for the first concert came up to me pre-show with a question about where to put instrument cases, coats, etc. and I didn't come through. She wasn't in the Strauss concert, and now leggy blonde is gone.