Off Topic: Saturday is Concord Band Day
Many readers know I run. The other thing I do is play the clarinet. Just about four years ago I had the opportunity to join one of the top community bands in the Boston area, the Concord Band. I dragged a friend along and we’ve been doing our best to keep the third clarinet section playing up to speed and in tune.
Tomorrow, Saturday, is the Band’s 50th Anniversary Concert. The Town has declared the day Concord Band Day and it’s a big deal. We have all three of the band’s conductor’s involved (the “new guy” just started in the fall) and we commissioned a special piece for the occasion. “Flowing Pens from Concord” celebrates four of the great writer from the area. The composer, Roger Cichy, visited their haunts for inspiration and showed us the photos he took when he introduced the piece. For an amateur musician like me this concert is like going to Carnegie Hall, even though we’ll be performing at a local high school.
My words to all the folks with horns or strings in the closet: if you enjoyed playing when you were a kid, it’s as fun, if not more, when you grow up! I’m reminded of that at each rehearsal. The fellow who sits next to me is 87 years old!
