xmas gig confessions

[bloke]

I've made a few things a bit easier for one maestro (a good guy and a true musician/talent) over the past several years, and he continues to acknowledge that fact.

Last night (pre-downbeat), I found a bottle of Black Barrel Jameson on my chair.
At intermission, we (low brass) pulled four back-stage waters, emptied them into the water fountain, headed for the maestro's dressing room, and cracked it open. (Yeah...I share, and I always feel that gifts of spirits - when possible - should be shared back with the giver as well as good friends...and - truth be told - I'm honestly not that much of a drinker.)

The M.D. is over on the other side of his dressing room out of camera shot - with the librarian (addressing some 2nd-half stuff), but here we are.




Also...
The 2nd half opened with a semi-cheesy Hanukkah medley...(The way it was written, it looks as if there's probably also a "band" version, so I strongly suspect that some of you in community bands have played it.)

Not too far into it is - LOL - a tuba solo playing - of all things - the "Dreidel Song" (does it have another title? - perhaps "I Have a Little Dreidel"...which makes it even funnier).
I was looking down at my phone (floor - time-check) during the applause, and those around me actually had to tell me that the maestro was trying to get me to stand and take a bow. Realizing that - and seeing the humor it in - I stood up, threw kisses to the balcony (a very large venue - nearly full of folks) pulled my boom mike down and hollered through it while gesturing in this manner (yes, I really did this ).
It was well-received by all, including the maestro.



Tonight (day 4-or-so of the blokie xmas cheeration) is a church gig. I don't see myself receiving any liquor nor "acting out" (other than "musically" on the rock/soul/funk cimbasso-requested numbers).

[Schlitzz]

Interesting hairdressing in the mirror.

[bloke]

Interesting hairdressing in the mirror.

That IS a weird 2D lineup of a 3D situation, isn't it?

[tofu]

.

[bort2.0]

You know, of all the things I've done (and for as much as I've drank in my life), I honestly don't think I've ever drank + played the tuba (ever). And not because of some snooty kind of false professionalism or teetotaling, but rather, I just don't want to blow any of that garbage into my tuba.

But I also guess I'm a bit peculiar because I've always preferred to play hungry and eat afterwards... drink only water... and a lifelong habit of brushing my teeth before playing my horn, every time.

Rest assured though, I've had plenty of good-idea and bad-idea fun during intermissions ... just... soberly.

[tofu]

.

[bloke]

so a trace of distilled liquor on someone's breath is going to add nasty goop to the inside of a tuba...??

[Schlitzz]

Interesting hairdressing in the mirror.

That IS a weird 2D lineup of a 3D situation, isn't it?

Clark, it looks like a squirrel. So go back in there, capture it with a coat, and smack it with a hammer. I hope you fixed the newel post after the gig.

[bloke]

I use that term to describe commercial gigs whereby a few of the tunes may be Christian-oriented/inspired, but most of the rest are "kitchen sink" (other religions, winter-topical, and even "stuff that seems as though it might fit in with a winter concert - for some je ne sais quoi type of reason"...ok...an example: My Favorite Things (from The Sound of Music...NOT winter, NOT Christmas, NOT EVEN xmas, yet sounds "seasonal". Also, Santy Claus, the Grinch, Sleigh Ride, and all that sort of jazz is xmas, and not Christmas.

I have another set of four xmas jobs in four days, and an actual CHRISTMAS gig on the 24th (which ends on the 25th).

me...?? I understand the origin of solstice celebrations (to alleviate the fear in ancients that the days of winter would - once again - begin to lengthen, and everything will - as in past years - again be alright). I do believe (know) that there's something larger than myself...When we look at BOTH the smallest things we have found AND the largest things we have found, we see (astonishingly) intelligent design in them. I also believe than men (or other actually-intelligent beings - ie. far smarter than men - that probably exist off somewhere else) are all incapable of having set all of this in motion.

[arpthark]

Anyway...

How was the whiskey?

I basically quit drinking, not really on purpose, just don't feel like it these days. I have several bottles of bourbon (my Kentuckianism showing) that are sitting unopened on my shelf. I need to start giving those away to friends.

I do have a half a bottle of bottled in bond George Dickel that I found very tasty.

[bloke]

People who believe there's nothing think I'm stupid (because I believe there's something), and people who embrace one the various my-way-or-the-highway belief systems judge me as the same.
So be it.

Again, I'm pretty sure that men aren't smart enough to figure this stuff out, much more than to realize that there is something. (Our pets realize that we love them, they have no idea why, yet they accept it. Compared to that which is larger than us, I'm quite certain that our intellect is nowhere near that - comparatively - of a cat in comparison to a human.)

Passive-aggressive Christmas wishes miss their target. I like Christmas, and (making Christmas even better) we've gotten over being sucked into going out and buying a bunch of crap every year - just because the days are really short. Mrs. bloke makes some things for people, and that makes me smile.

liquor:
About all we have is that which was given to us. That bottle - other than that which I shared at intermission - is still just as full as it was the other day. We're really not "drinkers", and just like that bottle that was given to me, most of our gifted-to-us liquor is served to friends who visit us. Some of it is really tasty, and it makes a person feel warm in the winter, but I really don't like feeling woozy. In the past, we had some of the better George Dickel here, but these days the cabinet seems to usually have things in it (rarely more than two or three) which originate from Scotland or Ireland.

[dp]

Christmas gig confession: I miss playing Sleigh Ride. A lot. I even miss the Tuba Xmas groupies

[bloke]

Christmas gig confession: I miss playing Sleigh Ride. A lot. I even miss the Tuba Xmas groupies

If you've been reading some of my crap, you also know that - every year at one of my orchestras' Christmas pops matinees - hundreds of kids line up to conduct a few bars of Sleigh Ride, so we continuously repeat back to measure 13 to avoid the horse whinny (until the very end) and to avoid having to end and re-start. I'm still not tired of playing it or hearing it.

As far as TubaChristmas events are concerned, most years in the past they conflicted with rehearsals. One year, I actually got the University of Memphis retired band director to drag his feet for about fifteen minutes so I could make it (after another performance). Sadly, the city near me that has started them back up again has become a place where I just don't want to risk parking my car. They won't steal my car - because it's manual transmission and old - but I don't any insurance other than liability, and window glass is expensive and a nuisance to replace. (They bust out windows to check glove boxes for guns.)

[The Brute Squad]

Also...
The 2nd half opened with a semi-cheesy Hanukkah medley...(The way it was written, it looks as if there's probably also a "band" version, so I strongly suspect that some of you in community bands have played it.)

Not too far into it is - LOL - a tuba solo playing - of all things - the "Dreidel Song" (does it have another title? - perhaps "I Have a Little Dreidel"...which makes it even funnier).

There absolutely is a band version. I remember playing it in high school (if only for the tuba melody, don't think it's a solo in that version).