This past weekend was the Waimea Chorus Christmas concert (like I previously blogged). The concerts went very well on Friday and Saturday and were only half filled by audience members. After the Saturday concert our only cellist announced he would not be able to make the Sunday concert. And he has a solo piece. I, being the overly self assertive and confident first violinist, nonchalantly wave my hands and say "Have no fear. The violinist is here. I can play the cello part. The cello is just like a big violin anyway. ANY violinist should be able to do this". I figured nobody would really come to a Sunday afternoon matinee show anyway. I practiced for several hours, and for the record, DID get the piece down (pretty good). I rehearsed that morning with the choir pianist and even impressed him (somewhat). Fast forward to the concert. To be fair (to myself), I didn't have a chance to play with the choir. I begin my piece just fine. But then I linger nervously on a dotted half note...for well over 3 beats. This measure is now followed by 3 measures of rest, only I don't know where I AM during this rest. I start playing and obviously it's not the right spot. I panic. I think my a$s is even starting to break a sweat. So I'm quickly faced with 2 possible solutions. Sit there in silence awkwardly for the next 6 (very long) minutes. Or do the next best thing. I'm not even going to POST the video of what I like to call "Che-llo what were you THINKING?" Even my musically barren husband, who couldn't carry a tune if you handed it to him in a basket, could tell something was amiss during my cello debut. In my moment of panic I decided rather than sitting in silence I would perform my newly revised piece "Let's improvise in the key of g minor".
You have no idea how relieved I was to lower my cello back to the ground and pick up my beautiful lighter than air violin and at least prove myself as a musician to the FULLY PACKED SOLD OUT CONCERT.
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