Being in front
Most musicians will agree when you play solo it is as if you were naked in front of the whole world. On a sound basis. Hopefully you kept your clothes on. So I sat here for a few minutes trying to remember 3 or 4 moments that I have never forgotten. One early one involved the first time that I had to record a drum fill. In a stage band or jazz band context. But the performance was captured to tape and placed on a record album that was sold to all of my acquaintances. Not a long solo but for me unforgettable. Another moment was my first tuba solo while performing a piece by Holst. One of those situations where everyone can hear you because you are the first one to perform in the piece. Not long but you have to get it right. There is no do over. And from the first note until the last you are centre stage. In an audible context. The third moment would be when I stood up in a full auditorium and performed a solo on flute. By that point I realized that most people have no idea what they’re listening to. Some cannot even identify the instrument much less the piece of music. Still you want to get it right the first time. No do overs. A fourth one would be my loudest performance. Not something I had intended but I got caught up in the moment it has our pit orchestra finished our run on Oklahoma I hit the drums solidly loudly enough so that I broke a drumstick which is something I have almost never done either intentionally or by accident. That was a long time ago but the moment is still with me. So what about you? Do you have moments that you can say I was in front of the world. It happens and if you only play as part of a band you may never have those moments but when you are in front of the band you have to be on your best behavior. In passing I did have a teacher tell me that I could go ahead and play more loudly on a regular basis because I was one of the quietest tuba players he had ever met. As he explained it was all in the air that came out of the top of the instrument not the air going into it.
