DIEGO RIVERA ADJACENT

Yesterday was the final exam, actually a recital, for my City College woodwinds class.

I had the usual nervousness about any performance.

I was performing in three pieces, a cute Mozart minuet duet with a bass clarinet, a flute trio, and a flute quartet.

Making me nervous was the fact that we had never actually played all the way through any of the pieces without stopping.

But the audience was supportive and we plowed through all three pieces, arriving at the last note together--most important, whatever's gone before-- and received hearty applause.

Included in the program were two pieces by the advanced "jazz ensemble," four students (three saxes, one flute), plus my teacher playing rhythm piano, plus two pros on electric bass and drums.

And the room, unlike our usual classroom was designed for acoustics and my flute sounded great.

When playing with others, even people with rudimentary skills will have moments when it sounds really good and the performers have stepped inside the composers world view.

I get full body tingle.

It's encouraging to know that one needn't be some pro virtuoso to experience musical full body tingle.

And the connection with the other musicians approaches nearly pure cooperation, like, we really do have the same intentions. A couple of times in my softball career I was the middle person in a successful relay throw from the outfield to home plate. The gave me the same feeling of connection

The music rooms are in a corner of the Arts building that's connected to the backstage area of the Diego Rivera Theater. In a courtyard between the two building is this large sculpture. Passing by, I say to myself, Bring me the head of Diego Rivera.

I enrolled in a class called Stage Band for next semester. I think their final concert is in Diego's theater. Moving on up.

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