No, I've never felt this way before. Yes, I swear, it's the truth... and I.... Oh, never mind. At least I've got it stuck in your head now, and not just mine!
So, tonight I had my first rehearsal with my community orchestra, Heart of Appalachia. No, they didn't throw a Beethoven symphony at us, or I probably would have quit. This is definitely an amateur musician orchestra, which is not to say that we don't play challenging music. We play some more challenging and some simpler, to give everyone a chance to really have a go at it. We play everything from the Stars & Stripes Forever, to Game of Thrones, clear on up to Elgar's Enigma Variations No. 9, Nimrod. We're even playing some true Appalachian fiddle music adapted for string orchestra. So there's a wide range of music that we play, and for the most part, it's all pretty close to my skill level, but still presents a challenge that will force me to work and therefore improve my playing abilities!
I won't go through every single piece on the blog, but I'll say that I'm truly excited about the challenge!
Anyway, I walked in to rehearsal, and immediately got recognized by a cello acquaintance, Wayne, from my Christmas Cello Play-in. He walked over and shook my hand with a HUGE smile on his face. He introduced me to Betsy, the other cellist in our little orchestra. Then the lone bass player introduced herself (I stink at names....), and finally, the director. They made a space for me on the front row, and made sure I had my music and my sign-in sheet, all neatly organized in a folder with a pencil. Perfect! Off to a great start!
And guess who's the lucky girl who got the 1st cello part in the Elgar, complete with shifting AND tenor clef! (And guess who hasn't learned either of those skills yet...) Well, crap... Okay. I'm new. And they also know I haven't had much playing time under my belt. But I have a lesson Tuesday, so we'll tackle that. It may take time, but I'll call my teacher after rehearsal and give him a heads' up. Simple enough... the piece sounds very mellow, but the cello part will definitely take time for me to work out! You can listen to it here, if you're not familiar with the piece.
So rehearsal comes to a close, and I ask the other two cellists how they felt, and if they wanted to kick me out or if I should come back. "Oh, my stars, girl!" Betsy says to me. They thought that I held my own quite well for someone with my level of experience. Kevin, the director, said that I definitely did not take away from the group, and they all said I should definitely come back the following week and continue to play. SUCCESS!!! A few more people come up and introduce themselves, all saying they were glad I could join and that they enjoyed having me. I packed up my cello and walked out to my car, with my completely idiotic grin pasted across my face all the while. I had done it!! I joined an orchestra and didn't completely fall on my face!
I put my cello in the car carefully, and began the hour-and-a-half long drive home and called my cello teacher. No answer, but he calls me back just a few minutes later, and I proceed to babble like a complete moron about how much fun I'd had, and where I felt the pieces sat in my ability level. We both agreed that, even though he'd been nervous about it at first, it had turned out to be a good move. It's a challenge, but it's not so difficult that I can't accomplish it with a little hard work. I thanked him profusely for allowing me to go for it, despite his reservations, and we discussed a basic game plan for the Elgar variations. So, for my next lesson we'll be getting into that.
There's one thing I notice now that I'm home. When I'm playing in a group of people, or in my lesson, I'm much more relaxed... focused on making the music. All the tension and pain I hold in my right hand during my practice sessions vanish. My body just takes over and seems to know what to do. And very few people are able to join an orchestra after such a short time of playing. I don't know if it's a gift, or I'm just letting my muscle memory take over, but something happens and I let go. I have less trouble and enjoy it so much more. This instrument and the things with it have definitely become a gift.... and one that I'm more than happy to open.
This girl is going to bed relaxed, happy, and looking forward to next Thursday....
Happy Cello'ing! #celloislife