My most amazing experience.

[tubafatness]

I'm putting this post out to see if anyone else has had the same experience, so feel free to reply. I just got back from the All-State festival in my state, which is Illinois. I managed to claw my way to the top tuba position, in the Honors Orchestra, which surprised me a lot. I was, if I may say so, pleased. The two pieces we played were Verdi's "La Forza del Destino," and Respighi's "Pini Di Roma." Anybody who's played the "Pini" knows that there are not a whole lot of notes to play, but what there is is great, especially the climax. Tonight, I was ready and set to play this part. I had listenend my recording of the piece played by the CSO, and was ready to do my best Pokorny impersonation. When the orchestra finally got to the great finale section, I could begin to feel all the hairs on my body start to stand on end in preparation. I started to feel all tingly inside. I finally start playing the huge quarter note bass line and could feel the whole band start to just put their hearts into the piece. It was amazing. I didn't realize until I got done playing that both of my hands were a little numb, and my ears had the smallest little sheen of moisture. It was one of the greatest feelings in my life. I knew then and there that my life would be dedicated to this wonderful thing called music. It was just fantastic. I especially felt great when the conductor asked the whole brass section to stand to the tumultous applause. I'm sure other people have had this experience before, so speak up!

[WoodSheddin]

That is what it is all about.

[JB]

I'm sure other people have had this experience before, so speak up!

When this happens to a section of play-for-pay grumpy old men, while they are standing up facing the audience they'll catch a glimpse of each other out of the corners of their eyes and *wink.

____________________
*i.e... "Ha-ha. We fooled 'em. We had an absolute blast and got paid to boot...but let's not let on."

Aye; but it is still for that very same reason as we read about above -- same reason we got into "this" in the first place. Rather nice to be reminded of this fact every once in a while.

(Especially when, along the way, there are a lot of other things that tend to cloud that perspective for many.)

[WilliamVance]

That feeling is why I can't stop performing. I never got that feeling until I switched to Tuba. If I don't get that tingly feeling of excitement, what I would consider a natural "high", then I don't really feel myself nor the group performed where I would hope to be at. Fortunately this is now a rare occurance. No matter what I play I try to be very passionate about it and truely make music. To me, this is what makes a great performance and I generally can feel it eminating from the stage, even a football field, when an emsemble is working as one.

[Haugan]

You just felt what we used to call (in my Tanglewood & American Youth Orchestra days) as a "Musical Experience". I look at it now as "God's little way of letting you know why you were created". They may be fewer and farther between, but I've been fortunate enough to continue to get them, and when it happens - there's nothing else like it.