Dress rehearsal

WAAAAAAHHH!!! YAY!!! HOORAY!!!

Warning - nobody will be interested in this, but as I haven't written in my journal in months (cough, years probably) then I am putting it here, because I am SO EXCITED!

Last night was the dress rehearsal for today's MCO concert. Dress rehearsals are hard work, and probably the only time I spend with this amazing group that I don't love every second. The other day I was driving down the 405 and as I got off and got on to the 73 my spirits lifted and I was unaccountably happy in the car. And then I realised that it's because at the end of my drive on the 73 are two of my favourite places, the temple and the MCO rehearsal spot! I'm always happy when I come home from playing. Except for dress rehearsals. Then, I'm just tired.

I have been nursing a great reed along for a while, but it is on it's last legs. I made two new reeds ages ago but hadn't yet scraped them down fully to be able to use them. But with my lovely reed slowly dying, I had to do something. So last night I sat and worked on them for a while, and got one of them just about playable - except, it played flat! Now the whole reasoning behind learning how to make reeds myself is that I always, always play a little sharp. So when this reed came out about 35 cents flat I was quite surprised. But it was my very first reed and who can make a great one the first time?

I went off to the dress rehearsal with my reeds and my box of tools. Bob (first bassoonist) asked how it was coming along and I showed it to him. We had 36 bars rest at this point so he had time. In about the next 24 bars of rest he reamed it out a little bit more, asked for the plaque and emery board, scraped it down a little more, handed it back and told me to try it.

Oh my heavens. OH MY HEAVENS.

It was amazing! I was DEAD ON!! Not playing sharp at all. I played on it for the rest of the rehearsal and it was so easy. I didn't have to constantly listen for tuning, didn't have to be constantly making embouchure adjustments to stay in tune, didn't have to worry about my sound at all. Blessed relief!

We were recording last night for an upcoming iTunes single and I played on my new reed for the recording - which, if you had asked me beforehand, I would have said no way because everyone knows a new reed needs to be broken in a little bit before it sounds any good. This one did not.

I just hope I can do it again and make another one as good. And I am really looking forward to tonight's concert now!