Recapitulation, Reiteration, Repetition

Last night began rehearsals for the Spring Quarter of the Pacific Northwest Chamber Orchestra. We have 9 new songs to master by the June 5th concert. We're doing soloists with accompanying orchestrations. Now, in case you aren't music savvy, the cello plays the bass line. What does this mean, really? I play notes that make the beat, keep time, provide the rhythm. It can be fun, but it can also be very, very, very, very repetitive! A couple of the pieces we'll be doing, the notes aren't written out, they are a type of shorthand that indicates I'm to play 8th notes over and over across an infinite amount of measures. Sounds easy, but if you aren't counting, you can get lost quickly.

What's Up, Doc?

One of the tunes we'll be performing is the classic Barber of Seville. Before we began to sight-read it last night, I leaned over to the cellist next to me and I say to him, "This is from Bugs Bunny." He looked at me blankly like I had spoken in a foreign tongue. He's 22 years old. I thought he would know about Bugs Bunny. Seeing his blank look, I sung a few lines from Bugs using the melody, "Welcome to my shop / let me cut your mop..." He still stared unphased. "You don't know Bugs Bunny?" I asked. "No, we don't have TV at home." But I think it was more than just the fact he comes from one of those peculiar Christian families that don't let their kids watch TV because they think it is run by the liberal left (Interesting, I've heard liberals proclaim that TV is run by the conservative right. I tend to think TV is run by those dedicated to providing whatever entertainment they think will make them lots and lots of $$, because $$ is their deity of choice). I honestly think that the classic Bugs that I recall watching on Saturday mornings as a child has not been part of the mainstream for a couple of decades. Oh well.

Cello Name Decided

Thanks to the awesome voting from those who clicked away at my nifty Blog Poll, 32% of you thought that Trinity would be an excellent name. Thus, my rented cello shall be known as Trinity. I am thinking, however, that my rental of her will be temporary, as I've found a violin shop in Olympia that makes them, and I've got this itch to have a real-made cello. Only I'm not sure yet how I'll pay for it...Perhaps it can be my graduation present from me to me next June (2007) when I finish my schooling?