Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Practice Time


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Posted by Rick Denney on October 17, 2000 at 23:19:38:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Practice Time posted by Joe S. on October 17, 2000 at 22:25:00:

In that case, I would not have run into him. Fiesta Texas was divided into five parts, supposedly mirroring the varied cultural heritage of Texas. Each section had its own performers, with separate dressing rooms and rehearsal facilities. There was very little interaction.

But there was a distinction between general entertainers and members of groups that existed outside of the park. We were hired as a group, as were the Saurkrauts who headlined in our section (of course, the German section). Many of the other actors and musicians played in more than one show, and might work in more than one section. They were hired as musicians and actors individually, and then provided music and scripts. We provided our own material.

We liked it that way, but the park didn't. They originally had different ideas for our group, but they were busy and let us do our own thing. Just as well--the brass quintet they replaced us with the next year, which was a pick-up group, never clicked in the several times I watched them perform. The park folks thought that if you put five people together, you'd automatically have a quintet. If they play on a stage with no talk, then maybe, though they'd still have to be professionals. But when they are mixing music with schtick, then the relationship between them has to be something more for it to entertain on the street.

We designed our schtick around our individual personalities, and that put us at odds with the bosses who had specific ideas. So, we benefitted hugely from their excessive workload. The current TubaMeisters, which includes only two members from the original quartet (I'm an ex-pat), is still using a lot of that schtick 8 years later, and it still works.

It was a great experience for me. When I was in the group, I was the lead talker, which which helped cover the fact that I was the worst musician in the quartet. I came out of that experience understanding what it takes to be a professional, and I will never again be too afraid to challenge myself with public performance. I learned how to stand on stage and get 98% of my maximum capability, day in and day out. That was my only compensation for the limitations that I had as a player.

Rick "missing that kind of playing" Denney


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