• About me
  • What is this?

Radical Totality

~ an experimental creative laboratory by Mark Snyder

Radical Totality

Tag Archives: God

Things I’ve Learned Rehearsing in the Pit Orchestra of a High School Musical

10 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by Mark Snyder in music

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

a special kind of crazy, aging, AWESOME, bass guitar, Beatles, Come Together, cool, God, Hannibal Lecter, high school, music, musical, pit orchestra, Seussical, Ted Bundy

  • Playing a musical is HARD!  I expected it to be a musical challenge.  I didn’t expect it to be so physically demanding, until I calculated that I carry 80 lb of gear in and out of the school every day.  The bass guitar itself only weighs 15 lb, but have that slung around your neck for 6 hours of rehearsal and you’re going to feel it.  I felt almost as tired as when I rode century rides on Bike Virginia not too many years ago.
  • Life has a serious sense of humor.  Sitting next to me in the pit is the teacher I fired last year after she told me God told her husband I was Ted Bundy.  She looks scared to death and has yet to make eye contact with me.   (A bass teacher once tried to task me.  I ate her liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti…..).  I saw her walk in and inside of me let out a hearty Luciferian laugh.  Here’s hoping God doesn’t tell her husband to stop Ted Bundy…
  • I was never that young.  Even when I was- I was never that young.
  • I am very glad it’s not me having to herd all those kids around getting them to do what they’re supposed to.  I just come in and do my thing.  They’re somebody else’s problem.  (Even the kids making out backstage).
  • These kids are too young to have any concept of who the Beatles are.  I played the riff from “Come Together” while warming up, and kids come up to me and ask “That’s AWESOME!  Did you write that?”  (I did have great fun jamming on it with the ringer 1st trumpet last night.)
  • It’s a weird thing feeling all that energy and color going on behind you- and you can’t turn around and look!
  • Keys with 5 and 6 flats are no fun- even when you’ve practiced them until you can’t think anymore- until you can play them- then they’re great!
  • No matter how hard you work at it, in a show this big you are never going to play it perfectly.  Hell, it’s not even in the realm of possibility that you won’t get lost at some point.  Some times, the best you can do is just not play and find a landmark so you know where you are.
  • The music director is a terrific director but she’s a jinx.  She told me I have a beautiful singing voice- the next day I had laryngitis.
  • I am way cooler at 42 than I ever was in high school.  I have had a lot of these kids walk up to me and say “Are you the bass?  You’re AWESOME!!!!”  No I’m not, kid- I’ve just been playing guitar since before your parents were born.  
  • I can play.  No matter how many years I didn’t play seriously as a musician (about 25 years)- I still got it- and am unbelievably grateful I’m back and better than ever.

Opening night is tomorrow night.  The show is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 7.  I’m ready to be done, but I really do love the experience and hope I get to do this again!

June 2022
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« Apr    

Recent Posts

  • Patent No. 2,124,022
  • New book now available: EPITAPH 
  • Excerpt from Epitaph
  • Snow
  • (no title)

Archives

  • April 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012

Blogs I Follow

  • Observer
  • kushtrimthaqi
  • A PILLAR OF SOCIETY
  • annamosca
  • M.O.A
  • Poetry On A Roll
  • notes by scribblerbean
  • A Topsy Turvy World
  • FracturedGalaxies
  • Wuji Seshat
  • She's in Prison
  • Zora Neale Hurston study group
  • Offtheravenstongue's Blog
  • The 365 Poetry Project
  • Read A Little Poetry
  • Awake & Asleep
  • Poesy plus Polemics
  • "It is as it is"
  • New Beginnings
  • mentalnotes1

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 195 other followers

Art Coursera assignment drawing music NaBloWriMo painting parody photograph poetry Uncategorized

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Observer

News, data and insight about the powerful forces that shape the world.

kushtrimthaqi

Just another human being who's trying to reach new levels of consciousness.

A PILLAR OF SOCIETY

annamosca

Poetic Landscapes Of The Spirit

M.O.A

Poetry On A Roll

"free-verse" poetry from the soul

notes by scribblerbean

life in the margins, caffeinated.

A Topsy Turvy World

Disorder shall prevail thanks to Sister Entropy

FracturedGalaxies

Wuji Seshat

Selected Poems

She's in Prison

Poetry by Leanne Rebecca Ortbals

Zora Neale Hurston study group

Offtheravenstongue's Blog

Just another WordPress.com site

The 365 Poetry Project

Read A Little Poetry

Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life? ― Mary Oliver

Awake & Asleep

Letters from Edinburgh to Manila, and Back

Poesy plus Polemics

Words of Wonder, Worry and Whimsy

"It is as it is"

New Beginnings

By Erika Enriquez

mentalnotes1

POETRY, RANDOM THOUGHTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT....

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Radical Totality
    • Join 195 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Radical Totality
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar