An odd day

About a week ago, I was innocently minding my own business in a practice room when some strange guy popped the door open and asked if I was using the piano. I was, in fact, because I'm learning a piece where I have to sing a countermelody while playing the flute; moreover, there were NO stands to be found anywhere, and the piano by default had become my stand. I said as much and the guy (I've named him Chump-boy) said "There are a bunch of empty rooms at the end of the hall." "Yes," I replied, "But there are no stands anywhere and I really need to be able to see my music." "Just remember that stands are moveable and pianos are not," said Chump-boy. "I'll make you a deal," I said, though irked. "If you can manage to find me a stand anywhere, I'd be happy to move." "Just keep that in mind for next time," he said with a dismissive wave and disappeared.

Haven't seen him at all since, but then I was unfortunately innocently minding my own business in a practice room again today. I heard a knock on the door and hoped it was Mike, but when I turned around, there was Chump-boy, back for round two. This time I did have a stand, and was done with the piano part, and so would have been willing to trade if he had an empty room for me. Before I could say anything, he came out with "Could you take your tuner off the keys?" "Take my what off the which?" was my elegant reply. "Your tuner...or whatever that is...It's not good for the piano keys if things touch them." This completely blew me away. The piano was a small upright with a broken pedal and coffee stains on the keys. I had a small Korg metronome and a PENCIL sitting on the keys...That's definitely much more weight one's fingers....My only response was to yank them off the keys and slam the lid shut (where the music prop promptly would have fallen On The Keys...) "Cheers!" Chump-boy said and vanished.

I can only figure that he's got it out for me since I wouldn't move the first time. Since then I've thought of a dozen snappy responses, but he takes me by such surprise that I'm left openmouthed. I almost hope he bugs me again just so I can ask him who he is and why won't he leave me the **** alone!!!

Then today we had the first tutti orchestra rehearsal for the second program this semester. I don't know how everything else went, but we ran Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony. !!!!!!!!!!!!!! If any of you were in Concert Orchestra the semester PB (names omitted to protect the innocent!) conducted, you would have thought that was the worst that a student orchestra could have played. I'm proud to annouce that we topped that today, mostly thanks to Maestro IP's conducting. He stopped conducting in the most crucial tempo changes, varied his tempi in rhythmic sections and gave us no help whatsoever for the sycopation, then would ask us why we didn't come in. I'm honestly surprised that we made it all the way to the end. Although things weren't helped by certain string players not picking up their parts until today.......Things never change, do they?

Mike has a late lesson, so it's up to me to cook dinner. Hmmm...this will be as much a surprise for me as for him! :-)

~Ruth Ann