Posted by Ian Easton on July 01, 2001 at 08:16:23:
In Reply to: funniest mistake/act of disobedience posted by James McNeil on June 29, 2001 at 13:29:56:
Embarrasing:
No. 1...My first professional gig, playing in a ballet orchestra for a conductor who was known to be less than friendly. My tuba was sounding rather stuffy, and I was getting some mean looks from the podium, and was becoming rather distraught (and red faced, I was only young, and trying to make an impression): what could be causing it (thoughts of cracked water key corks, valve guides, etc).
It wasn't until I turned the tuba on it's axis that several plastic blocks my 2 year old nephew had been playing with earlier cascaded noisily to the floor.
No. 2...rehearsing a 'new work' in same orchestra. The piece was rather badly composed (to my over-self assured mind), so I began to criticise it to the bass 'bone player. When the last chords (a very cliche imperfect cadence) rang out: I'd had enough: I think I probably used a few expletives and insulted the composer and his mother.
It was then that a quiet gentleman who had been sitting right behind me stood, at the conductor's invitation, to accept our applause on behalf of his piece.
Yes, he heard me and my big mouth.
Ian