Clarinet Virtuoso Makes Stunning Debut!
Dec. 12th, 2007 08:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellyssianThe lead clarinetist of the Lefty Valdez Band had her debut live performance last night, accompanied by a local middle school band and a number of farmers (who later turned out to be police officers undercover, I believe.)
Due to overwhelming response, the concert was split into two performances, and Rachel was in the first half. Deb avowed she hadn't waited that long in a line to get into a concert ever.
The performance opened up with the Jazz Ensemble - which Rachel would like to join. As they consist of drummers (two swapped out on the drumkit), two keyboard players, and a bunch of brass, that would put her into prominence as the only clarinet in the band. They sounded a heckuva lot better than I had expected - the horns were a lot tighter than one would think a middle school band would have a right to be, so I was quite happy to listen. I can see why Rachel would want to perform with them. Her friend plays drums and he kept pretty good time for the tune he played...
The full 5th & 6th grade band came out next and played three songs. While some of these kids played in band last year, most just started when Rachel did: over the past summer. I've heard high school bands that didn't sound as smooth and coordinated as these guys.
The band director, in addition to getting more out of the ensemble than I would have expected, also added some humor into the program. Just before they were to begin their last tune, a bunch of squeaks and other notes could be heard. He asked for people to stop goofing off, and then called for the curtains to be opened. Turns out a bunch of farmers who wanted to be musicians were trying to crash the concert. Only problem is they only knew one tune: Old MacDonald. After trying to get the farmers to play a Christmas tune, and failing, he asks the band if they want the farmers to play along, and all the kids shout "No!" He overrules them, and the four farmers sit amongst the band, and they play an arrangement of holiday tunes that keeps turning into Old MacDonald. Some fun polyphonic stuff going on there.
After the tune, the band director apologized a bit about hopefully not offending any farmers (of which there were probably quite a few in the audience given our location), that the actual song played was - of course - not the one listed in the program, but a tune called Christmas on the Farm, and thanked the officers for playing along. He made them lifetime honorary members of the middle school band. =)
The 5th & 6th grade chorus did a few tunes after that - including one with a piano soloist, and another where Santa came out dancing along with two of the kids from the choir.
Very fun show, and Rachel did great in her performances. The only downside is that she only played for three songs. I've sat through other school performances and wished they were just a bit shorter; this one could have gone on longer.
Due to overwhelming response, the concert was split into two performances, and Rachel was in the first half. Deb avowed she hadn't waited that long in a line to get into a concert ever.
The performance opened up with the Jazz Ensemble - which Rachel would like to join. As they consist of drummers (two swapped out on the drumkit), two keyboard players, and a bunch of brass, that would put her into prominence as the only clarinet in the band. They sounded a heckuva lot better than I had expected - the horns were a lot tighter than one would think a middle school band would have a right to be, so I was quite happy to listen. I can see why Rachel would want to perform with them. Her friend plays drums and he kept pretty good time for the tune he played...
The full 5th & 6th grade band came out next and played three songs. While some of these kids played in band last year, most just started when Rachel did: over the past summer. I've heard high school bands that didn't sound as smooth and coordinated as these guys.
The band director, in addition to getting more out of the ensemble than I would have expected, also added some humor into the program. Just before they were to begin their last tune, a bunch of squeaks and other notes could be heard. He asked for people to stop goofing off, and then called for the curtains to be opened. Turns out a bunch of farmers who wanted to be musicians were trying to crash the concert. Only problem is they only knew one tune: Old MacDonald. After trying to get the farmers to play a Christmas tune, and failing, he asks the band if they want the farmers to play along, and all the kids shout "No!" He overrules them, and the four farmers sit amongst the band, and they play an arrangement of holiday tunes that keeps turning into Old MacDonald. Some fun polyphonic stuff going on there.
After the tune, the band director apologized a bit about hopefully not offending any farmers (of which there were probably quite a few in the audience given our location), that the actual song played was - of course - not the one listed in the program, but a tune called Christmas on the Farm, and thanked the officers for playing along. He made them lifetime honorary members of the middle school band. =)
The 5th & 6th grade chorus did a few tunes after that - including one with a piano soloist, and another where Santa came out dancing along with two of the kids from the choir.
Very fun show, and Rachel did great in her performances. The only downside is that she only played for three songs. I've sat through other school performances and wished they were just a bit shorter; this one could have gone on longer.
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Date: 2007-12-12 06:40 pm (UTC)