(no subject)
Aug. 15th, 2012 07:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jianantonicToday was largely uneventful for me, but at the same time so full of good things!
It was my first day back at the office in a week due to a schedule switcharoo last week, and I was good 'n' busy all day long, which I like. The most stressful part of my workday is boredom. I love that about it. Also, we have a new adjuster, so I'm not the new kid anymore. Not that I mind or that the hazing was too bad or anything. It's just cool to grow up in the company a little bit.
Then at the end of the day, things cooled down enough that I had just a few minutes to kill -- not enough time to get into too much trouble, but enough time to surf Craigslist for bass clarinets. McKenzie says that I'm noticeably better at clarinet already after just a week of reteaching myself, and I'm so enthusiastic about it. Sethy's enthusiasm for his new sax habit is quite contagious, and since the majority of my musical skill lies with the woodwinds, I figure my best shot at a decent jam session with some of my favorite musicians is to hone those skills. Anyway, I always played bass clarinet in school, and I like the sound a lot better (deeper, more resonant), but bass clarinet parts in bands and orchestras tend to be on the boring side. Not that I'm joining any orchestras or anything. The fingering is exactly the same, it's just the blowing that's different (too easy, let it slide), so there's nothing stopping me from playing fun clarinet music on a bass clarinet...except the whole not owning a bass clarinet thing.
Bass clarinets aren't exactly common, either, so it's not like I can just find one at a garage sale. Even Craigslist offers slim pickins, so I figured I'd save up for a little while and maybe buy a nice used one the next time I have a few thousand dollars laying around, and until then I'll keep working with the clarinet. But with my few minutes to spare this afternoon, I pulled up Craigslist Portland...then looked at the Charlottesville one, just to see...turns out, a recently-graduated student is leaving town and doesn't want to take her instruments with her. She has both a clarinet and a bass, and she's unloading them at a truly bargain basement price. I pounced, and hit Facebook to enlist a Virginian friend or relative to make the deal for me. Then, my sister-in-law Rachel saw my post and sent me a text saying not to buy one, she will give me her dad's. Holy shit!
Backstory -- Rachel grew up in Brooklyn and went to LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. The Fame high school. She was in Jennifer Aniston's class. Anyway, her performance art was clarinet. Her dad passed away a long time ago (20 years or more, I believe), and I didn't know that he was a musician at all, but apparently he was quite a gifted one, and he took up bass clarinet late in life. He left it to Rachel, his clarinet-playing daughter, but she doesn't really use it, and so when she saw that I was jonesing for one, she realized where it would have a good home. I am SO HONORED. She says it hasn't been played in at least 15 years and will need some work probably, but she is going to bring it to Charlottesville next week, and I'll have my mom take it to a local shop for a tuneup. Yay!
Still, I don't know the condition of this bass for sure, and I do know that there's a good deal to be had on one in Waynesboro, so I'm still going to buy that one if it checks out okay. My uncle is going to look at it for me tomorrow or Friday. He's a musician, so I trust he'll make a good call on it. If it happens that I end up with two playable instruments, I'll give the one that's not a family heirloom to Shanon, because she also played bass clarinet in school, and I'll make her play duets with me. I'm so excited!
Rachel also told me that she ran into Paul McCartney at lunch today. They were eating at the same restaurant, and when Paul and his son were leaving, they walked by Rachel's table and he said "Hello," then peeked in Bess's stroller and said "She's beautiful. I was admiring her before." Paul McCartney thinks my niece is beautiful! It's quite silly I know, but I'm completely starstruck-from-afar. When I heard this story, I promptly looked up all the Beatles sheet music I could find for clarinet and dedicated tonight's practice to Paul. And Bess. Heh. (Seth -- a lot of their stuff is musically pretty simple. You and me, woodwind Beatles cover show at Falcon Ridge next year? Everyone else sings?)
Then, just when I thought I'd met my quota for happy in one day, I got a message from the abovementioned Seth, who is in Philly right now with our good friend and fellow Shantytowner, Tony, telling me that he just witnessed Tony's purchase of a plane ticket to Portland next month. I'm gonna have my first Shanty visitor! You guys. I cannot contain the happy.
