Weddings -- the good, the bad, and the lovely

Someone had casually suggested that I write a book about my various piano jobs and adventures. While I'm flattered, I can't imagine there are many people who would want to read such a book.

But I figured it'd be worth posting a few things here.

Last night I played for my first wedding of 2010. It was in one of those huge Baptist churches, with tile flooring and a shiny baby grand piano up on a stage, and great acoustics.

I enjoy playing for wedding because:
1) Well, who wouldn't like it? You get to see fancy hair-dos and pretty dresses, and you feel the energy and excitement from everybody involved. I'm reminded of details from our wedding that I don't think of often -- like how we had a hard time getting that Unity candle lit, and the pastor made a little joke about it.

2) I really enjoy playing the 30 minute prelude music before the ceremony begins. This is the best of all worlds to me. People aren't sitting in silence staring at me, but they aren't as noisy and oblivious as they are at a restaurant or party, either. I can really sense that I'm setting a mood, and I like that.

I don't enjoy playing for weddings because:
1) Well, they make me a nervous wreck. I have no doubt it will become easier after I do it a few more times. (Don't tell anyone, but this is only my eighth wedding.) But you have to watch the door and the aisle out of the corner or your eye while playing, and expect to end a song or switch songs on about two seconds' notice.

Last night, for example, I was supposed to watch for the wedding coordinator to stand in a certain doorway to cue that I was ready to stop playing prelude music and begin the first ceremony piece. This supposed to happen at about two minutes til six.

At six o'clock, I still did not see her. I took the repeat again, and hoped I wasn't somehow doing something wrong.

After taking the repeat again, I realized I was going to have to play something else. I switched to another piece, still frantically keeping one eye on the door (which is a bit tricky to do).

Still nothing when that piece was over.

This continued until she suddenly appeared in the doorway at 6:10 pm!

It turned out that Someone Important was late, and they had to stall to wait for them.

Things like that are good, though. Assuming I pull it off well, it adds a point or two of Appreciation.

And after I get eight more weddings under my belt, I probably won't think a thing of it.

Why it's Cool to be a Piano Girl

Last weekend I played at a nice restaurant downtown. It was my first time there. I'm scheduled to go back again twice in late June. If you know me personally and live in town, ask me and I'll tell you when and where.

My non-musician friends (which is most everyone) sometimes ask me how I get these jobs. In this case, a booking agent saw one of my web listings and called me -- which is sort of interesting, if you think about it. He's never met me, never heard me play, and didn't have a referral. Just found me on the web, called me, and hired me. I guess he was first dazzled by my photo and then completely won over by my professional Phone Voice, ha ha!

And that's just fine with me.

Someone else asked me if I get nervous. Actually, I was nervous about finding the place, getting stuck in traffic, and figuring out how to get from the parking garage through the bridge walkway to the actual restaurant.

But nervous about playing? No. And the reason is simple: No one is really listening to me or looking at me. And that's just the way I like it. It's kinda like playing at home, but more fun, and I get paid.

Now here's what's so cool about being the Piano Girl at a restaurant:

It's kind of an alter ego thing. It's a Slightly Different Me when I go out to a job.

In my real life, we go out to eat at the IHOP five minutes from home, when kids eat free, and get an extra plate for sharing. I go to places like Publix and the library and the doctor. I wear casual (although hopefully attractive) clothes.

In my real life:

I do NOT go downtown.
I do NOT eat at nice restaurants.
I do NOT get free valet parking.
I do NOT wear floor-length dresses and high heels.
I do NOT use rest-rooms with lit candles, cloth towels, and hand lotion.
I do NOT have people in uniforms bring me bottles of water and offer me free food.
I do NOT have strangers slip me twenty dollar bills. (Well, that only happened once, actually.)

It's Different. And it's Cool.

The other thing that's cool (and this is kind of along the same lines) is that most people I know in my Real Life don't do this.

So they're impressed. [Sometimes.] They might ask: How did you get that job? What's it like at the Ritz? Did you get any tips? What songs do you play? What do you wear? Do you get nervous?

And that makes me feel Special. And Interesting.

And I like that.

The Wizard of Oz!

One of the neat things about doing musical theatre is how much my kids get out of it.

Last week I was in three performances of "The Wizard of Oz" at a local high school. I played the piano, along with 8-9 other musicians in a mini-orchestra.

Rebecca simply demanded to come to the last rehearsal. (I think it was because she was missing me a lot.) It was a four-hour rehearsal (with a half hour pizza break), but she sat through the whole thing and had a wonderful time.


Danielle, the lovely young woman who played Glinda the Good Witch, gave Rebecca a tour backstage, let her wear the crown and carry the wand and carry the wand, put makeup on her, and even let her sing into the mic for a moment. Rebecca was absolutely in heaven.


Rebecca also made a "Flying Monkey Friend" who she liked a lot.



Rachael made about six cards for me to bring to the lead actors for the opening night show, wishing them luck. Even was a little different and related to the character they played.

The show was very good, despite a lot of outside factors working against it, which shows how amazing the people involved were. The kids were masters art the art of ad libbing; for example when a piece of scenery crashed over during one performance, and when the Tin Man's pants tore in another performance.



