Tuesday night was the last rehearsal before our Halloween concert.  I need to practice every night.  Every. Night.  Last night I spent 30 minutes on a few measures of Damnation of Faust by Hector Berlioz.  It’s all pretty good except for some transition triplets that, counting in two, I can’t seem to get.  And it’s pretty much just us clarinets doing it…so at rehearsal it was mush.  Really bad mush.  I’ve written in the beats of each measure.  I’ve slowed it down.  I’ve counted it in four.  I’ve tongued the triplets to keep track even though it’s not written that way.  Sigh.  I need to figure this out.

We’re also playing Vesuvius by Frank Ticheli.  It’s supposed to represent a volcano.  We aren’t quite there.  I’ve been playing along with a recording of it for a few weeks.  That helps a lot, but still this is one you have to keep counting and not get caught up in listening to anyone else.  Take a moment and listen to it.  It’s a pretty cool piece.  If we had about 3 more weeks of practice it would work out.  But the concert is next Tuesday.

And yes we’re playing some other music that we can get through with less angst.  But I have to say, our concert’s title is apt.  “Things that scare us.”

Cause I’m feeling plenty scared.