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When I was at a middle-school band camp, we played "October" by Eric Witacre(sp?). Every time we played it, I got goose-bumps and almost had to stop playing because of how the music made me feel.

Not meaning to sound too pompous, but if I'm ever NOT emotionally moved at least some of the time in any given performance, I'll probably stop playing...

Karl "not as serious as I sound" H.

Karl H. wrote:if I'm ever NOT emotionally moved at least some of the time in any given performance, I'll probably stop playing...

Well put. If you and you colleagues aren't playing to this level, then all that's left is mere athletics. And music should be taught by the Phys-Ed department.

This happens to me every now and then...generally when I'm playing something gorgeous. I happened most recently when I played through the Shostakovitch Adagio from "The Limpid Stream." That has got to be my favorite ballad for tuba...can't wait to hear the recording Carol Jantsch made...

I know drum corps is not always welcome here but when I was in the 2006 Phantom Regiment, we played Ave Maria by Franz Biebl, arr. by J.D. Shaw. The last chord we played at the end of that peice, I was balling my eyes out! I still get choked up thinking about it today! It was the most beautiful thing that I've EVER been apart of and I will never forget that feeling. And the audience reaction, OH MY GOD!!! Truly one of the most amazing moments of my life (next to the audience reaction at the end of the show )

OK, so I went overboard, but music is communication, not simply reproduction. (see a sore spot? :>)

Every time we play the Carmen Dragon arrangement of America, the Beautiful; I choke up. It is the single most emotional piece for me to play. Also, Irish Tune From County Derry, about 16 measures from the end; it's all I can do to keep playing, because I start to cry. My memory kicks in and I remember what it sounded like the last time I could hear. Talk about emotion....

jmerring wrote:Every time we play the Carmen Dragon arrangement of America, the Beautiful; I choke up.

We did that arrangement with the 1989 PA All-State Orchestra playing and the All-State Band and Chorus singing . . . almost couldn't play.

Embarrassment is a strong emotion, too . . .

Addendum: In one of the bands I'm in, we often close out programs with the Navy Hymn, Nearer, My God, to Thee, and The Lord's Prayer. I usually start leaking by the middle of the second tune.

Embarassment isn't nearly as strong as some of the other emotions...either that, or it is such a constant state that I'm used to it by now.

There have been a couple of times I have had that experience of being exceptionally moved during a performance; once with Dr. Alfred Reed conducting Armenian Dances II and another one of an echo version of My Country 'Tis of Thee with two euph players standing on either side of the stage. And, almost every freakin' time I play the National Anthem...

My quartet had scheduled a recital and had programmed Premru's "In Memorium". Then my father died. We went ahead with the concert. During the piece, I could have sworn I saw my dad come in the back door of the hall, stand there while we played, and leave after the last chord. It was a good thing I had the ending memorized because I could not see through the tears.

"deep harmony" played in brass band
wow, every time

My wife and I sing in a 125-voice chorus. A few years ago, we performed Herbert Howells' Requiem. Musicroom.com describes the work:

Although written in 1936, Requiem was not released for performance until 1980, held back by Howells following the death of his son in 1935. It is a harmonious and deeply Romantic composition, but restrained and it is at these moments we realise how affected he was by his loss.

As our performance progressed, I couldn't help thinking about our conductor who had lost his daughter to leukemia at the age of 13. I had to stop singing for a moment while tears swelled in my eyes.

I told the conductor about the experience. He empathized, but stressed that professionalism must prevail. I was able to get through the following evening's performance without pause.

The lesson that I learned is that while making music might affect us in a very deep emotional way, we must never forget that there is an audience that deserves the best possible performance.

The little tuba solo at the end of Mahler 9.

When my community band played The Hymn For The Lost And The Living at Carnegie Hall. I had taken the subway down to Ground Zero earlier in the day, and the whole atmosphere was just incredibly intense. The music is gorgeous to begin with and I had played the piece before. But on that day, on that stage, in that city, the emotion was breathtaking.

the elephant wrote:A member of the orchestra I was playing with had recently died of cancer. His wife, another member of the orchestra, was near me on stage.

As a tribute to this man we played the Nimrod movement of Enigma Variations using stand lights, all house and stage lights out, no conductor. (We watched the concertmaster.)

She played her part all the way through. She played very well. All of us did. At the end she just smiled wanly; no tears, no joy; just longing in her eyes. But the players all cried a little. Not for the loss of the man, but for her loss of the man. I have never been so moved while on stage.

I conducted this same movement as a tribute when my fiancee passed last April. It brought so many emotions out of me that I never thought I would have experienced in my lifetime.

I also have been getting those same feelings by the new work that I'm premiering on my recital on the 24th by James Woodward. It's truly a wonderful tribute to Gretchen and what she stood for. I had a lesson with another professor here at Eastman last week, who knew Gretchen a little bit and said, "This piece is so symbolic of all that woman was. Truly a fantastic job."

It will be available soon from Cimarron Music and I'm hoping to put an mp3 up of the performance for those who would like to listen to it. I'll talk to James and Bryan and see what I can do on that!

Very simply put, yes I have... on a number of occasions. And I consider each of those moments to be very special life experiences. I have never told any of my family members about these moments. Not because I am embarrassed in any way. It is just that none of them are musicians, and I really do not think they would truly understand. I am not an especially religious person (at least not as much as I wish I was), but I think it is because of these experiences that I feel such an affinity for the Kurt Vonnegut quote that I use as my TubeNet signature.

it has happened to me several times, just in a large community band. We have some professinals but many of us are just volunteers playing for the enjoyment of it. Sometimes playing hymns, and several times playing patriotic songs, I have felt it. Once playing a Victory at Sea arrangement that reminded me of all the times I heard those themes on TV when I was young. If in proper setting with good musicians, that is what y'all should feel when everything is hitting on all cylinders. That emotion should come out in the playing. Those are beautiful moments that everyone who plays should have... That is why I continue t go ut of my way, working hard to learn new music, and what I work for. Its the beauty of the moment that no amount of money can buy...

Figure W in the 4th Movement of Bruckner Symphony No. 4.

the elephant wrote:Have you ever played a single note that made your whole week? On my Alexander that happened many times.

Yes, several times. One example: the orchestral version of Alfred Reed's Russian Christmas Music. About 10 minutes into the piece music is building in intensity and the trombones have been playing for a while. The tuba comes in on a sustained D (just below the staff) and just that one note changes the entire feel of the music. Very cool.