Also, the costumes and sets were amazing. They actually had a house that rocked and spun during the tornado sequence (not that I could see it, since I was playing and had my back to the stage.)



Now I have a total of three musicals for my resume -- Annie Jr, Godspell, and The Wizard of Oz.
And hopefully there will be many more in the future!

Dear Soloist -- From the Accompanist

I discovered a new Facebook page yesterday called "People for the Ethical Treatment of Accompanists."

Oh my gosh. I love that name.

Someone posted something that they got from someone who got it from somewhere else, and I thought I'd post it here. It might not mean much to my usual audience (although I encourage you to read it anyway; it's funny), but maybe other accompanists out there will stumble upon it through some sort of Google search.

Oh yes, and please do note the section stating that we are now called "Collaborative Artists," and not Accompanists. Very Cool.

Here we go. Again, I am not the author of this:


*************************************************************

A LETTER FROM THE ACCOMPANIST

Dear Sir/Madam,

It is not my intention to be rude, offensive or ugly. On the
contrary, I simply would like to take this opportunity to
express my concerns for your future well-being.

Where do I begin? Ah, yes. If you are responsible, you will
not have to resort to destroying friendships in order to
have an accompanist for juries. This is something you should
have thought about before midterms. It is not my obligation
as a pianist or your friend to accept any amount of music
after the first month of a semester. This includes
desperately and pathetically imploring me to learn your
music two hours before your jury. I will not name names, but
you know who you are.

If you so choose to employ me as your accompanist, better
yet, if I agree to be your accompanist, there are a few
things to keep in mind:

1) If it takes you a semester to perfect your piece, it will
take me the same amount of time. Therefore, if you want it
to be exceptional (like Jan Grimes), then provide me with a
copy of the score months in advance. If you don't care what
it sounds like, or if you just suck as a musician in general
, then don't ask me to do it; my performance will reflect on
you, and more importantly, yours will reflect on me. So if
you suck don't even bother asking.

2) Submitting your music to me does not mean that I am
forevermore bonded into unconditional slavery. I am a kind
person, but pulling me aside in the School of Music lobby,
practice room, stairwell, or lavatory and asking me to sight
read your **** is just unacceptable. I am more than happy
and willing to set aside numerous practice times at your
convenience. But do not take advantage of me. Other
accompanists may not be so accommodating. Oh, and for your
411, the job title is no longer "Piano Accompanist." It is
"Collaborative Artist." It just sounds better, so get used
to it.

3) In your scheduled practice times, or at any time that you
are requiring me to exercise my sight-reading ability,
please understand that I am human, not a machine. Contrary
to popular belief, I cannot sight-read perfectly. I will
probably miss many notes. If you cannot even manage one note
at a time, chances are I cannot sight-read flawlessly twelve
notes to every one of yours. Notes do not instantaneously
register in my brain through osmosis, travel down my arm,
into my fingers, and play themselves upon your command. If I
make a mistake, deal with it. You make mistakes, too (and
worse).

4) Furthermore, practice sessions are not a time for me to
help you learn your part. Being a music major at LSU should
mean that you can read music on your own. Learn your part
before rehearsing with me. Please. = )

5) Do not EVER turn around and snap your finger at me to
change tempo. I will follow your tempo. It is not my
responsibility to make sure that you don't slow down. If you
slow down, I will simply follow you and let you suffocate. I
will not push the tempo. That's your job. If you are
egotistical enough to think that you can be my metronome,
stick your head in the commode and flush it.

6) One thing to keep in mind is that I am a music major just
like yourself and I have my own personal repertoire to
practice. My music comes first, just like yours comes first
for you. Everyone seems to expect 200% from me, which is
just plain dumb. I will do my best, which is more than most
accompanists will do for you. So be appreciative.

7) All of you are aware of how few accompanists there are
available. Just for your information, there are five
undergraduate pianists at LSU. If you continue to treat us
in the same manner, you can expect things to get worse, not
better. So be nice. Otherwise, get used to singing by
yourself.

8) One last note, I am a poor college student. I am not
doing this for ****s and giggles, but because I need the
money. Even though we are friends, I need to keep this part
of my life as business. Please respect this, and do not
expect free favors, or ask for them. If I were a millionaire
and had nothing but time on my hands, I would be more than
happy to extend my accompanying services to you free of
charge at anytime. This is not the case, however. So I need
you to treat this as you would any business. Such is life.


I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for
taking time out of your busy life to read this short note. I
sincerely hope that you will heed my advice so that you will
not end up missing fingers like Mr. Mozart in the lobby. I
love you all dearly, and hope we can all work together to
make the School of Music an environment of true harmony.
Have a blessed day!

Your humble servant-only not,
The pianist.

It's a musician's life ...

Obviously, one downside to being a musician is the unpredictability.

Here's how things had been going for me lately:

In September I was hired to play for a five-show running of Godspell, started learning the music and going to rehearsals.
In October were the actual performances.
In November, due to popular demand, we performed a second run in another theater in town.
In December I made $1800 playing at Christmas parties and concerts.

And in January, I had nothing.