It was my first day back at the office in a week due to a schedule switcharoo last week, and I was good 'n' busy all day long, which I like. The most stressful part of my workday is boredom. I love that about it. Also, we have a new adjuster, so I'm not the new kid anymore. Not that I mind or that the hazing was too bad or anything. It's just cool to grow up in the company a little bit.
Then at the end of the day, things cooled down enough that I had just a few minutes to kill -- not enough time to get into too much trouble, but enough time to surf Craigslist for bass clarinets. McKenzie says that I'm noticeably better at clarinet already after just a week of reteaching myself, and I'm so enthusiastic about it. Sethy's enthusiasm for his new sax habit is quite contagious, and since the majority of my musical skill lies with the woodwinds, I figure my best shot at a decent jam session with some of my favorite musicians is to hone those skills. Anyway, I always played bass clarinet in school, and I like the sound a lot better (deeper, more resonant), but bass clarinet parts in bands and orchestras tend to be on the boring side. Not that I'm joining any orchestras or anything. The fingering is exactly the same, it's just the blowing that's different (too easy, let it slide), so there's nothing stopping me from playing fun clarinet music on a bass clarinet...except the whole not owning a bass clarinet thing.
Bass clarinets aren't exactly common, either, so it's not like I can just find one at a garage sale. Even Craigslist offers slim pickins, so I figured I'd save up for a little while and maybe buy a nice used one the next time I have a few thousand dollars laying around, and until then I'll keep working with the clarinet. But with my few minutes to spare this afternoon, I pulled up Craigslist Portland...then looked at the Charlottesville one, just to see...turns out, a recently-graduated student is leaving town and doesn't want to take her instruments with her. She has both a clarinet and a bass, and she's unloading them at a truly bargain basement price. I pounced, and hit Facebook to enlist a Virginian friend or relative to make the deal for me. Then, my sister-in-law Rachel saw my post and sent me a text saying not to buy one, she will give me her dad's. Holy shit!
Backstory -- Rachel grew up in Brooklyn and went to LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. The Fame high school. She was in Jennifer Aniston's class. Anyway, her performance art was clarinet. Her dad passed away a long time ago (20 years or more, I believe), and I didn't know that he was a musician at all, but apparently he was quite a gifted one, and he took up bass clarinet late in life. He left it to Rachel, his clarinet-playing daughter, but she doesn't really use it, and so when she saw that I was jonesing for one, she realized where it would have a good home. I am SO HONORED. She says it hasn't been played in at least 15 years and will need some work probably, but she is going to bring it to Charlottesville next week, and I'll have my mom take it to a local shop for a tuneup. Yay!
Still, I don't know the condition of this bass for sure, and I do know that there's a good deal to be had on one in Waynesboro, so I'm still going to buy that one if it checks out okay. My uncle is going to look at it for me tomorrow or Friday. He's a musician, so I trust he'll make a good call on it. If it happens that I end up with two playable instruments, I'll give the one that's not a family heirloom to Shanon, because she also played bass clarinet in school, and I'll make her play duets with me. I'm so excited!
Rachel also told me that she ran into Paul McCartney at lunch today. They were eating at the same restaurant, and when Paul and his son were leaving, they walked by Rachel's table and he said "Hello," then peeked in Bess's stroller and said "She's beautiful. I was admiring her before." Paul McCartney thinks my niece is beautiful! It's quite silly I know, but I'm completely starstruck-from-afar. When I heard this story, I promptly looked up all the Beatles sheet music I could find for clarinet and dedicated tonight's practice to Paul. And Bess. Heh. (Seth -- a lot of their stuff is musically pretty simple. You and me, woodwind Beatles cover show at Falcon Ridge next year? Everyone else sings?)
Then, just when I thought I'd met my quota for happy in one day, I got a message from the abovementioned Seth, who is in Philly right now with our good friend and fellow Shantytowner, Tony, telling me that he just witnessed Tony's purchase of a plane ticket to Portland next month. I'm gonna have my first Shanty visitor! You guys. I cannot contain the happy.
