Manny Laureano

Gentle sight readers,

Typically, I'm not one to do a lot of outside gigging unless it's something that I find really interesting or maybe unusual. I like to sleep in when I have a holiday off and it's not like the old days where most symphonic players had to teach tons and gig outside to supplement their income. I figure there are plenty of Twin Cities free lancers that can use the work instead.

So, here I was ready to spend Christmas Eve wrapping gifts etc. when I got a phone call from Darth Vader. Actually, it was Chuck Lazarus doing a marvelous James Earl Jones impression due to a nasty cold he had. He was supposed to play the first movement of the Bach "Christmas Oratorio" last night and was asking me to fill in as he could hardly take a good breath.

It had been about 25 years since I played the tune but I love the music so I said "Sure". How often do you get to play a gig and not have to deal with rehearsal? It was for 11 pm so it wasn't like I was going to miss heavy-duty family time. It was also nice to reacquaint myself with that Bass solo, number 8, in the first movement. My picc has a nice pedal C that fills in well for the low concert A that many people fret over because it's not on the compass of the horn.Try it some time. It works well for "Let the Bright Seraphim" also.

Anyways, it went swimmingly and I had two good players supporting me, Craig Hara and Patrick Gonzalves. It makes a difference.

So my question is: have you folks had any interesting last minute sub experiences worth sharing?

Merry Christmas,

ML

MahlerBrass

I had a last minute Magnificat experience last year, it was interesting to say the least but I got through it without any permanent battle scars . Good to hear from you again Mr. Laureano, I'm actually watching the Christmas Oratorio right now on EWTN (I was channel surfing and looked what popped up), the group is the English Baroque Soloists and they're doing a terrific job, as well as doing them on natural trumpets, I'd say it's a good way to spend the day beofre I have to go and play the real thing later tonight!

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Music isn't a career, it's a way of life.

Lazorphaze

so far I have had no subbing experiences, except when I had to sub a solo for 1st chair alto in jazz band one year...
Although that doesn't really count....
Nice try by me tho...

sdgtpt

MahlerBrass,

Lets hear the Magnificat expierence story... let us know who was in the section and why it was 'interesting'... don't just leave us hanging.

MahlerBrass

Well a late reply is better than no reply So last X-mas I got a call from my old trumpet teacher to work at this church gig in town. I had been playing the picc for a little over a month, so I could play it, just not quite control the instrument yet. So I show up to the gig and we play a lot of hymns and X-mas stuff, then we get to Magnificat, we didn't do all of it, just a small portion of it (very small portion of it). I wasn't even expecting to use anything other than my Bb for this gig, but luckily I had the picc in my bag. So I pull mine out and the other trumpet player (whom I didn't know, just another trumpet player in town) does the same, and we both start "playing." I wasn't nearly as good as transposition at sight as I am now (which doesn't say much) so needless to say that the piece went..well, interesting. I got out of there and the orchestra/choir conductor actually apologized for not having giving us any notice, and said he understands why it sounded the way it did. So, the musicians were luckily pretty sympathetic about the whole thing, but I wasn't expecting any calls from audience members anytime soon.

__________________
Music isn't a career, it's a way of life.