classical life

I’ve been doing my due diligence, practicing every day (well, almost), getting my chops ready for OC Can You Play — With Us?

The chops are feeling pretty good, most of the time. The old trombone sounds nice. It’s a legit horn, a symphonic horn, suitable for the occasion. I’ll be playing the finale of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 with the Pacific Symphony on Monday (April 8), the honorable Carl St.Clair on the podium.

Here’s how it works. I’ll take the stage at Segerstrom Concert Hall at 7 p.m. with the rest of the amateur musicians and the Pacific Symphony. It’s a side-by-side type of thing. St.Clair will lead us in a public rehearsal, for 25 to 35 minutes. I’m told he’ll have a microphone on, so the audience can hear his every word and gasp. Then, we’ll play the thing straight through. Don’t tell anyone but I plan to play really loud. I’ll be modeling my own performance on the Chicago Symphony (under Previn) with a dash of the USC Marching Band (in the Coliseum). Not sure if I’ll be able to outblow Mike Hoffman, Dave Stetson and Bob Sanders (pictured), though.

You’re all invited. Why you’d want to come I don’t know, but it is free. And judging from the rehearsal we had with the amateurs, I think it’ll sound decent.