encouraging:

[bloke]

already booked for a double-double on Christmas Eve (double customary pay for a rehearsal and two services)...

...and I’m playing every single concert with one of my per-service orchestras (other than their Beethoven two-symphonies concert), as well as several affiliate chamber runouts in their behalf.

I wish the cruise ship lounge gig would crank back up on Saturday mornings…

[the elephant]

Yeah, same here. I had a gig this morning, as a matter of fact. I have most of my regular Fall and Christmas gigs already booked, and a few new ones, which is nice; 2021 might end up being a good year for me in this regard.

The MSO season is full, but the first half is still very light on winds and brass, so I am not on that much, which is disappointing. At least I am salaried, so it makes no difference to me, financially, but after this past season, I WANT TO PLAY!

The MSO quintet and my freelance quintet have light schedules, and it is mostly outdoor stuff, as you can imagine, but we all are working again, so that is good.

Today's gig was an annual favorite that we have done for about 18 or 19 years: Play short sections of the "La Peri" fanfare three times, once every five minutes, then the full fanfare once, for about 20 minutes total. This is to get the loud, intoxicated conventioneers to shut up and sit down so their luncheon can begin, and then I get handed a nice check.

Today's diabetic-friendly lunch was a double Whataburger Jr. with cheese and no tomatoes, a medium diet Dr. Pepper, and half of a small order of fries. Total carbs were 47g and sugars were only 3g. Yippee for me.

I loves me summadat Whataburger.

[Three Valves]

ACL Has a boat leaving June 20.

I’d picket them.

[bloke]

‘ just picked up a double/double for Easter Sunday.
The problem with putting money back into savings that got spent last year is it the money that gets put back isn’t worth as much is the money that was spent, due to inflationary government fake money printing.

[bloke]

Here's the point...

If I just managed to get my weekly cruise ship gig back (along with the same quantity of random/last-minute gigs) - as my per-service wire-band gigs are already also back, I'd be totally back up to the...

"If I had to, I could live off my gigs, were I willing to live in a trailer park and eat Vienna sausage" gig income level.

[Three Valves]

We saw the Rockville Community Band do an outdoor July 4 gig this afternoon.

I may have a similar opportunity with my own band later this month.

[KingTuba1241X]

If I just managed to get my weekly cruise ship gig back

Why not trade the cruise ship for a paddle wheel gig, those are more fun. Then, Vienna Sausage becomes top ramen.

[Three Valves]

Had a rehearsal with the band tonight, over twenty made it, about half the regular size.

Not bad!!

[bloke]

In more sensible regions (other than the daily murders - and those never slowed down, and some perpetrators have always worn masks), things returned to normal quite a while back.

I took my BBBBBBbb Holton (compact) to a friendly-to-me/come-anytime community band rehearsal, last Monday (just to get some more experience playing BBBBBBBbbb tuba, and reading music again - after all these years)...Everyone was there...sitting normal distances from one-another...without any panaccoutrements. (I might have dropped in earlier, but it's sorta rude - yes? - to drop in to a rehearsal just before a community band's 4th-of-July concert, and NOT play the concert.)

fwiw...I'm fitting a different set of pistons to that instrument, tomorrow... ' might post about it in "repairs, etc".

[KingTuba1241X]

things returned to normal quite a while back.

In these necks o' the woods..no band rehearsals at all yet. In fact, one band is still battling the local school system on when/how/who etc it even gets back to getting in the band room to rehearse let alone..any accoutrements regarding "safety" regulations. So maybe by Summer next year? who knows. Another group has a start date in late August but will likely require space suits, full instrument covers and 15 booster jabs to be able to walk in the door and sit down.

[Three Valves]

things returned to normal quite a while back.

In these necks o' the woods..no band rehearsals at all yet. In fact, one band is still battling the local school system on when/how/who etc it even gets back to getting in the band room to rehearse let alone..any accoutrements regarding "safety" regulations. So maybe by Summer next year? who knows. Another group has a start date in late August but will likely require space suits, full instrument covers and 15 booster jabs to be able to walk in the door and sit down.

We had to have an extended "air exchange" break time and wear masks indoors while not playing. "Masks" on instruments. "Proof of vaccination" required but no one checked.

Everyone knows public schools are incubators for COVID unlike restaurants and large chain retail outlets. The science says so.

But it was fun to get together. We have one more rehearsal before a local (outdoor) gig.

[KingTuba1241X]

things returned to normal quite a while back.

In these necks o' the woods..no band rehearsals at all yet. In fact, one band is still battling the local school system on when/how/who etc it even gets back to getting in the band room to rehearse let alone..any accoutrements regarding "safety" regulations. So maybe by Summer next year? who knows. Another group has a start date in late August but will likely require space suits, full instrument covers and 15 booster jabs to be able to walk in the door and sit down.

We had to have an extended "air exchange" break time and wear masks indoors while not playing. "Masks" on instruments. "Proof of vaccination" required but no one checked.

Everyone knows public schools are incubators for COVID unlike restaurants and large chain retail outlets. The science says so.

But it was fun to get together. We have one more rehearsal before a local gig.

I'll have 2 really nice horns for sale if that's what I am required to do upon re-orbit into the community band sphere come August..or whenever.

[Three Valves]

^^^^^

I appreciate the sentiment but if we want to play by our rules we have to set up shop in our own band room.

Else, it's their ignorant science denying rules we have to go by.

That's why my quintet was done at my office last Fall.