First performance since March tonight

[djwpe]

It wasn’t much, just a 12-piece Czech polka band, and my endurance is lacking, but it felt good to be back.

We’re still not close to full orchestras or bands here in Cuomo-ton, but at least it’s something


Don

[bloke]

Down here where things aren’t so tight-assed,
I still don’t think I’m going to be doing anything with other people until just after the beginning of September.

I have a country club brunch gig booked, but I can’t remember whether it’s August or September.

It’s nice to get out and play music, isn’t it?

[djwpe]

Down here where things aren’t so tight-assed,
I still don’t think I’m going to be doing anything with other people until just after the beginning of September.

I have a country club brunch gig booked, but I can’t remember whether it’s August or September.

It’s nice to get out and play music, isn’t it?

You betcha. There were 26 years of my adult life I didn’t play music. I was a miserable son of a b&$# during that time.

[hup_d_dup]

Thursday night (day before yesterday) The Hunterdon Symphony (NJ) presented an outdoor concert. The concert was played not by the full symphony, but by members of smaller groups from within the symphony. I played in a brass quintet; first performance since January.

The audience sat in their cars and listened to a local broadcast on their radios. During the numbers in which I didn't play I listened in my wife's car, and could hear a combination of live sound through the windows and speaker sound in the car. It doesn't seem likely, but the resulting sound was pretty good, actually better than usual for an outdoor concert. After each number cars honked and blinked their lights. A little unusual but it was fun.

Hup

[the elephant]

My orchestra is currently trying to rebuild the season in with safe, sellable programs right now.

Before everything was canceled in the Spring, my last performance was on March 7th in a Chamber Series program. Our final Masterworks program was canceled, as were all of our Pops runouts and several other major events. I lost about $2000 in freelance money, too, between Spring Break and today.

The other day I received an "Ensemble Booking Form" from the office informing me that the brass quintet is slated to perform on September 12th. It is outdoors, at the entryway for a top drawer restaurant. They are running a fund-raiser for us to help replace our JSL Ball and Silent Auction. They are selling takeaway meals, and the MSOBQ will play for the customers/supporters as they mill about waiting for their repas en boîte de haut cuisine.

We are required to perform only when people are present, and we are to wear masks when we are not playing. Chairs will be about eight to ten feet apart. The attire is casual, thankfully, since it will be very hot for the 2.5 hours we will be out there.

It'll be like old school Rio Grande Valley "Park-n-Blow" marching band: challenging music, no marching. I'm going to wear my shako to help get into the spirit of things, and I'm going to keep my Kurath pointed "to the box" all night.

[Jim Williams]

Had 10-15 German-style gigs cancelled and dozens of church services.

Indianapolis Brass Choir on hold until 2021 at earliest because 90% of our jobs are in churches--hard to space performers and audiences.

Indiana Wind Symphony starts up at the end of September--our home venue (the wonderful Carmel Palladium) is big enough to allow for good spacing for performers and audience.