And Sickness Sets In
After lunch on the Monday following TUSABTEC, I could tell I was getting sick. It was like watching paint dry. I taught a lesson in the afternoon and was worsening by the minute. By the time youth brass band rehearsal came, I was near death. I was sick all through rehearsal, and almost passed out twice. i was weak and needed drugs. I stopped by the store on the way home and stocked up for what was sure to be a doozy cold. I taught a couple lessons Tuesday, but canceled as many as I could. I had several kids auditioning for governors school that weekend and I had to see them. I was in bad shape, though, and was worsening. Wednesday was worse, and I had to cancel lessons at NCCU, in the hopes that I could be OK for Triangle Brass Band rehearsal in the evening. I went to rehearsal, but I was far from OK. I was the walking dead, and I honestly do not remember anything from that rehearsal.
The worst of the cold and fever broke Thursday morning. I taught my lessons Thursday, mostly because I had to for the governors school people. Marty Erickson arrived Friday for his weekend with the Youth Brass Bands. We had lunch, checked him into the hotel, then went to rehearsal. They went well, and Marty was really good with the kids, as expected. Saturday we had lunch with Dave and then went to the clinic. The clinic was awesome, and the kids got a lot out of it. He did some really neat rhythm and timing things with them, and some really cool creative thinking exercises. These creative thinking things are almost non existent in musical training these days, and I was sure to do this in my weekly masterclass at NCCU.
Sunday was the concert and it could not have gone better. Marty played great and the bands did a wonderful job. The audience was very receptive and I was super excited to have Marty come be a part of what I do here. He was a major influence in my early tuba years, and has always been a source of positive influence for me for my whole career. There is not a nicer guy on the planet, and I was personally honored to spend this time with Marty. I was stick sick with congestion and coughing, and that was a downer. I hated not being at my best for Marty when he was here. I will bring him back sometime to play with TBB.
The rest of this week went by with me getting a little better each day, but I am still not 100 percent yet. I had a Tar River Symphonic Band gig Friday night, which went OK. I was coughing a lot, and was very dry in my throat and could not play very well. I had to leave the stage to get some water because someone planned an hour and forty five minute concert without an intermission and did not tell the band. I ran out of water, and had to get some, or I could not play. Cool thing was Greg Fishel sat in on the concert. He is a fun guy and did a good job. I didn’t know he was going to be there, but I was glad to see him. He brightens up some dark situations. I am taking it easy this weekend and hoping to be done with this cold before Monday’s rat race. Why I am awake at 6 AM, I do not know.
Marty Erickson’s clinic with the Youth Bands:
tonytuba.org 