Nutcracker!

It is that time of the year.  Christmas lights shine, and dancers and musicians come together to perform the Nutcracker.  The Southwest Youth Ballet dances tonight!  There will also be two performances tomorrow – one in the afternoon and another at night. The music is performed by us, the Chandler Symphony Orchestra.  The venue is the Higley Center for the Performing Arts.

It is not the full symphony.  For example, there is normally six or seven in the bass section.  There are only three of us playing in a pit partly because of limited space.  Playing in a pit feels very different than playing on stage.  We only can see each other.  We know there is a ballet going on above us, sometimes footsteps can be heard as someone runs off or there is applause, but it feels so disconnected. It becomes just about the music.  Are we all together or can something be tweaked?  What has been said over and over is “if there is a solo part, play down so they can be heard”.   We have to play slower or quicker and we do not know if we are with the dancers unless we ask or are told.  Last year, I asked my friends and family what it looked like.  I still wanted to see it so I ended up attending a performance of the Nutcracker at Symphony Hall.

The Chandler Symphony Orchestra is actually getting paid for this gig.  It changes the stakes and my motivation.  It really does become all about the music.  I’m listening to the Nutcracker right now and have listened to it probably everyday outside of hearing it when we rehearse it.  We have rehearsed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights together. We are really serious about the music during the performance, but there are also fun moments because we really cannot be seen.  The basses stand right in front of the percussion and we cover our ears during the “gunshot”.  I have it marked in my music when to cover my ears.  Last year, the tuba player got up and did his own Chinese dance.  He did not have to play in that section and it was a bit more difficult to play it because I kept dancing.  I’m excited for the hard work and fun that will be had.  Hopefully some of you will join us and can tell us how it looked.