Wish Me Luck, I'm Going In (to a play pit band)!

[I. Fallon]

After playing in a community band for about two years (they liked the sound of my Couesnon Monopole Tenor, they were stuck with me LOL), I have been enlisted into the pit band for the local production of Babes in Arms (my son is in it as the Juggler). I have the Reed II part (tenor and clarinet). I think that the band is comprised of mostly high school and college students. This should be a hoot.

We practice three hours a night from monday to thursday this week, and the play runs from friday to saturday. Since I play a 1-1/2 drilled reed, I suspect that I should be fresh long after the rest of the band poops out (time will tell). Wish me luck.

Any pit band protocol I should know about before this begins?

[saxtub]

A 1 1/2 drilled reed?!?!? Are you playing with just one lung? :shock:

[MS]

Have fun. Shows and a rack of horns has always been enjoyment for me. Break a leg! :D

[kikkosound]

only one thing,

don't miss your call, it drives the stage managers wild! :D

[I. Fallon]

Oh my goodness. The poor girl next to me is playing flute, clarinet, and alto saxophone. All in the same song. Watching her change is more fun than looking at the show.

The one piece that I really want to play has a tacit for the tenor, so I asked the band director for a cornet part (keeping in Bb). Great fun.

First time I ever had the need for a mouthpiece cover. The reed really gets dry after about 15 minutes without playing LOL.

[I. Fallon]

The show is over so I thought that I'd report back on my experiences.

Many of the songs had significantly more sharps than I was used to playing. No problem after a while.

A soft pencil and a big eraser are essentials. There are a lot of "cuts" between sections of a given song. Erase all marks on the last performance (erase after each song is how we did it).

A double flat is noted by two flat symbols next to each other. A double sharp is noted by a "x".

The pit has the best seats in the house. However, on some dances the players were inches away from me and I still have no clue what they were doing.

Theater people can really party (after the last show).

I would definitely do it again.