Re: OT: Re: circus animals?

[stanitarium@earthlink.net]

i also played sousaphone in my high school band and i dont think its a 
metaphor but-our band room was right off the cafeteria and one practice 
day i could not get sound out of the bass horn. so, we turned it up side 
down to see if anything was down in the bell and out came banana peels, 
eaten apples, balled up lunch paper bags, old lettuce and paper 
napkins...you know how hungry certain instruments can get.
i dont think my sound improved after that either :-)
staninsanfran

-----Original Message-----
>From: Daryl Shawn <highhorse@mhorse.com>
>Sent: Sep 13, 2007 12:50 PM
>To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
>Subject: OT: Re: circus animals?
>
>Here's a personal experience about audiences, or rather one's perception 
>of audience. My first real instrument was tuba, and in middle school I 
>played in the marching band. One Sunday we were playing at a big parade, 
>with me at the left side of a row of brass, and as usual my vision was 
>completely obscured due to the huge white bell. About 20 minutes into 
>the march, I heard a light clang, like a pebble being thrown against 
>fiberglass. Soon there were more clangs, and more, and soon I became 
>aware of a shuffling sound down in the bowels of the sousaphone. I 
>quickly realized that people were throwing stuff INSIDE my horn, and it 
>was piling up inside. The rain of dings continued, and I got more and 
>more pissed off, no doubt exacerbated by the fact of being a 90-pound 
>dude carrying a 25-pound instrument in full sun for an hour.
>
>Finally, I'd had it. As my right hand continued to work the three valves 
>to "El Capitan", I stuck my left hand out in front of the enormous bell 
>and raised my middle finger in mute rage. I couldn't see any of the 
>people who were suffering the curse of The Bird, but I knew it was 
>working, as the clanging started to die down.
>
>Finally, we reached the end of the parade route. I threw the horn off my 
>shoulder with great relief, and sat down to catch my breath. As the rest 
>of the band began to pack up, I turned my Bb hog upside down to rid it 
>of the debris...and out tinkled several dollars in small change. Tips.
>
>Somewhere in there is a useful metaphor.
>
>Daryl Shawn
>www.swanwelder.com
>www.chinapaintingmusic.com
>