Keep it coming...

Just wanted to share one of those, "oh so awesome" moments that seem to happen with a little more frequency in my life than I might prefer.

Today's was at orchestra rehearsal. Let me preface a bit by saying my nose is stuffy and running like mad today. A great way to return back to work. But anyway, I was also reminded via email that I had a Chamber Orchestra rehearsal this evening. I was very excited about that ( note sarcasm) as I hadn't played my horn since.... Christmas. Well then I get a text from the principal horn ( he plays first horn - the high parts and the majority of the solos - I play second horn) that he would not be at rehearsal tonight due to a very bad accident his mother had. That was very sad news, but then he adds that I need to play the solo to Mendelsohn's Midsummer Night's Dream. Uhhhhh, not good timing.

So I looked it up online and the only free version I could find was the opening 20 or so measures AND I couldn't get it to print, so I saved it to my computer and took the whole laptop to rehearsal ( another push to invest in an iPad). So, nose running, face and lungs not in shape, I get through the first part of the rehearsal ( not fabulously I must add) and ask the 'handsome' but alternative lifestyle conductor if we would be playing the Nocturno ( the movement with the solo) I showed him the excerpt I had just so that if we did play it, he knew I wasn't a total moron by not playing the entire thing. He humored me and said sure.

When we got to it, I was playing by reading off a a laptop set on a chair, not the best for posture OR eye contact with your conductor, but I managed to get through it. ( I truly believe people in my aquaintance just learn accept the way I am and humor me on a general basis, as I am sure this looked far from kosher) I broke a few phrases becuase of lack of breath support, but the performance wasn't embarrassing. What comes next was though.

This very nice, but very LOUD oboe player comes to see me as we are dismissed from playing - the last number only used strings. The din of the room wasn't overly loud as rehearsal was still continuing and says in her whipser ( aka a def man's shout) "Did you see him smiling at you the whole time you played?" to which I replied " Uh, no. I was too busy squinting towards the laptop" She says," That's what I thought, that's why I wanted to tell you" to which, in the way that's only mine I said " Well that's a once in a lifetime experience"  - meaning me getting to play the solo, not him smiling at me..... although I do usually draw a scowl or an index finger pointing to a baton WITH a scowl. So I can only imagine he heard all of this and I could feel my face turning red, so I moved to get the heck out of dodge.

I haven't decided to thank him for humoring my solo read via email and pretend that the oboe player never made a comment or simply slink away and hope he heard nothing and this will all be a memory by next rehearsal. Hmmmmm.

So, my solo moment comes with a little piece of embarrassment to go with it.

Everyone else has moments like these too....... right???