Excellent Concert

Bom dia
Sorry I did not blog last night after the concert. I did not get back to my hotel until 2am as we went out after the concert. What a long day!!

Arley was to pick me up last night at 6pm, but due to the traffic, was not able to get me until around 630. We arrived in Pindoretama around 730 and the students were in the rehearsal room waiting for us to arrive. We spent a good long time warming up and tuning. Another great teaching moment. I did alot of down the row tuning and they learned what it sounded like when two out of tune pitches eventually came together to sound the same. You could see them really paying attention while I was working with two players and then they would shake their heads up and down when the two finally met. It was neat to see that they knew when things matched up.

After we were ready to go, we had some empanadas before the concert as we knew it was going to start late. Then, a very cool thing happened. We went outside to just stand and wait to go to the church, and students started wanting to take pictures with me. I think I took a picture with every kid in the band, as well as section pictures with each section. I bet I took over 60 pictures with the kids. It was so neat!!!

Last night, there was a mass outside the church that was supposed to start at 7 and end at 830 so our concert could start at 830. Of all things, this was the confirmation service, so it went 2 hours and 20 minutes!!!! Our concert did not start until after 930. We set up inside the church (pictures will come in a later blog) and there were probably seats for around 200 inside. However, the doors on the sides and back of the church open up, so people outside could see in also.

It was amazing!!!! When the mass was over and the door opened up, people just poured into the space. I bet there were at least 300 inside the church and people were stack as far as you could see standing at the doors to look inside. All in all, probably 600-700 people. It was really bizarre, before the concert, people were just looking at me as if I was from Mars. They would just kind of stare at me and when I would look at them and say hello, they would sheepishly turn and go away. It was like they had never seen an american before!! Little kids would carefully walk by and just look at me, then talk and giggle after they passed. I found this very interesting and entertaining.

Around 935 or 940, Arley introduced the concert then introduced me. The crowd cheered very loudly as I entered the band. We played Fanfare and Flourishes first and they just played the heck out of it. Powerful and clean. The kids eyes were lit up like Christmas. They were so proud of their performance of that piece. On the Ave Maria, I think they lost their focus and started looking around at the people because some of them came in at the wrong time towards the end. The climax of the piece did not work very well as we were not together. As I was conducting I was giving them hand signs for one, two, three, four trying to get them back together, but it was too late. I know they felt bad about this, but it happens.

Longford Legend movement one went really well, and then on movement two, another slow movement, they once again lost concentration towards the end and we got apart again, but this time I was able to get them back together. The third movement was great and the audience loved the piece. After that, I stood close to the group and gave them hand gestures in a non verbal manner saying that we need to concentrate and count more carefully. It was funny, without a translator, the students knew exactly what I was saying to them, just by the way my hands and face were speaking.

From there on out, the concert was no problemo. Shenandoah was beautiful, Concert Variations was AWESOME, Arley played great on Persuasion, the the Choro Dobrado was wonderful. Arley, the Mayor, and myself said a few words and thanked the audience, then we played Circus Days. One lady in the audience asked Arley how you say thank you in english. He told them, they all kind of practiced a bit, and then they all said thank you to me in english all at once. So cool!!!

After the concert, MORE pictures. I probably stood there taking pictures with band members, brothers and sisters, community members, little old ladies, anyone and everyone for at least 20 minutes. I was sweating like crazy as it was so hot and people were so crowded around me, but it was an amazing time in my life. I was seriously like a rock star and people just kept taking pictures. Arley told me I am now famous in Pindoretama-the first american conductor to ever conduct in Ceara, Brazil.

We went back to the rehearsal facility and put things away and then went back to the same eating place as the night before to have pizza and beer. We met some people there and we talked with them for quite awhile. They invited me/us to come to their house today for a cookout, so that is what we are going to do. Arley will pick me up around 11 and we will once again drive to Pindoretama. We will stay at their house for a few hours, then make the drive back for the concert tonight. I am going to just take my concert clothes with me and we will go straight to Drago Mar Cultural Centre where our concert is tonight. Same program, only hopefully without counting errors!!!

It is going to be very, very difficult to see these beautiful children drive away on their bus after the concert tonight. It is just amazing that I have only been with them four days now, but we have developed such a strong bond together.

This has been one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I have ever had in my life and I owe it all to Arley Franca and his invitation to conduct the orquestra sopros de Pindoretama.

Tchau