I was doing some blog maintenance the other day when I found this post from four years ago about a performance I was playing at Symphony Center downtown. In it, I had posted a scan of a piece of paper that we had all found on our stands when we got to the concert that took us through the repeat structure for the Radetzky March (which we were playing as an encore that evening). I love how crazy this looks (even to a musician) and have often shown it to students to show how you really have to be prepared for anything as a professional performer:
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Anyone who has played a musical probably has experienced the same thing as when I got two pages of type-written instructions for “A funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” Some numbers were cut, some shortened, some repeats not taken, etc. Worse, we were backstage and could only see what was going on by video.
“Pomp & Circumstance” is another piece that typically generates a series of special directions and hand signals.
But what fun would it be unless there was at least some potential for disaster?
It kinda looks like something that should be carved on a tree underneath the word “Croatoan”. At least you got “Most warm wishes” at the end.