Every So Often

every so often i am reminded of why this is a job worth having.

today, at our staff meeting, we got a sneak preview of Kraft's Timpani Concerto No. 2.

our principal timpanist let us all crowd into the makeshift practice area he's set up under the stage to hear him play.

you probably don't know what this concerto is, because no one has ever heard it performed before. not only has no one ever heard it performed before, but no one has heard the instruments it is played on before.

to play this new composition, they custom designed and built timpanis that play from C sharp to A, a new range for the timp. that's nine new timpanis playing nine new notes in addition to the six larger timpanis that are generally played. so sixteen timpanis. nine on a custom built rack at shoulder height in an almost circle and six on the floor following the curve.

it was a little keith moon. a little micky hart. a little taiko.

it was like: our timpanis go up to eleven. because ten just isn't loud enough.

dave said he wouldn't be able to wear his tux jacket during the performance because it constricts his movement. his movement banging on sixteen timpanis. that we got to hear before any one else in the WORLD, crowded under the stage.

it's premiering here June 9 -18 with Beethoven's Ninth. probably sold out but you could try to get tickets.