Bob's Opera Experience

Not to be outdone, Bob has his own YouTube escapade.

He is "the sound guy" next to the videographer in this clip of the curtain call of Long Beach Opera's Orpheus and Euridice (the one opera this year I didn't do).



Bob came down with shingles 2 days later...

How To Employ More Musicians

Bob joined the opera carpool tonight for more garage opera.

We're safely home after another remarkable evening and have a very early wake-up call for a cool surprise thing that I will blog about tomorrow.

Meanwhile, my former student Amy sent this beauty along.

Flute jobs are hard to come by. This is a great way to double the flutists on each job:

Return To Zork

I was reminded of my Return To Zork days while chatting with beFrank at his gallery show the other night.

Nathan Wang and I did the sound track for the game. Nathan is much more accomplished than I. However, you can hear my fluting as you wander through the woods on this YouTube clip:

Garage Opera Revisited

Yesterday found me back in the bowels of the Sinai Temple parking garage for a rehearsal of Long Beach Opera's "Anne Frank".



I have to remind myself that I am there to do my job. It is difficult, however, after hearing Holocaust survivor Laura (Hannalore) Hillman speak these words as she reads aloud a letter she received from her mother while away at school as a young woman:

"Dearest Hannelore,

I'm sorry I didn't write to you sooner, but I have been terribly worried. Six weeks ago your papa was taken to Buchenwald, a concentration camp near Weimar. He was on his way home from work, riding his bicycle, when the Gestapo stopped him and took him to their headquarters. The next day, when I inquired about where he was and asked if I could bring him a change of clothes, I was told he had already left the city and wouldn't need the clothes. You can imagine how concerned and upset I have been since. Day after day I prayed for his safe return.

Yesterday the postman brought a letter and a small box postmarked "Buchenwald". The letter said the following; "Martin Wolff died of unknown causes on March 14, 1942. Urn contains his ashes."

Hannelore, your papa is dead.

It is an indescribable privilege to be in the same room with Laura, a glowing woman with a beautiful smile, as she shares the agonizing nightmare of her life during the Holocaust. It is hard for me not to be swept away into the horror and the hope that this Schindler's List Jew experienced.

But I've got my own role in this opera.

So I sit and focus on the music in front of me and play my flute to the best of my ability.

Then, after I've played the final note of my music, I sit and and quietly weep and pray "Never Again."

Here is a clip taken at last Thursday's first rehearsal in Long Beach:

We're Toy Story Mania Winners!

I just got the official email from "My Pals at the Disneyland Resort".

Bob and I have won a spot in the Toy Story Mania Annual Pass Holder Sneak Peak.

How cool is that!

Although the ride officially opens to the public on June 17, Bob and I have been invited to preview Toy Story Mania next Monday, June 9!

We hear from our friend and Disney cast member David, who has experienced it several times already, that it is an absolutely fabulous ride.

We'll let you know how we like it.

Yipee!!!!

Artistic Relief

I got seriously abused at work today.

Well, not me personally.

I was on stage with a group of musicians who were seriously abused as a whole.

Whatever.

Take the money.

Run.

Repeat.

Believe me, the only thing that got me through the afternoon with any form of sanity was the thought that after the abuse, er, gig I was going to the closing reception for "The Art of News II" at the NoHo Gallery where mighty blogger beFrank was exhibiting some of his masterful photographs.

Aside from getting an eyeful of some wonderful art, beFrank graciously explained his time travel experiences of late. If you ask him real nice he might enlighten you as well. Go ahead, ask him. I was quite impressed with what I heard.

Dave Bryan (BRYAN???), a subject of one of be(BRYAN)Frank's pictures made an appearance at the reception.

If you squint you might be able to see beFrank's photo "Citizen Dave" over Dave's right shoulder:

Can't see it?

How's this:

Still can't see it? Sorry. It didn't make the gallery's web site where I lifted this beauty by Bryan.

Trust me, it was brilliant.

My favorite part of the reception?

This:

I got to meet Action Wife Dellis and the lovely Frank daughters Dania and Camia in person. What a delight!

And to top it off, famous blogger Darleene and her handsome spouse Trinity dropped by. I didn't get a picture of us together, but long-armed beFrank did. When he gets it posted I'll lift it and put it up here.

He said it was okay.

Really.

Not So Good Gig Etiquette

(Courtesy ICanHasCheezburger.com)

I am extremely fortunate. I play with astonishingly talented musicians and I get paid for it.

Everyone does their job and no one gets hurt.

That's because we're practicing the very essential Good Gig Etiquette. It's pretty easy:

Be on time
Know your part
Leave your baggage at home
Get some therapy

Another important thing to remember is EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYBODY ELSE. I'm still working with people I met in All Southern California Junior High Honor Band.

DO NOT INDULGE IN TEMPER TANTRUMS. Avoid the temptation to tell that person who is making you really unhappy to put it where the sun doesn't shine. They could end up being the contractor for the world's best gig next year and you won't be on it because you couldn't suck it up and act all adult like.

DON'T BURN BRIDGES. You might want to walk back over them one day (see above)

Yep. That about covers it.

I mention this because someone I was working with today broke 6 out of 7 of these rules (they actually were on time to the gig). It was someone new in town who was hoping to break into the scene here. Apparently no one explained Good Gig Etiquette to them in advance.

They couldn't play their part. No, really. They couldn't begin to play their part. That is so not done that no one else in the room could actually believe it when it happened over and over again.

Today was our second rehearsal (the concert is tomorrow), and the conductor was understandably distraught. So much so, in fact, that at the beginning of the first break a replacement had hastily been procured and was hurrying to the venue to take over the part. The original player was fired by the end of the first break. I may have seen that happen before, but I think it was at a church gig in college.

So the original player (remember, this is someone who wants to work in this town) packed up their equipment, went to the front of the rehearsal hall, turned, faced the orchestra, extended her (yes I said her) middle digit toward the conductor and stomped out of the hall.

Clearly she also failed to observe "know your part", "leave your baggage at home", "get some therapy", "everyone knows everybody else","do not indulge in temper tantrums", and the very important "don't burn bridges".

Chalk it all up to some Not So Good Gig Etiquette.