My Funniest Concert with the Tucson Symphony

One night probably a dozen or so years ago, the Tucson Symphony preformed Ravel's Bolero. I have played every bass clarinet part and saxophone part on "Bolero", and once when the TSO was short on funds, I played them all concurrently! (picking up a soprano sax 1 measure after the tenor sax solo and also right after the bass clarinet part!!!) Anyway, this one night, William aka Bill McGlaughlin was the conductor of the TSO (you may know him from St. Paul Sunday Morning show on NPR radio). The 1st piece on the program was a rather soft ending French thing by Delius. At the time I was working on my doctoral degree at the University of Arizona, and had a music theory class with Dr. Ed Murphy. The class was analyzing pieces with German 6th augmented chords. A classmate of mine was asking for explanations on the spelling of German, Italain, and French 6th augmented chords back stage behind a closed door. The 1st piece on the program ended very softly with very quiet applause. I was not aware that "Bolero" was starting until I heard the beginning bass line ostinati (repated through the whole piece) pattern through the door! Oh My Gosh! What to do??? I'm supposed to be on stage, but I'm WAY backstage!!! The bass clarinet doesn't play right at the start, so I quietly open the rear stage door on the sound shell, and look around. I see a chair behind the risers in a space between the back of the sound shell and the place where the horns are sitting. I quietly find a music stand, and with my bass clarinet and music, tiptoe in and sit in back of the french horns on the risers with my music, bass clarinet, and music stand. I can see the condutor through the legs of the horn section sitting in front and above me! I come in on time and play my part on the bass clarinet!!! Later, I find out that the saxophones sitting above me with the horns are nealy in histerics hearing me play below and in back of them!!!
I appologized to William McGlaughlin after the concert, but since the concert before he was asleep in the hotel room when they called him at 8:05 (concert time) and asked where he was, he said "I understand!!!!"


-John Dr. Prong Thing!!!

Coyote Tales

One afternoon after hearing my son Noah sing with the Tucson Boys Chorus in the cool Catalinas, I decided to hike down to Sabino Canoyon. Since this was August and the trail was largely washed out from monsoons and the afternoon sun on the north slopes of the Catalinas was hot and unforgiving, my idea may not have been the best! Nonethelss hike down I did, and late in the aftenoon in the inner valley lost my water (it was in a milk jug and fell out of the backback, emptying on the ground) and jumped over a snake in the trail! After the sun fell and the night stars came out on a moonless night, I kept walking up the rocky trail to the 2nd ridge. Every rock and root in the trail looked like a snake! There was barely any light at all from the stars. Finally I crested the top and went ended up in the tram turn-around at the end of the Sabino nature-road. As I sat on the rock wall resting, I heard a rattler near by buzzing a warning.
After resting I continued down the road, noticing eyes peering out of the bushes. The water in the stream was running full. I became aware that a coyote was pacing me about an arm's length away to my right! Somewhat frightened, I tried to appear unconcenrned and kept walking! I figuered that in August with the stream running full the coyote was probably just curious about PB! A nyway, he and a few others that joined walked me nicely almost all the way out of the canyon (about 5 miles!!!). That was the night I felt truly like a WILD THING, especially after drinking some tasty stream water!!!
-PB

Happy Bear

I like bears, their wet noses, their fur, and their ambling walk. They seem unconcerned about any difficulties in life, just using their paws and strength to overcome any stress. Too cold? Hibernate in a hollowed out place...Too hot? take a dip in the stream. Too hungry? Risk a few bee stings and go for the honey hive. Also berries work too...!

Once in Yellowstone when I was perhaps 7 a bear broke into the storage space under the bed in the back where my mom and dad were sleeping and tried to crawl in! I woke up to my mom banging pots and pans to scare it away. It was common in those days to walk right by bears ambling along in the campground.

Bears have good karma and their peace goes out in the world...In the concert I conducted recently in GV with about 1,000 attending a pretty much full house, I think the band set a record...H. Owen Reed's "La Fiesta" got a standing ovation (he was there to hear it!), the Rhapsody in Blue did too, and also my performance of John Denman's Crossover Concerto.
You give out good energy and you get it back!

I have been a happier bear lately, knowing velvetginger, her clan, reconnecting with ms. creek, and just being able to enjoy every day is a real gift! Now back to work...

More shoe and sock stories...

Friday I took about 18 of my students on a bus with about 30 other students from 2 schools to a mass recorder and choir practice for the upcoming OMA Showcase (March 24th). I wrote a song for recorder, singing, and "Orff" instruments called "Water Changes" integrating music and science. About 70 or so students from different schools played, sang, and accompanied beautifully. Then the bus was late. The other 2 school's students stood dutifully in a line and waited while my students ran around the bushes and trees and threw dirt at each other! Well, I guess they were having a good time anyway...
Came time to get on the bus and when I went up the steps, one of my shoes fell back on the pavement! Anohter teacher picked it up and gave it to me. At least I was wearing matching ones, although in the Symphony in the evening I had one sheer legging stock and one regular on, shhh! Don't tell, probably against dress code!

Hello There!

hello there, all you wild wyominites, I seem to notice a lot of discussion of "prong things" and shoes!