Flying Folks

My brother gave me a call around 6:30pm yesterday.

"The next Jet Blue flight that departs is carrying our parents."

Ken had driven up to Whittier to chauffeur Mom and Dad down to the Long Beach Airport for their flight to Seattle.

He made sure they were safely tucked aboard their flight, then called me as he kept a watchful eye on their taxiing plane.

I went out to the front yard, phone in hand.

"There they go!", Ken reported from his vantage point at the airport.

Seconds later the hurtling silver tube emblazoned with the Jet Blue logo and containing our parental units shot into view.

I waved as Mom and Dad headed for a restful interlude on Orcas Island.

Ken's parting words: "Wow. You DO live close to the airport!"

Punctured Flute Technician

My faithful flute has been clanking up a storm.

The first key on the left hand is catching and making noise.

Bummer.

Playing outside will do that to a flute.

Fortunately, excellent local flute technician Paul Rabinov made time to see me this coming Thursday to get things ironed out.

However, I got a call from his wife a little while ago.

Paul took a bad fall while riding his bike today. He is currently hospitalized with 5 broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Ouch!

Although he is in a lot of pain, he should eventually make a full recovery.

I'm grateful that he'll be okay.

Meanwhile, my flute can just clank a little longer.

Feel better Paul!

True Love

The smell of burning electronics was strong in our office Friday evening after the last Cowboy concert of the week.

We were unable to locate the source of the stench...until the next day when I tried to power up my computer.

It was dead as a doornail.

A closer look revealed the power supply and mother board were fried to a crisp along with the CPU and a memory chip.

Other than that it was all good.

So where's the true love in this?

My dear, exhausted husband Bob spent 14 hours laboring to provide a working computer for me. In the process he rescued my drives and all the content, even though they seemed lost forever.

True love.

We have it.

A Changing View

As I patiently waited for the concert to begin at Marine Stadium this evening, I realized that I had been sitting in a different chair there each week for the last 3 weeks.

3 weeks ago I was in the piccolo chair while Eileen worked somewhere else.

Last week I was in my normal "Flute 2" chair.

Tonight I was "Flute 1", filling in for Patti:

That can be confusing for my fan base.

Wait.

As the sound engineer, my husband always knows where I'm sitting.

Anyway, I've had a ton of solos to play this week. Who knew Cowboy music could be so flute friendly! I had a blast tonight because I can actually play all the music. That's always a plus!

One of the features unique to Marine Stadium are the "boat people." They pull right up next to the stage and enjoy the concert from the comfort of their sea going vessels:

They are also very generous with their donations to the band.

Next week for the first time in the 23 years that I've been playing with the band they will not be permitted to assume their usual positions in the water next to the band stand.

Marine Stadium will be closed.

We on the band stand were wondering about the stadium closure.

Did it need an acid wash?

Was it leaking?

Was the drain clogged?

Actually, the stadium will be closed while the course is being laid out for the Dragon Boat races the next day.

So while they could, the boat people were able to enjoy the band and the enchanting Carol Welsman:

The party continues at El Dorado Park tomorrow evening at 6:30pm.

It's your last chance to Yipee-Ki-Ya!

Roping Up Notes

The Long Beach Municipal Band's Cowboy concert this week has a LOT of notes in it.

A lot.

On a typical concert day I'm out in the audience greeting people (well, mooching, sort of - it's amazing what a hungry looking band member in an enormous shirt can score from the tender hearted and well stocked members of the audience). Today I just crept onto the band stand and tried to focus.

I'm not trying to be uppity.

I just need to play me a lot of notes.

A lot.

The pay-off is huge, however.

The last piece on the concert band program is "The William Tell Overture"...better know as the Theme to the Lone Ranger.

It is SO FUN to watch the crowd suddenly light up and cheer as the trumpets play the opening fanfare.

Tonight all 2,300 of them got on their horses and RODE!

It makes those notes all worthwhile.

Every last one of them!

Bluff Park Season Debut

The Muni Band wagon train rolled into Bluff Park today for the first time this season.

Playing right next to the water has its issues, but on the whole the weather was warm with only occasional gusts of wind to play havoc with the music on our stands.

Sensational singer Carol Welsman joins us this week.

You won't want to miss your chance this week to get your cowboy on.

Tomorrow: Los Cerritos Park, 6:30pm. FREE!!!

Yipee-Ki-Ya!

This week is Cowboy week in Muni Band land.

The music is really, really good.

For example:



And how about:



This is a wonderful John Williams piece:



It wouldn't be Cowboy Week without this:



Join us in the parks of Long Beach as we bring you all this and more FOR FREE!!!

Concerts begin at 6:30pm

Yipee-Ki-Ya!