One big fantasy I had back in high school, surrounded by Drake (as in Radio) drones and rock rebels, was to be on stage somehow involved with an orchestra or something approximating same playing movie themes. I didn't play an instrument, but by now on clarinet and an occasional other reed I have done this type of thing with community bands.

The other night we played a paid admission show at a playhouse walking distance from our rehearsal site. My blog mentor just posted about lent, and I know it's imminent because at this show I let loose with plenty of clams. I had been a member of this outfit in the 90's and their head librarian, but when I demoted myself to an evening position I was happier at work but had to leave the band. I went to a few of their shows over the years and could say I didn't miss them that much at the time but at a holiday themed one a few months ago, and with me knowing I was rejoining them, they played the jaunty "March From 1941".

Retroactively I felt as if I had been Lou Costello peeling potatoes in "Buck Privates" for a long time, with these folks having fun with something like this as I worked "B" shift. Well, "1941" was one of our numbers the other night.

Two days later it was rehearsal time again and we saddled up with "Silverado". Boy, I always loved the western themes no matter how the movie was; I got to hear Elmer Bernstein conduct "The Magnificent Seven", which was a cool flick, with our magnificent local (I don't mean the down town one) orchestra. And what do you know, it was right after I graduated from high school.

Back to the 80's oater in which one of the last lines, "We'll see you later," as two guys rode off toward California didn't end up pointing to a sequel. Well, back one more step; after all, I am Dan Gent. As we set up on stage for the concert I was desperately trying to bring up to tempo an arpeggio for a fast Mexican dance number and the oboe player said to me what a shame how difficult some of the things were given to clarinets. Yes, coming from an oboe player.

Clarinets are often given violin type lines. Not necessarily melody but things which compliment, buttress and bolster---redundancy loves alliteration, be nice---the instruments not often handed notes with lines no amount of cold cream could ameliorate. So "Silverado" had that stirring "hook" a clarinet loves to play and then, what's all this on the next page? Well, with all the eighth and sixteenth note patterns one could say look, there's a pagoda, here's a cheese grater. But try playing them. Of course, it wouldn't be exciting without all the developmental stuff.

I want to develop; it's making me mental! One twists one's own arm: go join, or rejoin as the case may be, the band. And then come the fingers.