In the Mind of a Trombone Player
So, what do the Trombones think about while counting long rests (sometimes 20 minutes worth!) or during works where the first three movements are tacet * such as Brahms 1st and 4th symphonies?
* Tacet means we do not play and instead of all the bars being printed and filled with rests our parts just say, Movements I, II, III TACET
A: It can be a bit stressful sitting and sitting with no chance to play before having to come crashing in on a fortissimo high C in Beethoven 6 or an incredibly soft high A in Brahms 1st. For me the best thing I can do is be engaged with the concert as if I'm a listener who happens to sit onstage. It really helps to get into the performance and watch our great Double Bass section dig in on a big passage or watch Temirkanov's incredible expressiveness and how he can shape unbelievable nuances with just a facial expression or maybe even by shrugging his shoulder! Many times I'll also watch the audience and find people who seem especially moved by the performance and that re-affirms why we are playing the performance in the first place.
It's not always so easy and I must admit that there are times that my mind wanders. I sometimes catch myself free associating. It could go something like this:
Wow, Beethoven 6. What a great piece of music....... Well I got a good warm up in so I should Be OK. Still, It's a really long sit. 36 minutes! Just settle down and listen to the music.....I really love the part of "Fantasia" where the Beethoven 6 is animated. I remember seeing that when I was like 6 years old...........It's idyllic with the half human half horse men and women running around. And there's that jolly little Roman guy riding the ass and drinking all that wine....... mmm......wine......DOH! Man am I hungry. I could really go for some pasta and maybe, "a nice glass of Chianti; with some fava beans." *
Wow, the Silence of the Lambs.What a weird movie. I think it took place in Baltimore.....Wasn't one of Hannibal Lechter's convictions for serving the Principal Flutist of the BSO to his music club? That's cold!!!...........................................
Wow, Emily really sounds beautiful tonight.... She and the Violins have so many notes. How different our lives are. They are all playing and playing and I'm just sitting and SITTING!
OK Don't think about that; Focus on the music.
My first note is a high C....... What note do I have in the chord? It's not Major... hmm.. Majors... What ever happenned to Lee Majors, the "Six Million Dollar Man?" na.na.na.na.na.na.na........ and so on.
It's kind of silly but I think there's a purpose behind the wandering mind.It keeps things fluid and not so fixated on "hitting the note" This nonsense keeps the mind occupied so the body is free to rely on it's muscle memory and fuzzy logic to hit the note and hit it at the right time!
It not quite Ulysses but what do you want from a Trombonist?!
Cheers,
Christopher Dudley
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