Concierto de Aranjuez

[Talo Segura]

 

[Cole Parker]

 

That was truly wonderful.

[Merkin]

Very inspiring.  I've always admired the flugelhorn, but they barely exist here in the States.  I was a trumpet player:  on the first day of seventh grade a trumpet was shoved into my hands by our junior high school music director as he said "Here, this is your instrument."   "No, no, no!" I protested, but to no avail.  My dreams of becoming a drummer like Gene Krupa were derailed and I wheezed and puffed and generated a lot of spit throughout my school career with an instrument I worked hard to tolerate and never mastered. 
 

[Cole Parker]

I've known and worked with many, many trumpet players in my time in bands and orchestras.  Let me say, James, a disproportionate majority of them had egos the size of California.  I've never had the feeling you're that way at all; you're much too nice.  Perhaps that's why you never took to the instrument.

[dude]

On 10/7/2020 at 5:58 AM, Merkin said:

 I was a trumpet player:  on the first day of seventh grade a trumpet was shoved into my hands by our junior high school music director as he said "Here, this is your instrument."   "No, no, no!" I protested, but to no avail.  My dreams of becoming a drummer like Gene Krupa were derailed and I wheezed and puffed and generated a lot of spit throughout my school career with an instrument I worked hard to tolerate and never mastered. 
 

Happened to me as well.  When I arrived for my first orchestra practice at Normandy Jr. High School in St. Louis... I was 20 minutes late and was assigned a huge B-flat upright horn.  Weighing barely a hundred pounds and five feet tall... I had the biggest (musical☺️) instrument in the concert orchestra.  Despite the hopeless odds, including my limited lung capacity, my folks hired a tutor and I was taking tuba lessons.  

Because of the disparity between my physical size and requirements of "the beast" the band director, Mr. Duncan, obtained a stool for me to sit on and commandeered a waste basket which was inverted and used to hold the base of the tuba.

All worked fine until the day we were performing at a neighboring high school assembly and Mr. Duncan... inspired by a rousing reception from the audience, ordered us up onto our feet and told us we'd march around the auditorium of seated students and then back up onto the stage all while playing When The Saints Go Marching In.  Unlike it's cousin, the Sousaphone, the upright tuba was never designed to be played while walking or marching.  I threatened to resign after the ordeal was over, but to keep me in the orchestra, Mr. Duncan compromised and made me assistant conductor! 

I still have my baton packed away somewhere.  1-2-3-4

 

[Cole Parker]

LEADING THE WAY, EVEN WAY BACK THEN!

[Merkin]

HA HA HA HA.  Love it, especially the waste basket.
 

[dude]

I think this kid just beat me as the youngest conductor!