Thursday, March 6, 2008

I was so entertained by the comments on that last entry that I forgot to do new entries!

It'd be nice to forget last night's practice, too, We were going over combined band tunes. If there is one set that everybody knows so well they are sick of it, it's the Mill set, comprised of The Old Mill, Mari's Wedding, Killikrankie and Pipe Major J. K. Cairns. These are the first tunes anybody learns in this band, and we play them ad nauseatum because everybody knows them. However! There are 2 versions. Version One is the Competition Version, which starts on E and then jumps into the first tune, and you play right through all 4 tunes without stopping. Version Two is the Parade Version, which doesn't have the E at the beginning but jumps right in at the D of Mill. Anybody who plays the E gets The Look and/or severely chastened. The other difference is that in the Parade Version there is a break after Mari's Wedding for the drums to play their 4 measures of tics and tacs. We are playing the parade version for the concert, so that's what we practiced. I remembered about no E, but I completely forgot the break. So I was the only one playing--wrongly--during the drum break. I got The Look, and the Severe Chastizement.

PM "Were you watching me?"

me "Yes."PM "Did you see me step out?" (stepping forward 2 steps and then back signals the band that we are going to stop at the end of the current section)

me "No."

PM [shakes head in disgust]On the other hand, I played the battle tunes (also known as the 9/8's) with the full band last night. I was the only one of the Grade IV on my side of the stage who played. Both the other Grade IV members standing by me told me I'd done a good job. I accept all compliments!

We didn't go over the 6/8's, which is harder (for me) and longer. No more weeks to practice: the concert is in 3 days!!

I have to go over the Mill set and our Grade IV Medley. I didn't majorly mess up the medley, but I did mess up. Lesson tonight, 'nother band practice tomorrow, 'nother practice Saturday, but I don't want to mess up even in the practices!


My editor has told me that it's either one exclamation point or none. I just want to say this is cramping my style.

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