Oklahoma City gigs aren't usually my cup of tea. For some reason something always goes wrong.
By the time I got to my Friday gig I was already tired from the drive up from Denton, and was not exactly looking forward to the next several hours of playing party music for rich people in a hotel ballroom. I set up my Mark VI tenor, clipped on my mic, and played some notes. I put on my in-ear monitor only to find the battery dead. Well, I'd better go get another nine volt from the sound guy, right? I put my tenor down on the stand and head across stage... forgetting that the clip-on mic was still attached to to receiver in my pocket. Down comes the tenor.
Crap, not cool, but whatever, it's happened before and it's a solid horn, probably no damage, right? I play a few more notes to check.... and the octave key is bent into the body. Oh boy. I can open the octave vent, but when I take my thumb off the key, it just stays open. I have to close it manually. This is going to be a long gig.
I try to fix it, to no avail. I'm stuck playing the entire gig without an octave key; I just have to voice everything up with my air. Which actually turns out to be REALLY good practice, on the upside. I have to focus on air so much more than I usually do that my sound really benefits. But my tenor, my baby! What did I do to you??
Borrowed a horn for Saturday's gig, going on tour with just alto/sop this week, so... well, she needed an overhaul anyway. Time to take her into the shop. Dents... repairs... resale value.... crap.... Oklahoma City gigs...
You're right, it is really good practice. It also feels really strange to put your thumb down where the 8ve key is supposed to be and... there's nothing there.
