worst thing you can do?
March 21, 2005 at 5:50 a.m.
Okay, probably should be careful in making an entry what with diaryland being on crack and all, but I just gotta shoot one off.
First off: think of the most embarassing thing you can do while standing in front of a 50-person freshman orchestra at a contest in front of 3 judges and an audience.
Answer in a few... read on:
St. Patrick's Day was a marathon! the Border Collies, being a celtic band, were swamped with 2 gigs on a week day, one at Fado's in the trndy part of Buckhead and them at another local place until after midnight. And then I had to be at work again the next day and chaperone a contest by myself, but more on that later....
So it was wild. Packed, crazy, and so much fun. I love my band to pieces and I even got some awesome news that I may share a bit later. All in all, lovin' it.
Except for crazy drunk guys that fall in whatever with me and start shouting stuff at me while we're playing, and thenm try to hit on me afterwards. Come on, I wear a ring on my LEFT HAND, even though it is weird for a violinist to wear one there because of how we play, but it flashes while I'm paying yayhoos! Pay attention! Maybe they don't think it means much. I do, and I know another person who does (especially he doesn't fidget with his as much as he used to;)
That rant is over, and I feel better. Although I like it better when he can come to my gigs and I can plant a big one on him during breaks so they keep away:)
Anywho, the next day was INSANE. 200 kids, 4 busses, 1 angry mom chaperone and 2 guys who I drummed up to help who knew less than I did, and me, trying to get everyone on the busses for a 2 hour drive to a contest, even though it took longer because the besses got lost and were late.
Bus drivers yelling at me, someone loosing our music scores for the judges, parents yelling, students yelling, my co teacher nowhere to be found and I'm out of my mind confused and really scared.
I get out on the stage and conduct the first 2 pieces without stopping and am about to move on to the 3rd, glad to be almost over, when someone sticks their head out of the side door and tells me I'm supposed to wait in between songs for the judges. One more thing I didn't know that no one warned me about.
So what was your answer about the most embarassing thing you could do in this situation?
Standing there in front of 50 freshman, I start silently bawling my eyes out. The poor kids thought it was because they played badly!! I was just so stressed and have a sudden silent break was too much, I jsut momentarily lost it. I didn't even wipe my eyes so the judges behind me couldn't tell what I was doing, but good gravy!
The poor kids too, terrified of messing up now as to what I'd do, but I calmed down, smiled, and we played better than ever, and got a top superior rating!
One of the judges even thought I was a student conductor, like one of the high school students. Gah.
But it's over. I got done, had more hades-ness with 3 more orchestras to perform that day and one more the next, but it all went fine and at the end, I had my sweetheart's arms to crawl into again.
He doesn't sugarcoat things or pat me on the head when I hit my limits, but he does smile and give me this look like he knows I can do it, so I just feel stronger. Dang I love my husband. He gets more perfect for me every day:)
SUPERCRACK is DONE with contests, festivasls and chaperoning! maybe foreverrrrr!!!