"Playing" clarinet in the band

Playing in the band was an interesting experience. Being that I hadn't played clarinet in such a long time, I had a little bit of difficulty actually playing. A bunch of the people on the trip were there, like me, to be an extra body. I know that a couple of the girls didn't even really know how to hold the instruments they were given! At least I had once been decent on my horn. Ah, my horn. My clarinet is in sorry shape. The cork has come off in many spots. The pads are worn. I had to borrow some tape from a tuba player to wrap the thumb rest because the band-aid that once had on it fell off. Before the game on Saturday, my keys started sticking because a spring wasn't springing right. It seemed to have corrected itself, but I decided just to not play with those notes. Turns out that I ended up just working with the top half of the horn. When I tried to play the whole instrument, it never turned out pretty. The sound wouldn't come out or a key would stick or it would just be a very nasty noise.

Playing with just the top half isn't so bad, I reckon. Especially if you aren't able to keep up with the quick pace so that you aren't really playing anyway!
Whew! The director would call out a tune. I had to sort through the pile of music to find it. Then it usually went a lot faster than I would have liked. Some of the songs were super easy for me. Some were just a joke to me. Heck, I don't even know how to make notes that high on a clarinet!! Can it even do that?!?
Then there are the times when the band "dances" with their instruments. Well, just forget me playing during that part. I can't look at the music and move around at the same time. There was another clarinetist and we used an extra chair for a music stand. It kinda worked ok.

The first game really left little impression on me. I wasn't bored, but I wasn't really "into it." The saxophone players behind me were very funny though. It dawned on me that I don't think I have EVER been to an NCAA Women's basketball game...ever. Heck, it's been a while since I've been to ANY basketball game! I was sitting on the front row of the band near the basket. If the ball ever made it to the right side of the court (ie other side of the basket from me) I couldn't see what was happening and had to look at the jumbotron. U of L won the Saturday game. Yay.

The next game was on Monday evening. I looked over the music during the day on Monday for a few minutes hoping to get a better idea of what was coming at me! I alphabetized the small pieces of paper, which was VERY helpful during the game. The band plays right outside the hotel as the team loads up their bus for the game. I figured out how to hold one of the songs in my right hand with the extra music under my arm while playing. Since I was only using the top half of the instrument, it wasn't TOO difficult.

I think I did play a little better (or at least more) at the second game. I had at least been exposed to the routine. I got more "involved" in the game. The saxophones were making up cheers and taunts and I joined in. As I said before, those guys were pretty funny. They had inflatable numbers, 3 and 0. I'm not sure they used the 3 very much because there weren't really a lot of 3-pointers shot. However, if ever the other team failed to score on a possession, they would hold up the zero. Some of their taunts made absolutely no sense to me at all, but it was fun anyway. I can honestly say that I did have fun at that second game...even though I couldn't keep up in the music department.
(Clarinets are basically pointless in a pep band anyway. You can't hear us. No big loss if I didn't really play.)

The team won the game and the right to be in the Final Four. I'm almost sad that I won't be going to St. Louis for the games. However, the people who've been faithfully playing in the band and who actually PLAY are going. *sigh* Oh well. Maybe I'd have figured out more of the music or something by then.

But I do have a life here at home...with responsibilities! Although I'm not really a U of L fan, I will probably tune in to see how the women do next weekend. (Especially since the Men's team didn't make it to their Final Four)

I do think I was on TV a couple of times though. Does that count for anything? Probably not.