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Feb. 14th, 2020 03:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ivyficLast night, my choir (the Dessoff Choirs) performed with Roomful of Teeth (a Grammy-Award winning chamber vocal ensemble) at the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center. I don't know if you've ever been there, but it is on the fifth floor of the Time Warner Center, and behind the stage is a wall of glass that looks out over Columbus Circle. We were singing with them in one song in their concert, so before we went out, we were lined up in the wings. I was the first one to go out, so that meant I spent fifteen minutes standing in the wings, looking out at the lights of the traffic in Columbus Circle and the reflections of the performers in the glass, listening to this. I don't know if you've ever heard something and thought I must own a recording of this. And trust me that, even with the quality of the recording, it is not the same as hearing it live.
Sometimes it's not just getting to collaborate with professional musicians in performances that's special, it's the moments in rehearsal or backstage that feel like a peak into a private world--who gets the chance to stand behind a Grammy- and Pulitzer-Prize winner and watch her draw abstract art on her sheet music? Years ago, the first time I did a gig with the New York Philharmonic, I saw a group of people enter the top balcony tier during our rehearsal and realized I'm part of their behind the scenes tour. We did a performance of Beethoven's 9th once seated directly in front of the violins with our backs to the audience until we stood at our first entrance, which meant I spent three movements watching the concert master play from a foot away.
And the performance went excellently last night as well--one of those rare occasions where you can feel that's you're nailing it in the moment. Most of the time, the focus is too much on getting every detail correct. It's rare to be able to enjoy the experience while performing.
In any case, I signed up for their mailing list as soon as I left the theater, and downloaded all of their albums when I got home.
Sometimes it's not just getting to collaborate with professional musicians in performances that's special, it's the moments in rehearsal or backstage that feel like a peak into a private world--who gets the chance to stand behind a Grammy- and Pulitzer-Prize winner and watch her draw abstract art on her sheet music? Years ago, the first time I did a gig with the New York Philharmonic, I saw a group of people enter the top balcony tier during our rehearsal and realized I'm part of their behind the scenes tour. We did a performance of Beethoven's 9th once seated directly in front of the violins with our backs to the audience until we stood at our first entrance, which meant I spent three movements watching the concert master play from a foot away.
And the performance went excellently last night as well--one of those rare occasions where you can feel that's you're nailing it in the moment. Most of the time, the focus is too much on getting every detail correct. It's rare to be able to enjoy the experience while performing.
In any case, I signed up for their mailing list as soon as I left the theater, and downloaded all of their albums when I got home.
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Date: 2020-02-14 11:05 pm (UTC)