{"id":38,"date":"2004-02-18T00:43:57","date_gmt":"2004-02-18T06:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/index.php\/2004\/02\/18\/how-to-get-to-carnegie-deli\/"},"modified":"2011-03-04T10:40:13","modified_gmt":"2011-03-04T16:40:13","slug":"how-to-get-to-carnegie-deli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2004\/02\/how-to-get-to-carnegie-deli\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get to Carnegie Deli?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock<\/font><\/h6>\n

Wednesday 18 February 2004.<\/b> Monday night at community band, the euphonium section sat beside the trombones. It was just one baritone player, and she looked unfamiliar. I introduced myself. This was indeed her first night with the Arkansas Winds. She sat by us because that’s where baris traditionally sit; no one told her Ark Winds puts the 1-2-member section in its own row behind the ‘bones, by the door.<\/font><\/p>\n

I felt at home sitting by a euphonium player. In junior and senior high, I played baritone (three valves) then euphonium (a fourth valve to correct the tuning of the 1-3 fingering (but experts would note wider bore etc.). I was good. This young woman the other night might have been a hair better than I was in my day (for the Stanford Band, I switched to a valve trombone because it was louder and ‘bone parts were more fun on the field).<\/font><\/p>\n

In my day. That means less and more. Less, in that most of my contemporaries have fully dropped whatever school activities they enjoyed and even excelled in. I’m still playing in a wind band. I’ve added to my music inclination by learning to play recorder, owning soprano, alto and tenor instruments; taking lessons and playing in the Bella Vista Consort when time allows, which last was just over a year ago. But the recorders and their books still are out in my Poet’s Corner on the sunporch, as are the trombone and music stands.<\/font><\/p>\n

Think of all the jocks. Those that stay physically active in their mid-40s sure ain’t playing tackle football or hurling shotputs in the yard.<\/font><\/p>\n

In my day, the "more" section: That girl could sight-read. Our band’s main euphonium player — she was there while he recuperated from surgery — has a better tone, but hers certainly serviceable. But the jump-in-and-help role she took demanded sight-reading, which she excelled at. I bet she made All-State in high school. I never did: I panicked in the audition, learning in college a bit on overcoming shyness, faking bravado.<\/font><\/p>\n

In my day I had a little better tone than her and only when fully rested and much practiced would I sight-read like this person (still a college student?).<\/font><\/p>\n

Baritone playing comes up because her playing was directly in my right ear. Just like when I was in high school, sat first chair and heard Sue Doshier’s horn in my right ear (she was as good as me and sometimes sat first). Baritones may not have the top parts in a score but very often they have unique parts, rhythms and countermelodies, that make them stand out. In an orchestra similarly, the cello often gets to "noodle" in and out of the melodies and themes. The cello stands out only when you listen for it. That’s the same for the baritone; think of its countermelody in the march "Colonel Bogey."<\/font><\/p>\n

And years ago I let baritone-playing go. We all let things go. Should I let go of the career I have been plying for 23-24 years? Should I let go of writing aspirations? Or painting hopes? I’ve not been damaged by dropping baritone-playing. Other things have taken its place. Cooking. Owning cats. Being married.<\/font><\/p>\n

But to be good at something, that’s marvelous. You don’t have to be great. Mediocre is a waste of time. What other victories, superiorities have I left behind, forgotten, dismissed as unimportant? They’re all important, if remembered. They support the future.<\/font><\/p>\n

When I get money I’ll buy a nice 2nd-hand euphonium and play it in community band<\/font>. -30- <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock Wednesday 18 February 2004. Monday night at community band, the euphonium section sat beside the trombones. It was just one baritone player, and she looked unfamiliar. I introduced myself. This was indeed her first night with the Arkansas Winds. She sat by us because that’s where baris traditionally sit; no […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[36],"class_list":["post-38","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life-lessons","tag-music"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4122,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2013\/02\/euphonium-rocks\/","url_meta":{"origin":38,"position":0},"title":"Euphonium Rocks!","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"February 16, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Unemployment during the Good Depression is no time to be extravagant. I tend to be stingy during good times as well, but blowing a fair amount of money for top seats for The Who on Valentine's night in Tulsa was crazy-right. The stop was on their Quadrophenia 2012-13 tour, playing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brick Bats Reportage"","block_context":{"text":"Brick Bats Reportage","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/brick-bats-reportage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Roger Daltrey (left) and Pete Townshend of The Who, 2008. Credit Wikipedia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Pete_Townshend_and_Roger_Daltrey_Philly_2008-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4432,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2013\/09\/ich-ben-ein-razorbacker\/","url_meta":{"origin":38,"position":1},"title":"Ich ‘Ben’ ein Razorbacker","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"September 21, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"A few days ago, a fellow journalist asked me if I planned to grow a goatee for her skit in next month's Northwest Arkansas Gridiron, the annual satirical sketch revue of the local SPJ. I asked the show's coordinator, who reminded me that I should look clean-shaven for another skit.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life Lessons"","block_context":{"text":"Life Lessons","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/life-lessons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ben Pollock on 09-30-1978","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/BenP-100178-by-Robby-Beyers-691x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/BenP-100178-by-Robby-Beyers-691x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/BenP-100178-by-Robby-Beyers-691x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":196,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2006\/06\/seeding-a-rain-cloud\/","url_meta":{"origin":38,"position":2},"title":"Seeding a rain cloud","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"June 8, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Copyright 2006 Ben S. Pollock It has come to my attention that I am mostly unable to predict the future. Also, I am told, for the most part I cannot shape the future. (If you prefer, substitute \"we\" or \"you\" for the \"I\" because this really is not all about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life Lessons"","block_context":{"text":"Life Lessons","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/life-lessons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":242,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2006\/11\/as-perfect-as-it-gets\/","url_meta":{"origin":38,"position":3},"title":"As Perfect as It Gets","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"November 7, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"It wasn't even all planned but my birthday today had an astonishing number of things going right. I'm still glowing. I had the day off. No big deal. Mondays and Tuesdays are my usual weekend. So I slept late. No big deal. I go to work at 3 p.m. so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Body, Home, Street"","block_context":{"text":"Body, Home, Street","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/body-home-street\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":135,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2005\/07\/cant-see-the-lights\/","url_meta":{"origin":38,"position":4},"title":"Can’t see the lights","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"July 5, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Copyright 2005 Ben S. Pollock Tuesday, July 5, 2005: For a few weeks, newspaper house ads and broadcast public service announcements have proclaimed that the city of Fayetteville would host a Fourth of July celebration at Baum Stadium of the University of Arkansas. It would succeed the ones held for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Body, Home, Street"","block_context":{"text":"Body, Home, Street","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/body-home-street\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1888,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2010\/05\/rock-in-rococo\/","url_meta":{"origin":38,"position":5},"title":"Rock in Rococo","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"May 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"A concert by Mark Knopfler and his band, seen April 21 in Kansas City, promoting his album Get Lucky, was tremendous. If you live within 250 miles (the distance from Fayetteville, as it happens) and have some extra 20s for tickets, try to see it; otherwise listen to the record.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brick Bats Reportage"","block_context":{"text":"Brick Bats Reportage","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/brick-bats-reportage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2734,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions\/2734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}