Banjo at the Symphony; DAY ONE

[Jody Stecher]

I got one word to say: "wow".   We played early in the program so we came out at the beginning and took our seats in front of the orchestra since we played second. The conductor Michael Tilson Thomas stopped on the way to the podium to shake our hands and this was typical of the respect and friendliness we got from all the symphony people. Now my experience of orchestral music is limited to being in the audience or hearing recordings but being 2 feet away is another thing entirely and to my sensibilities the San Francisco Symphony tuning, twiddling, and tweeting sounded better than some orchestras I've heard when they were actually playing. 

Last minute editing of the program necessitated our dropping A Ragtime Episode (unless we could pare it down to 30 seconds). No matter. Our medley of Hard Times and Pensacola was just the right thing at  just the right time in the program.  They had us wired up under our shirts so that we each had teensy microphone attached to our right shirt sleeve cuff and I had an another mic hanging from my left ear for singing. The sound crew got the balance right and we were very happy with how it went and so was the audience. 

Before the actual program we played in the lobby and gathered a large and truly interested and appreciative crowd. We started with St Louis Tickle and all was great. But in the middle of A Ragtime Episode the Airforce Band of The Golden West started up in the lobby one floor higher. They are fabulous. They are also brass and drowned us out. We responded to the situation by playing in their key and then playing what they were playing. The crowd responded by gathering much closer to us. Tomorrow management  says they will move us to the other end of the lobby. Good idea.  

So far, so good.

[thereallyniceman]

Brilliant Jody, Give the Air Force Band a good run for their money if they start up again today. Could I suggest that you get in first with The Washington Post!   You did mention that the organisers couldn't organise a pi** up in a brewery ! It is a pity that you had to cut Ragtime Episode... perhaps today they will find those precious extra two minutes!

Keep the reports coming.

[Jody Stecher]

Washington Post March isn't in our repertoire but I think Bill used to play it. BUT there will be a **ss up on saturday night after it's all over right in a special room in the symphony building which is dedicated for celebratory gatherings.  Our lobby repertoire is The Smiler, Cupid's Arrow, Home Sweet Home, St. Louis Tickle, Soldier's Joy, Miss McLeod's Reel, Wild Horse at Stony Point  (these last 3 all from even before the stroke style era), A Ragtime Episode,  and a few more that escape my memory at the moment.

[Sylvia]

It all sounds great Jody a super experience, and nice to read about. Sorry you had to cut a piece :(  It wasn't that long.