Cyborg Gang

[ateolf]

Had our first Scrap Metal Orchestra rehearsal for the year. Ryan came by with his truck to help me carry the stuff over to Crosstown. We practiced in the Green Room so we got a little "dress rehearsal" for the space. Most everyone was able to make this one. Overall there will be five "veterans" and four new to it. We practiced and it went alright. Some of the new folks were having difficulty with the material. And one of them was being a little difficult about it. He said he didn't understand the way the click track was (especially for the half-beat time signatures...I did share examples of the metronomes and examples of every part played along with a metronome, but I get it that maybe that's a lot to listen to to prepare or whatever) and I was attempting to break it down and he was just like I'm just never going to get this so I won't listen to the click track and I'll just follow along what this other person is doing in my group (but in a very argumentative sort of way). Okay fine, but then for a lot of it he wasn't even doing that, just kind of beating constantly. He also insisted on holding the big sheet of metal to hit instead of having it sit on the stands. I didn't even bother addressing it this time but if he does that again next practice I'll ask him to lay it down all normal-like. Anyway, I think it mostly went alright. Maybe things were a little shakier at first, but as we went on they started to fall in sync better. I am now glad we have a third rehearsal date after all. We also ended up having more new people than it had originally seemed (having jumped from two to four, which is almost but not quite half of the "orchestra"). Anyway, not a lot other than that. Afterwards Taj helped me bring stuff back home and I was soaked in sweat and thirsty as hell and I drank a bunch of water and took a cold shower. Ah! Mary Beth and I tried to go to La Roche to find it's temporarily closed as the owner had to go to Lebanon for a sick family member or something like that. We didn't end up eating out after all.

Comments

[braininthecupboard]

Your experience with that guy resonated with me. Much of my college experience over the final 3 semesters looked like that: people in their early 20s so individualistic that they physically cannot go along with the group. People would just break into off topic conversations with each other during lectures or in ensemble there would sometimes be that kind of behavior and you give them a look and they say “what??” It is so strange. I am curious to see how this goes. I bet it will go well, personally though, i would kick that guy out.