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It's a miracle, Tiny Tim!
Apr. 17th, 2005 12:05 amIt's interesting what you can accomplish when you throw away the crutches.
As yesterday's cryptic post suggested, the contra went quite well, quite well indeed. Elvie (accordian/piano) and Naomi (fiddle) are semi-pro musicians who've released a CD together, and in the beginning it was just the three of us; I was very quiet, very nervous, very worried that I was intruding on their rapport. Though I'd played with both of them (separately) before, I'd always had sheet music. Always. Any time I'd played, anywhere, near enough. I sat gingerly on the edge of my chair, strumming very lightly, listening intently to what Elvie was doing on the piano and trying to follow her lead.
Over the course of half an hour, though, I grew more confident, and while I never went very far beyond the basic I-IV-V progression I played well enough and loudly enough to draw compliments. And my buddy Jeff (often on second guitar, this time on bodhran) arrived after a bit, giving me someone to chat with between sets.
Another bodhran player, of the cute and elfin variety, came up during the first half and asked me, very meekly, if she could play. I tried telling her that it was an open band, and anyway I wasn't the bandleader, but even when Jeff left to dance it still took me coaxing her over to get her to play. She was great, so I don't know why the meekness. More to the point, for purposes of this journal, she was totally flirting with me, which pasted a stupid grin on my face the whole night. (Well, I think she was. I never know. If you ever read this, cute Irish studies major with the tiny pigtails, don't disillusion me.) She effusively complimented my playing, told me she was sure I'd made a "stunning" woman at Drag Ball, generally stayed focused on me and smiled at me and laughed at my jokes for three hours. It felt fabulous—she was really cute—but more than the flirting her compliments about my playing really meant a lot. A lot of times, when I'm playing, I feel like people are happy enough to have me there, but that it'd sound just a little better if I weren't. She made me feel welcome, like part of the event. She put a little swagger in my swing.
By the end of the night, we'd gelled pretty well into a band. The last couple of dances (with both drummers, now) were pretty rockin', and I felt able to relax and go with the music. I was floating on air on the walk home, just couldn't stop smiling. As K. put it, this year in Oberlin has forced me to stretch my comfort zones, musically, and as a result I've discovered I can do things that would have scared the pants off me a year ago. And now I'm getting groupies. :) Coolness abounds.
As yesterday's cryptic post suggested, the contra went quite well, quite well indeed. Elvie (accordian/piano) and Naomi (fiddle) are semi-pro musicians who've released a CD together, and in the beginning it was just the three of us; I was very quiet, very nervous, very worried that I was intruding on their rapport. Though I'd played with both of them (separately) before, I'd always had sheet music. Always. Any time I'd played, anywhere, near enough. I sat gingerly on the edge of my chair, strumming very lightly, listening intently to what Elvie was doing on the piano and trying to follow her lead.
Over the course of half an hour, though, I grew more confident, and while I never went very far beyond the basic I-IV-V progression I played well enough and loudly enough to draw compliments. And my buddy Jeff (often on second guitar, this time on bodhran) arrived after a bit, giving me someone to chat with between sets.
Another bodhran player, of the cute and elfin variety, came up during the first half and asked me, very meekly, if she could play. I tried telling her that it was an open band, and anyway I wasn't the bandleader, but even when Jeff left to dance it still took me coaxing her over to get her to play. She was great, so I don't know why the meekness. More to the point, for purposes of this journal, she was totally flirting with me, which pasted a stupid grin on my face the whole night. (Well, I think she was. I never know. If you ever read this, cute Irish studies major with the tiny pigtails, don't disillusion me.) She effusively complimented my playing, told me she was sure I'd made a "stunning" woman at Drag Ball, generally stayed focused on me and smiled at me and laughed at my jokes for three hours. It felt fabulous—she was really cute—but more than the flirting her compliments about my playing really meant a lot. A lot of times, when I'm playing, I feel like people are happy enough to have me there, but that it'd sound just a little better if I weren't. She made me feel welcome, like part of the event. She put a little swagger in my swing.
By the end of the night, we'd gelled pretty well into a band. The last couple of dances (with both drummers, now) were pretty rockin', and I felt able to relax and go with the music. I was floating on air on the walk home, just couldn't stop smiling. As K. put it, this year in Oberlin has forced me to stretch my comfort zones, musically, and as a result I've discovered I can do things that would have scared the pants off me a year ago. And now I'm getting groupies. :) Coolness abounds.