This was actually Good. I caught my breath. I recorded a demo CD and mailed it out to several catering directors and wedding planners. I read a novel. I made an Unofficial Goal in head that, once I made $1,000 in 2010, I would buy myself a Kindle.

But now ... it's mid-February. I haven't played anywhere since Christmas, and I am starting to get antsy.

I actually am playing somewhere in a few weeks -- gratis. I won't write too many of the details here, because this is a personal blog and my full name is on the event's website. But let's just say it's a charity fundraiser at the Ritz-Carlton, and I'm playing background music for cocktail hour and dinner.

Am I foolish to be playing for free in exchange for my name being on the website and programs? I guess only time will tell. I'll be sure to report back.

And finally ....

Okay, now after two posts of Somewhat Unnecessary (yet hopefully entertaining) Autobiography, I can finally answer the question of "Why I had no desire or interest in writing" in one sentence:

I've been very focused on my piano lately, and when I'm delving into the piano, I have little mental energy left to focus on writing.

There.

I hope that was worth waiting for.

To be more specific ....

I've been trying to market myself more, and have put up two websites. I'm in the process of putting together some audio clips, and once I put them up on the sites, I bet I'll start getting more leads. I've been working on a lot of music, including things like Jazz Standards and lots of "Charlie Brown music."

In the meantime, I was smart enough to put the word "accompanist" in my Party Pop listing, and was contacted to ...

.... be the accompanist for a local production of Godspell!



The show is in less than three weeks, so I am, uh, learning the music rather quickly. What's fun is that the whole family is learning it. For example, last night Becca was getting ready for bed and singing (very sweetly), "Pray ye ... pray ye ... the way of the Lord ..."

The kids particularly like the song "All for the Best," which three year old Benjamin calls "the silly song."

So there you have it: Right now I'm focusing on being a Pianist, and not a Writer. Stay tuned for which of my two identities takes over next month.

Cliff-hanger ... resolved!

When we last left, you were breathlessly awaiting the answer to what kept me from pursuing a journalism degree and/or being a well-known children's writer by now.

Well, when I was sixteen, my piano teacher at the time quite casually asked if I was planning on majoring in music in college. And I was completely intrigued by that idea.

Believe it or not, I had never heard of someone actually studying music in college until just recently. I honestly thought (and sadly, I think a lot of people think this way) that piano teachers and accompanists were just bored housewives that wanted to make a few bucks and had taken piano lessons as a kid.

To be perfectly honest, I was not a very good piano player when I was 16. But I was good enough to get a partial music scholarship at a college that was very generous about their music scholarships.

So when I started college, I thought I would either:
a) Get a double-major in journalism and music; or
b) Take the required classes to be a freshman music major, so I could keep the scholarship for a year, then switch to studying journalism

Well, I ended up staying a music major.

I still feel torn between my two desires, for music and writing. Because I've been driven to do both, I've never been able to pursue either one with the intensity that most musicians and writers do. And I often feel like I've never really excelled at either.

If you'll excuse the laughable comparison, I've often felt a little like Joni Mitchell. While she professionally pursued a music career, you can tell that, in her heart, she is more of a painter.

I feel like writing sums up more who I am, while music sums up what I do. I'm naturally a pretty good writer. I feel like I even have what I call a "writer's personality." I am not naturally a particularly good musician, but for whatever reason, I've felt driven to work hard at it.

Of course, right now I am proving that I am not a very good writer, but taking three entire blog posts to address something I could have actually answered in one sentence. More to come ...

I finally discovered Tori Amos!

Ever since college I've been a fan of Kate Bush. Wonderful, Hugely-Underappreciated-in-America Kate Bush, who is an amazing songwriter, musician, producer, dancer, choregrapher, and all-around Brilliant Genius.





Sometime in the 90's, when I used to spend a lot more time in my car, I heard a song called "Cornflake Girl" on the radio. I thought, "Oh wow, does Kate Bush have something new out?"

No, turned out it was someone named Tori Amos.


Who's that?

Was she someone I should like? Or should she tick me off for daring to try to copy Kate the Billiant Genius? Was she just another in a somewhat tired line of 90's female artists, like Sheryl Crow, Joan Osborne, Sarah McClaughlin, Courtney Love, and Alanis Morisette?

It was a question that, believe it or not, sort of dimly lingered in the back of my mind for over a decade. I kept thinking I was going to "research" Tori Amos, and then never did. I later realized she did a song called "Crucify," which had never particularly impressed me. Eh, I thought, probably just a lame wannabe.

And then, two nights ago, I happened to stumble on Tori Amos on VH1 Storytellers. I watched it. I watched it twice. I did searches to read the lyrics.

And ...

Oh Yes. No one else can be Kate, but Tori is Quite Amazing.

The one thing I think she does have over Kate is that she is a better piano player. Also, she scores an extra point for being a redhead (and quite a quirky one at that).

Watch "Precious Things" to see what I mean.

(Warning: When I graduated college, my roommate Sara said to me, "Of all the many many things you always listened to, the only one I really couldn't tolerate was Kate Bush." Yes, she is quite an acquired taste, and I think Tori could be as well.)