Well, some week! First concert in the garden started off pretty ropey - I was really nervous and tense, sax (and air) were cold, so first tune was somewhat flat, was thrown somewhat by outdoor acoustics, I made loads of mistakes, all in all a dispiriting experience.
The bigger concert in the foyer restored the mood. Great fun, very good vibe, everyone was excited and inspired. Captured it all on my trusty Zoom H2n - really a great time had by all.
The second concert in the garden was something of an improvement musically, but a huge improvement in terms of mood: everything seemed relaxed and even the mistakes seemed to be easier to recover from.
Last of the garden concerts was tonight and really was very nice indeed. Relaxed, easy, FAR fewer mistakes and a good time had by all.
Here's a clip captured on the Zoom H2n - I remain amazed at how excellent this little darling is at capturing a recording for so little effort and hassle. The last tune of the last concert:
http://soundcloud.com/saxplorer/bei-mir-bist-du-shon
I play the tune in and out, bookending great solos by my fellow bandmembers.
Lots to learn still, much much room for improvement, but the lesson of the past week has been .... the more you do it the better, and the more fun it gets.
45 minute set with piano and bass for a few dozen picnic'ers waiting for an outdoor Shakespeare production to start. Songs from "All of Me" to "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise". Was very nervous before, there were one or two stumbles and bum notes, but nothing that couldn't be recovered, and the audience enjoyed it! "Make sure they get you to play next year" they said.
